Aired April 02, 2007

In February, Ohio lawmakers received a report that said the state is losing its global competitiveness in education. The research was conducted by the nonprofit Achieve, Inc, and it concluded that Ohio needs significant reform in order to make its schools world class. There's plenty of criticism of American education from LOCAL residents to go around, so we felt it might be instructive to get some foreigners' impressions. ideastream's education reporter Dan Bobkoff has our story.

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France and America haven't had the best of relations in the past few years. But for French student teachers spending a few months at Nordonia High School in Macedonia, IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG TO MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION WITH THE STUDENTS.

LESIMPLE: I tried to smash some stereotypes about food and eating and customs.

Frederic Lesimple teaches world history. He AND TWENTY ONE OTHER FRENCH STUDENT TEACHERS ARE HERE AS PART OF AN EXCHANGE PROGRAM SPONSORED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT.

His French colleague at Nordonia, Amandine Chapuis says THE EXPERIENCE HAS taught her a lot about Ohio's, and America's, education system. AND SHE AGREES WITH ONE OF THE MOST FREQUENTLY HEARD CRITICISMS.

CHAPUIS: I think this problem of funding is really fundamental here. It's a big problem, huge issue.

The French student teachers say they were surprised by some of what they found in American classrooms. Lesimple found that the relationship between student and teacher is much closer and warmer in America. The downside is what he calls consumer behavior.

LESIMPLE: it's really common for the parents or even the students to ask for bonus points, to argue about a grade, or to ask the teacher about a test.

Across the hall, Andreas Johansson INSTRUCTS A CLASS IN AMERICAN GOVERNMENT. HE'S ALSO A STUDENT TEACHER, IN AN AMERICAN PROGRAM - HE'S FINISHING UP HIS MASTER'S DEGREE AT KENT STATE UNIVERSITY. BUT JOHANSSON GREW UP IN SWEDEN, AND SAYS there are some things the two countries can learn from each other. In Sweden, he says, school days routinely last into the evening, with more time off between classes and activities.

JOHANSSON: I think students, especially in the afternoon, tend to get really tired here, and I think having some time off in between, and reflect on what they've done in class, would help.

AS FOR THE IDEA THAT AMERICAN SCHOOLS DON'T MEASURE UP TO GLOBAL STANDARDS - AS THE ACHIEVE REPORT CONTENDS, Johannson thinks that concern is a bit overblown.

JOHANSSON: I don't think the US is behind, or Europe is ahead necessarily. I think there could be more interrelatedness. I think we can spend more time looking at each other.

JOHANSSON'S POINT SQUARES WITH THE VIEWS OF CASSIUS LUBISI OF SOUTH AFRICA. He's superintendent general of South Africa's largest province, and recently visited Cleveland as part of an educational tour of the U.S. He says America often panics about falling behind.

LUBISI: When the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, there was a terrible panic throughout the United States saying oh, look at the Russians, they've launched Sputnik. That means our education system is bad.

Lubisi thinks the best schools in America hold their own with the best schools anywhere. He's found that the biggest challenge in American education is addressing the inequalities of race and class, even if, on average, American schools look good.

LUBISI: it's of course dangerous to speak in averages. On average, when you put your feet in a freezer, and your head in an oven, on average you will feel fine. But of course the world does not operate that way.

With apartheid still in South Africa's recent memory, he says inequality continues to be one of the biggest issues for schools there.

Back at Nordonia, the French student teachers say they plan to bring some of what they learned here to their classrooms in France. Amandine Chapuis says she wants to bring back the various styles of teaching she saw there.

CHAPUIS: Because here the teachers like to try many ways of teaching, and they try new things.

After flying back over the weekend, Chapuis is already back in her French classroom today.