"I came to realize that parents are involved in education in these other countries—but they are involved differently. They are more involved at home. And that,

"I came to realize that parents are involved in education in these other countries—but they are involved differently. They are more involved at home. And that, it turns out, might be one secret to their success." And there it is, folks! It's an interesting contrast to yesterday's postings wherein I've seen comments from a former member of a board of education, and a teacher involved in a teacher's union. That there seems to be this expectation in America to leave education up to the professionals (state-certified teachers). There's a stigma attached to home-schooling, as it is highly associated with religious fundamentalists indoctrinating kids, and further, parents might "mess up" their children's education. This phenomena is thoroughly explored in John Taylor Gatto's book, "Underground History of American Education." In the 1800s, children were taught to read at home. The push towards compulsory education, however, somehow convinced the American public that parents are no longer good enough to teach their kids. That is crazy. Coming from an Asian family, this notion would have been absurd. It isn't about who is "qualified" to teach something, and more about gaining competitive advantages. (Now, Asian family dynamics have their own shadow-sides too).