Do It For The Children

I believe in positive change over tradition.  I believe that systems should be made as simple and intuitive as possible, to free up brain-power for more important things.  I believe it is wise to pay a larger cost upfront if it will give you long term benefits.  I believe that if people are following a screwy system, just because that is the way it has always been done, it is time for a change.

America, bite the bullet and switch over to the metric system already.  Consider that the rest of the developed world may be on to something here.  Yes, it means that we're going to have to convert all of our favorite recipes, and start reading those little numbers on the inside of the speedometer.  But the children of tomorrow will have an easier time in math and science, and our society will benefit in the long run.  We're not going to maintain our superpower status if we keep handicapping ourselves like this.  The US needs to start looking further than four years into the future and start making some sound long term decisions.

Ok, I know that I lost some of you with the metric system endorsement, and what I am about to suggest is going to ruffle even more feathers.  So I'm going to ask you to suspend your prejudices for a short while and consider the effect that the change I will describe will have on the future.

The English language is an monster made by committee, both in it's grammar and it's spelling.  For any way of doing something, there are exceptions when it should be done another way, and exceptions to those exceptions.  I believe it is time to make some rules - as consistent and as simple as possible, and stick to them!  Kids should not have to spend twelve years learning the intricacies of spelling and grammar.  Simplify!  If the rules were consistent, kids would be able to spell any word by the time they were in second grade.  Grammar would take a bit longer, but with consistent rules it would be understood much faster than it is now.  And all of this opens up time for English teachers to focus more on vocabulary and effective writing skills.

The two biggest things we can do to improve the education system are to adopt the metric system and a streamlined English language.