23.02.12

In a promotional clip for a special edition television program titled "Restoring the American Dream: Fixing Education" by Fareed Zakaria of CNN, he cites a story by Rana Foroohar of Time magazine that reviews the social mobility (our ability to change our socioeconomic status) decline in America, noting that it is considerably harder to climb the socioeconomic ladder in the United States today than before and is easier done in other countries in Europe. Considering the causes of this in America, Zakaria finds a number of contributing reasons, concluding that the most important factor is our lagging behind in education. He notes that "no other factor is as closely linked to upward mobility."

How our educational system performs is paramount to our quality of life. We live in a global economy and our work force and leaders now and in the future must be able to compete on that level. Additionally, the opportunity for upward mobility drives us and we are now behind.

The latest (2009) Programme for International Student Assessment data show that 15-year-old students in the U.S. are doing average in reading and science, and below average in math. Out of 34 countries, the U.S. ranked 14th in reading, 17th in science and 25th in math. The study is conducted every three years and is considered to be of the most comprehensive tests to compare educational levels across nations, with emphasis on student ability to apply reading, science and math skills to real-life situations.

Source: Maui News