[Assam] CNN: US President: Quitting on school is quitting on country

[umesh sharma]

Great rhetoric - lots of standing ovations well earned. Now the question arises - can India out-educate USA  -- I think even at the current US level (50% college students drop out) India cannot equal USA's performance in another 100 years. Most don't even go to primary school - leave alone pre-K and secondary education. However, it is true that even if a single Einstein is created in India or Kenya for that matter ( i.e. environment is conducive to such things) then world's largest economies - UK , Japan, USA might feel the heat. One against billions -- is that a fair assumption?
Umesh

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/24/sotn.obama.transcript/
 
The third challenge we must address is the urgent need to expand the promise of education in America.
In a global economy, where the most valuable skill you can sell is your
knowledge, a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity.
It is a prerequisite. Right now, three-quarters of the
fastest-growing occupations require more than a high school diploma,
and yet just over half of our citizens have that level of education. We
have one of the highest high school dropout rates of any industrialized
nation, and half of the students who begin college never finish.
This is a prescription for economic decline, because we know the
countries that out-teach us today will out-compete us tomorrow. That is
why it will be the goal of this administration to ensure that every
child has access to a complete and competitive education, from the day
they are born to the day they begin a career. That is a promise we have
to make to the children of America. Already, we've made a
historic investment in education through the economic recovery plan.
We've dramatically expanded early childhood education and will continue
to improve its quality, because we know that the most formative
learning comes in those first years of life. We've made college
affordable for nearly 7 million more students, 7 million. And we have
provided the resources necessary to prevent painful cuts and teacher
layoffs that would set back our children's progress. But we know that our schools don't just need more resources; they need more reform. And that is why...
That is why this budget creates new teachers -- new incentives for
teacher performance, pathways for advancement, and rewards for success.
We'll invest -- we'll invest in innovative programs that are already
helping schools meet high standards and close achievement gaps. And we
will expand our commitment to charter schools. It is...It is our
responsibility as lawmakers and as educators to make this system work,
but it is the responsibility of every citizen to participate in it.
So tonight I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more
of higher education or career training. This can be a community college
or a four-year school, vocational training or an apprenticeship. But
whatever the training may be, every American will need to get more than
a high school diploma. And dropping out of high school is no
longer an option. It's not just quitting on yourself; it's quitting on
your country. And this country needs and values the talents of every
American. That's why -- that's why we will support -- we will
provide the support necessary for all young Americans to complete
college and meet a new goal: By 2020, America will once again have the
highest proportion of college graduates in the world. That is a goal we
can meet. That's a goal we can meet. Now -- now, I know
that the price of tuition is higher than ever, which is why, if you are
willing to volunteer in your neighborhood or give back to your
community or serve your country, we will make sure that you can afford
a higher education.  And to encourage a renewed spirit of
national service for this and future generations, I ask Congress to
send me the bipartisan legislation that bears the name of Sen. Orrin
Hatch, as well as an American who has never stopped asking what he can
do for his country, Sen. Edward Kennedy. These education
policies will open the doors of opportunity for our children, but it is
up to us to ensure they walk through them. In the end, there is
no program or policy that can substitute for a parent, for a mother or
father who will attend those parent-teacher conferences, or help with
homework, or turn off the TV, put away the video games, read to their
child. I speak to you not just as a president, but as a father,
when I say that responsibility for our children's education must begin
at home. That is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue. That's
an American issue.

Umesh Sharma



Washington D.C. 



1-202-215-4328 [Cell]



Ed.M. - International Education Policy

Harvard Graduate School of Education,

Harvard University,

Class of 2005



http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/index.html (Edu info)



http://hbswk.hbs.edu/ (Management Info)









www.gse.harvard.edu/iep  (where the above 2 are used )

http://harvardscience.harvard.edu/







http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/