navycpo7 wrote: So that explains why you could never join up. I grew up all over, as my father was in the Army, and that policy has been dead for along time. but just for your info, I was born right here in Colorado
Yeah I grew up on bases too...From Fukuoka japan to Andrews AFB in DC...
Education
Study: Nearly 1 in 4 Students Fails Military Entrance Exam
Published December 21, 2010
MIAMI – Nearly one-fourth of the students who try to join the U.S. Army fail its entrance exam, painting a grim picture of an education system that produces graduates who can't answer basic math, science and reading questions, according to a new study released Tuesday.
The report by The Education Trust bolsters a growing worry among military and education leaders that the pool of young people qualified for military service will grow too small.
"Too many of our high school students are not graduating ready to begin college or a career — and many are not eligible to serve in our armed forces," U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan told the AP. "I am deeply troubled by the national security burden created by America's underperforming education system."
Do you think that they passed the repeal of DADT because the Gay and Lesbian community are smarter and can pass the test? Who do you think will do better on the physical tests?
Oh, big deal. Millions of us grew up as military kids, all over the place. What the heck does that have to do with passing the military entrance exam?
Where are the parents of these kids who can't perform basic skills? Did they instill the importance of an education? Did they help their kids or find help for them? The schools can't do ALL of it. There has to be some motivation from within and from the home.
Satchmo wrote: Oh, big deal. Millions of us grew up as military kids, all over the place. What the heck does that have to do with passing the military entrance exam?
Where are the parents of these kids who can't perform basic skills? Did they instill the importance of an education? Did they help their kids or find help for them? The schools can't do ALL of it. There has to be some motivation from within and from the home.
Agree, I blame not only the schools for not being tough enough with the students, but parents aren't being tough enough with thier kids. Demanding more, because I think most kids will step up to the challenge.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
I took an ASVAB practice test yesterday and today. I scored similar to what I did when I was Junior in high school, over 25 years ago. And I haven't gone to any school except what was required by the military, since I graduated high school.
I think both of my boys scored higher than I did...so there are some schools doing their jobs.
SS109 wrote: And a total of 75% of America's youth is turned down for military service because of educational and physical reasons. No wonder Congress had to repeal DADT, America was running out of recruits. And what does this say about public schools when almost 1 in 4 can't get into the military because of a poor education.
Sen. John Kerry once disparaged the troops by saying only the poor and stupid joined the military, but soon it will only be the elite physical and intelligent who can serve.
:faint: No worry about bringing back the draft with that kind of failure rate.
I can't find the info now, but back when Spykster first quoted this a few months ago, I looked up historical acceptance rates to see how much had changed over the decades as to how many more or less were being rejected now and for what reasons. Turns out that the rejection rate hasn't really changed all that much, but the reasons have. The military has historically taken the best and brightest, as would be hoped. Back at the turn of the century, around WWI, and just prior to WWII, the most common health reason for rejection was lack of nutrition - ie, too underweight. Disease wasn't mentioned, but I would guess that since debilitating childhood disease rates were higher, that that also would have caused a higher rejection rate than now (no one now gets refused b/c polio partially crippled them).
Yes, it's sad that 1 in 4 can't pass the exam, but it's not much higher than historical rates. The change now is that a higher proportion of minorities fail the educational requirements than do whites - because minorities have lower graduation rates form high schools. It's not because they are stupid, but because they don't have access to the better teachers and support systems. If I can find the documentation, I'll add it later, for now you'll have to trust me!
"Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.” -King T'Challa, Black Panther
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. ~Winston Churchill
