We discussed the folly of a system that requires all courses to have a stipulated number of hours.

That system obviously doesn't work. After all, different topics require different amounts of time to teach, to absorb, to register, and to evaluate.

Therefore, this article presents a radically new idea.

It's time to ask teachers to be accountable for teaching a subject, instead of being responsible for a set number of hours that they spend in a classroom!

In this way, we can demand that all students learn, unless they have a disability that prevents them from doing so.

We'll have to develop a test to determine how long any course should take with an average teacher, under average conditions, and with an average class. We know enough about standardizing tests to be able to prepare such a standard.

Each course could then be assigned a value, based on the number of standardized hours that it should take to teach it. Some classes would be assigned more standard hours than others. Observers would verify that the laboratory determination of the number of hours matches the required number in real classrooms. There would be additional criteria for large (or very small) classes, or for classes with learning-disabled students, or for other reasons to adjust the number of "standard" hours.

Teachers would then be compensated based on the number of standard hours required for their course, after adjustments for extenuating circumstances.

If a 23-hour course could be completed successfully in only 15 hours, then so be it. However, we must be sure to evaluate the students properly after that time by means of independent tests, in order to assure that they have indeed acquired the material.

On the other hand, if the teacher requires 100 hours to get the material through - then again, so be it.

The teacher will receive the same remuneration in either case.

In this improved system, the teacher would work on a modified contractual basis.

This should have a positive effect on the entire system. We should be able to note a significant growth in teacher motivation.

Watch teaching excellence increase.

Watch students' enthusiasm and love of school increase.

Watch teacher's interest in the growth of each student increase.

Watch student discipline improve.

Watch student participation and interest increase, as they realize that they can reduce the number of frontal hours required for any course.

That standard salary that we discussed must improve enough so that potentially good teachers will determine that it is worth investing their effort in education. With this combination of improvements, we may be able to resolve some of the major problems affecting the school system today. We might actually be able to reverse the trend of lowered school standards around the world.

This proposal contrasts with the existing - and unfortunate and expensive method - of using testing as a whip as a method to force teachers to teach a specified minimal amount in their classrooms.