🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1993Jan07.182300.7993@eng.umd.edu> clin@eng.umd.edu (Charles Lin) writes:
>
>   I read a moderately recently issue of US News and World Reports which
>discussed the issue of "magnet" schools.   Magnet schools, for those of
>you who don't know it, are schools that admit highly qualified students on
>the basis of examination or other similar means.   For example, New York
>City has several schools like this (Stuyvesant, Bronx School of Science,
>Brooklyn Tech, Hunter College, etc.).   I think the idea is that in a city
>as large as New York, and with so many schools, it is difficult to maintain
>a high quality education throughout since not all students are highly
>motivated.   
>
>    Therefore exams are given, and anyone getting some score is admitted
>into these schools (which are free).   The distribution of various ethnic
>groups is pretty good, and so some minorities like this system because
>it gives a chance for qualified minorities to get the kind of education
>they want.   The downside is that it may foster a bit of elitism where
>top students are getting more of the resources than the rest of the
>city.
What kind of exams are used? I hope they don't use IQ tests....

>
>    My personal opinion is that, if it is not really possible to maintain
>high education throughout a city or town, either due to the lack of
>high quality students or teachers,  then magnet schools are a good idea.
>They make sure that those who are both willing and able are not hampered
>by the location that they live in and made to go to a school where they
>are not educationally challenged.   It also offers a way to emphasize education
>as something to strive for.
>
>--
>Charles Lin
>clin@eng.umd.edu