The American high school graduate is two years behind his English, French or German counterpart; in Alabama, God knows how far behind.
Interpretation
This quote highlights the educational shortcomings of American high school graduates compared to their peers in Europe, particularly emphasizing disparities in Alabama.
Gore Vidal's quote addresses the significant gap in educational achievement between American high school graduates and those in countries like England, France, and Germany. It suggests that American students, particularly in states like Alabama, are not receiving the same quality or quantity of education, thereby lacking critical skills and knowledge that are essential in today's global society. This commentary on the education system raises awareness about regional disparities and the need for improvement in the American education curriculum.
In practice
In a speech about educational reform, I mentioned, 'As Gore Vidal said, the American high school graduate is two years behind his peers in Europe.'
We must declare ourselves, become known; allow the world to discover this subterranean life of ours which connects kings and farm boys, artists and clerks. Let them see that the important thing is not the object of love, but the emotion itself.
American writers want to be not good but great; and so are neither.
Writing fiction has become a priestly business in countries that have lost their faith.
The important thing is not the object of love, but the emotion itself.
For the average American, freedom of speech is simply the freedom to repeat what everyone else is saying and no more.
Ayn Rand's 'philosophy' is nearly perfect in its immorality, which makes the size of her audience all the more ominous and symptomatic as we enter a curious new phase in our society.... To justify and extol human greed and egotism is to my mind not only immoral, but evil.
I cannot read a single word of the Hindoos without being elevated.
The paper is patient, but the reader is not.
Sports and entertainment are the only places where inner-city kids see themselves being able to succeed. Their intellectual development is something they don't relate to.
Healthy children will not fear life if their elders have integrity enough not to fear death.
In this modern world where activity is stressed almost to the point of mania, quietness as a childhood need is too often overlooked. Yet a child's need for quietness is the same today as it has always been--it may even be greater--for quietness is an essential part of all awareness. In quiet times and sleepy times a child can dwell in thoughts of his own, and in songs and stories of his own.
When you have all these new police officers and resource officers coming into schools, what I'm worried is going to happen is we're going to increase the school-to-prison pipeline, which disproportionately affects students of color and lower social status.
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