According to CNN.com, every parent understands it. Pew Research surveyed the global attitudes of parents and found that 60% of parents agree that education is the most important tool in order for their children to "get ahead" in life. They also understand that sending the children to school isn't enough. They need to learn critical skills that will help land them a good job.
There is a data that can back up this theory. They found that countries with higher skill levels, as evaluated by the international science and math exams, has achieved systematically higher growth rates, higher living standards, and less poverty. However, for countries with relatively worse skills grow slowly and less consistently. They also have higher unemployment rates, and are usually less productive. This fact remains to be true regardless of whether a country is rich or poor, education matters for growth and prosperity. In Asia alone, the World Economic Forum estimates that over 500 million youth are underemployed.
In a research done last Tuesday, the results show that both the parents and students get the information about the student and school performance to check for better skills. An analysis was made across Asia and they found out that providing information to parents related to the doubling of tests scores as compared with the common recommendations to improve education.
It was then found out the when parents are given report cards, test scores increase significantly and over the long term. This however doesn't mean that having a strong curriculum or highly qualified teachers aren't important. But it does show that without accountability, even the most advanced curriculum, best designed early childhood program, or highly qualified teachers may not be enough.
In many countries there is no incentive for schools to focus on quality. Budget is low and teachers are usually protected by strong labor laws. But more importantly, parents and students often don't have enough information that can hold schools accountable.
Many countries are trying their best to make information available legally for all. The only challenge is to get this information in the hands of parents and pupils. In short, they need to check which solution works and what doesn't. The introduction of internationally recognized exams also has been widely used as a tool that helps countries in a race to the top. Researchers need to do more study on how to create and develop a system with criteria that not only evaluates the quality of teachers and students but the overall educational system.
In conclusion, parents understand this matter to the core and lawmakers should follow the lead.
