Give us your tired, your poor huddled masses...and then give machine guns to the stupid - because nearly one-fourth of the students who try to join the military fail their entrance exam. Perhaps we should ask ourselves if we want our well-honed killing machines to be able to answer basic math, science and reading questions...
The report by The Education Trust found that 23% of recent high school graduates don't get the minimum score needed on the enlistment test to join any branch of the military. Since when did cannon fodder need to pass a test? Isn't the military one of the last havens for the truly stupid to have a career? It's not like there's thousands of positions at McDonalds opening each year because fry cooks are stepping on IEDs.
To make matters worse, Pentagon data that shows 75% of applicants for the armed services aged 17 to 24 don't qualify for the military because they are physically unfit, have a criminal record or didn't graduate high school. The Department of Defense says it is still meeting its recruitment goals, but worry it could change as the economy improves. There must be something about not getting shot while working for Best Buy that is appealing.
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said, "I am deeply troubled by the national security burden created by America's under performing education system," and while that also means he's not doing his job correctly, is it the failing of the system or just stupid kids? Kenneth Jackson (19) a recent enlistee says passing the entrance exam is easy for those who paid attention in school, and blamed the education system for why more recruits aren't able to pass the test. Settle down, showoff! "The classes need to be tougher because people aren't learning enough," he said.
So G.I. Genius thinks that the classes are too easy and that's why applicants are failing? If the result from what's currently administered is nearly 1/4 failing, how can you think making the curriculum more difficult is going to benefit test takers positively? And this guy passed the test? We all know there are some serious shortcomings with the school system, but making school harder for dumb motherfuckers isn't going boost the entry scores.
The Education Trust study shows wide disparities in scores among white and minority students (close to 40% of black students and 30% of Hispanics, compared to 16% of whites), so everybody can jump to all the socio-economic conclusions they want, but if that was the case, why does Wyoming have the lowest passage rate (13%) - not quite the Latino and African American hotbed like other states. On the test, the average score for blacks is 38 and for Hispanics is 44, compared to whites' average score of 55, which according to reports reflect similar racial gaps on other standardized exams.
I am trying to avoid those elements for sake of discussion, because my real point is that stupid people are stupid. You can fault a poor educational system, but is that really to blame? Even the best mechanic can't repair a shitty engine. There are great opportunities in the military, and having an educated defense is desirable, but the smarter kids are going to go to college and careers - places they're less likely to get killed by an enemy. Besides, why do you think the entry level soldiers are called "grunts"?
The report by The Education Trust found that 23% of recent high school graduates don't get the minimum score needed on the enlistment test to join any branch of the military. Since when did cannon fodder need to pass a test? Isn't the military one of the last havens for the truly stupid to have a career? It's not like there's thousands of positions at McDonalds opening each year because fry cooks are stepping on IEDs.
To make matters worse, Pentagon data that shows 75% of applicants for the armed services aged 17 to 24 don't qualify for the military because they are physically unfit, have a criminal record or didn't graduate high school. The Department of Defense says it is still meeting its recruitment goals, but worry it could change as the economy improves. There must be something about not getting shot while working for Best Buy that is appealing.
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said, "I am deeply troubled by the national security burden created by America's under performing education system," and while that also means he's not doing his job correctly, is it the failing of the system or just stupid kids? Kenneth Jackson (19) a recent enlistee says passing the entrance exam is easy for those who paid attention in school, and blamed the education system for why more recruits aren't able to pass the test. Settle down, showoff! "The classes need to be tougher because people aren't learning enough," he said.
So G.I. Genius thinks that the classes are too easy and that's why applicants are failing? If the result from what's currently administered is nearly 1/4 failing, how can you think making the curriculum more difficult is going to benefit test takers positively? And this guy passed the test? We all know there are some serious shortcomings with the school system, but making school harder for dumb motherfuckers isn't going boost the entry scores.
The Education Trust study shows wide disparities in scores among white and minority students (close to 40% of black students and 30% of Hispanics, compared to 16% of whites), so everybody can jump to all the socio-economic conclusions they want, but if that was the case, why does Wyoming have the lowest passage rate (13%) - not quite the Latino and African American hotbed like other states. On the test, the average score for blacks is 38 and for Hispanics is 44, compared to whites' average score of 55, which according to reports reflect similar racial gaps on other standardized exams.
I am trying to avoid those elements for sake of discussion, because my real point is that stupid people are stupid. You can fault a poor educational system, but is that really to blame? Even the best mechanic can't repair a shitty engine. There are great opportunities in the military, and having an educated defense is desirable, but the smarter kids are going to go to college and careers - places they're less likely to get killed by an enemy. Besides, why do you think the entry level soldiers are called "grunts"?
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