Bill Gates Says U. S. Students Ranked 24th Out of 29 Industrialized Nations in Math
Bill Gates Says U. S. Students Ranked 24th Out of 29 Industrialized Nations in an international math test in 2003.
He also states that "Other governments are waking up to the vital role innovation (education) plays in competitiveness.
This is not to say that the growing economic importance of countries such as China and India is bad. On the contrary, the world benefits as more people acquire the skills needed to foster innovation...".
I agree with him when he says, "we must demand strong schools so that young Americans enter the workforce with the math, science and problem-solving skills they need to succeed in the knowledge economy. "
...Gates continues, "To remain competitive in the global economy, we must build on the success of such schools and commit to an ambitious national agenda for education. Government and businesses can both play a role. Companies must advocate for strong education policies and work with schools to foster interest in science and mathematics and to provide an education that is relevant to the needs of business. Government must work with educators to reform schools and improve educational excellence."
What do you think about American education from pre-school through college? Is it as demanding as when you attended or not? Does your school system prepare your child for being a good citizen, patriot, spouse, and employee? Will your child be prepared and qualify to be successful and graduate from a trade school or college? Are your schools challenging? Or are they warehouses where the students waste their time? Do most of the high school students in your town graduate on time or do many drop out?
Do you think we need a national agenda to for American education to remain competitive in the global economy?
Larry King of CNN TV stated that New York City schools were so highly regarded a couple of generations ago that something was wrong with you if you went to a private school. So many recognizable successful people graduated from NYC public schools in the past, including Larry King that it is difficult to realize the system is failing the students today.
Bill Gates want to cherry pick the best graduates from across the world to be employed in America, which I do not agree. As an American, I cannot agree to that wholeheartedly. I believe in moderation. I always worked with H1B's since I graduated from college in 1972. For almost 30 years recruitment of H1B's was accomplished in moderation and Americans could still find work at decent wages and benefits. But for the past few years, the importation of college educated alien labor has been excessive because it is difficult for Americans to find jobs in their chosen fields, and wage and benefit levels for those jobs have diminished.
America must also make education affordable to all Americans. American higher education costs are excessive compared to the costs of other industrialized nations. Other nations recognize the importance of education and subsidises it, but America does not. It is also critical not only for our younger students but for older Americans that need new skills to remain employed. Many fields of study have half lives of useful knowledge when newer technologies in the same fields have made rapid advancement. Just look at the computer hardware field where it used to be tubes were important, then transistors, then integrated circuits, and more recently chips.
American business has outsourced many American jobs overseas, mostly industrial but now white collar. Students today realize this and are abandoning courses of studies that they fear will not enable them to be employed in America such as computer science and engineering. American business like Bill Gates cannot have it both ways by outsourcing jobs to India and China and expecting Americans also to be available and educated in the future for those same jobs. American business must decide whether or not they ever want Americans to be trained in those jobs or else they will not be available in the future. The American government must realize the impact to the country when millions of highly trained Americans are no longer available a generation or two down the road. To many Americans that are willing, able, and qualified to do the work are on the beach now, fired, outsourced to foreign countries.
Some of what Bill Gates is the truth and some is not. He has learned as the CEO of a major American company that for his company to survive he needs a highly trained workforce. Gates is correct that American education has recently gone downhill. He is correct that American government has not supported education as it should. He is wrong to invest billions in India and China when he could accomplish the same things here in America with American workers. And then he wonders where in America can he obtain future American workers. Gates, you cannot have it both ways.
Do you think America should have a local, state, and national agendas on education and employment of a highly trained workforce? Don't you think the Presidential contenders, your Congress people, your Governor, Mayor, School Superintendent, and School Board should address these problems?
I think the time is now to address the problems. To delay would be unforgiveable.
He also states that "Other governments are waking up to the vital role innovation (education) plays in competitiveness.
This is not to say that the growing economic importance of countries such as China and India is bad. On the contrary, the world benefits as more people acquire the skills needed to foster innovation...".
I agree with him when he says, "we must demand strong schools so that young Americans enter the workforce with the math, science and problem-solving skills they need to succeed in the knowledge economy. "
...Gates continues, "To remain competitive in the global economy, we must build on the success of such schools and commit to an ambitious national agenda for education. Government and businesses can both play a role. Companies must advocate for strong education policies and work with schools to foster interest in science and mathematics and to provide an education that is relevant to the needs of business. Government must work with educators to reform schools and improve educational excellence."
What do you think about American education from pre-school through college? Is it as demanding as when you attended or not? Does your school system prepare your child for being a good citizen, patriot, spouse, and employee? Will your child be prepared and qualify to be successful and graduate from a trade school or college? Are your schools challenging? Or are they warehouses where the students waste their time? Do most of the high school students in your town graduate on time or do many drop out?
Do you think we need a national agenda to for American education to remain competitive in the global economy?
Larry King of CNN TV stated that New York City schools were so highly regarded a couple of generations ago that something was wrong with you if you went to a private school. So many recognizable successful people graduated from NYC public schools in the past, including Larry King that it is difficult to realize the system is failing the students today.
Bill Gates want to cherry pick the best graduates from across the world to be employed in America, which I do not agree. As an American, I cannot agree to that wholeheartedly. I believe in moderation. I always worked with H1B's since I graduated from college in 1972. For almost 30 years recruitment of H1B's was accomplished in moderation and Americans could still find work at decent wages and benefits. But for the past few years, the importation of college educated alien labor has been excessive because it is difficult for Americans to find jobs in their chosen fields, and wage and benefit levels for those jobs have diminished.
America must also make education affordable to all Americans. American higher education costs are excessive compared to the costs of other industrialized nations. Other nations recognize the importance of education and subsidises it, but America does not. It is also critical not only for our younger students but for older Americans that need new skills to remain employed. Many fields of study have half lives of useful knowledge when newer technologies in the same fields have made rapid advancement. Just look at the computer hardware field where it used to be tubes were important, then transistors, then integrated circuits, and more recently chips.
American business has outsourced many American jobs overseas, mostly industrial but now white collar. Students today realize this and are abandoning courses of studies that they fear will not enable them to be employed in America such as computer science and engineering. American business like Bill Gates cannot have it both ways by outsourcing jobs to India and China and expecting Americans also to be available and educated in the future for those same jobs. American business must decide whether or not they ever want Americans to be trained in those jobs or else they will not be available in the future. The American government must realize the impact to the country when millions of highly trained Americans are no longer available a generation or two down the road. To many Americans that are willing, able, and qualified to do the work are on the beach now, fired, outsourced to foreign countries.
Some of what Bill Gates is the truth and some is not. He has learned as the CEO of a major American company that for his company to survive he needs a highly trained workforce. Gates is correct that American education has recently gone downhill. He is correct that American government has not supported education as it should. He is wrong to invest billions in India and China when he could accomplish the same things here in America with American workers. And then he wonders where in America can he obtain future American workers. Gates, you cannot have it both ways.
Do you think America should have a local, state, and national agendas on education and employment of a highly trained workforce? Don't you think the Presidential contenders, your Congress people, your Governor, Mayor, School Superintendent, and School Board should address these problems?
I think the time is now to address the problems. To delay would be unforgiveable.
posted by God Bless America - Bob at 7:24 PM
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