IQ's are falling

[monsoon]

Interesting article on how IQ's have fallen over the last 30 years. I would say the problem is even worse in the United States, but there is no one left here qualified to give such a test. The saying, "if you don't use it, you lose it" applies here as today's kids are brought up to react instead of being taught how to think it out for themselves.

[hood]

So what exactly is the average IQ now? I wouldn't even know how to get reliable IQ test anymore, but I would be interested in how I score. I've taken the "super IQ test" at Tickle.com, and scored 132 but I doubt that test is very accurate. I thought this quote was funny, “We are cautious about research where questions never change because times change and the world changes,” thats the entire point of an IQ test, to test true thinking ability, not based on previous and/or specific knowledge.

[Snowguy716]

Metro.. you're an idiot. Today's kids are NOT brought up to react. I can't believe how stupid you are to think that. You're the problem in this country.. we're going down the crap hole because of people like you

Of course I can think for myself.

I have taken that test from Tickle.. and there are a couple of questions that I could never get.. I just didn't get them. Am i that stupid? (The one about "Tom likes 1000 but not 900.. and so on.) If someone explains it to me I'll never forget it.. but still.

[StevenRocks]

Kids are discouraged from being smart. Across social, economic, cultural and racial lines, smart kids are ostracized and dumb kids are coddled in their ignorance.

Parents are in a state of extended adolescence and corporal punishment is labeled child abuse. Schools are being increasingly burdened with the teaching of life skills that should be taught in the home, with less and less public education funding devoted to teaching kids.

Nobody's watching out for kids' welfare and it's showing more and more in society.

[Snowguy716]

Kids aren't discouraged from being smart. If a kid is smart, he/she will be smart. There's no stopping that.

To be honest, though.. I don't think that the article says much. It just shows that the kids taking a certain test in the U.K got worse at it over 25-30 years. I can tell you right now that schools have gotten better, at least from the experience I've heard.

If you look at my local high school back in teh 70s compared to now, it's amazing the standards that students are held to now compared to 1975. Back in 1975 you were required to take 4 years of English and History, and 2 years of Math and Science.. that was it. You had the opportunity to earn 24 credits but only had to earn 20. That means you could fail one class each semester. Now you're required to get 30 of 32 possible credits. That cuts it in half.

Now students required to take 4 years of English and History, 3 of science and math, plus a music/performing arts course, a traditional art course, health, 1 full year of phys ed. (This is 85minutes per day) and two years of world language. Middle aged parents could have nothing but electives their senior years (mostly shop classes) students now are forced to broaden their horizons.

Children are also required to take the Minnesota comprehensive mathematics and reading exams in 8th grade along with a writing exam in 10th grade, and a math and science exam in 11th grade. This is along with Iowa Test of Basic Skills (Why Minnesota doesn't have their own, I don't know) from 1st-7th grade.

Scores have consistently gone up statewide. The tests have not changed in difficulty.. the students are improving.

More students goto college now than back in teh '70s (and pay a hell of a lot more for it too) and, at least for my district, around 75% of students continue their education after high school whether that be community, technical, or a traditional 4 year university.

I also didn't see anything about IQs in the article.

Sometimes I just wonder if people don't like the way the nation is or the direction we're going in and they want something easy to blame it on... like parents and their children. Wanna talk about taking responsibility that everyone seems to want to advise people on and dole out to everyone but themselves?

[peaceloveunderstanding]

Metro.. you're an idiot. Today's kids are NOT brought up to react. I can't believe how stupid you are to think that. You're the problem in this country.. we're going down the crap hole because of people like you

What was the purpose of that statment? Looks like reaction to me.

EDIT: Yea I get it. Usually a is used instead of

----------------------------

I think there are problems with the structure of education in America and the most prominent issue is this idea of self-esteem. The teacher's goal should not be to help everyone pass,but to educate. Mediocrity or poor performance should never be encouraged.

Kids are discouraged from being smart. Across social, economic, cultural and racial lines, smart kids are ostracized and dumb kids are coddled in their ignorance.

Parents are in a state of extended adolescence and corporal punishment is labeled child abuse. Schools are being increasingly burdened with the teaching of life skills that should be taught in the home, with less and less public education funding devoted to teaching kids.

Nobody's watching out for kids' welfare and it's showing more and more in society

I think destruction of the family unit is a factor in this. Not having parents around in the formative years can certainly leave some disregard for authority figures and no real sense of stability.

[Snowguy716]

As far as the reactive statement goes: Look at Metro's comment... then look at mine. Then look at the behind it. If you don't get it, then I'm not going to explain it any further.

I always hear the "destruction of the family unit" argument. I'd like some background proof on this or a further explanation. It's the one I always hear but never really hear anything more than "the family unit is being destroyed" or "our morals are going down the toilet." It's cliche and it gets redundant.

[MZT]

In N.C., they started raising the graduation credit requirements substantially around 1984.

It used to be possible to finish high school half way through the 11th grade... Students that did, I suppose took textile and tobacco jobs. They were plentiful once, ya know. It even "kinda made sense" for a lot of people. If you weren't interested in studying, just start working.

[monsoon]

You guys are making the mistake of confusing education level achieved, with IQ and cognitive ability They are not the same thing. I don't think anyone would argue with you that more people are going to college these days and that people are doing better on standardized tests. However.....

One of the downsides to standardized testing in public school is that students are being taught to pass the tests, as there is an incentive for the teachers to do this, but they are not getting and education. This gives the false impression the schools are doing a good job when in reality, especially compared to schools of 30 years ago, they are not.

I am often amused by young people who can't do basic math in their head and now have to have a machine do it for them. Is this important in today's society? Some would say not and that it is fine to let machines handle the mundane task of doing sums instead of teaching students the mental tricks of doing math without a calculator. I would argue however it is this lack of general mental exercises that is leading to the falling IQs. i.e. If you don't use it, you lose it and in this case it was never gained in the first place.

[Hotlanta]

Kids are discouraged from being smart. Across social, economic, cultural and racial lines, smart kids are ostracized and dumb kids are coddled in their ignorance.

Parents are in a state of extended adolescence and corporal punishment is labeled child abuse. Schools are being increasingly burdened with the teaching of life skills that should be taught in the home, with less and less public education funding devoted to teaching kids.

Nobody's watching out for kids' welfare and it's showing more and more in society.

Every quarter in health we take "life skills." I mean come on, I would rather be outside or at least in the gym playing football than sitting at a desk talink about sex and AIDS. With the alarming amount of citizens in the world being diagnosed with STD's, I think it is important that we know about it but not spend ALL of our time talking about it.