Losing the Future

because of education or the lack thereof.                   



A week ago today (3-20-12) on CBS This Morning, Condoleezza Rice (former Secretary of State) was their guest and she spoke about how our poor education system is jeopardizing our national security.

WASHINGTON — The nation's security and economic prosperity are at risk if America's schools don't improve, warns a task force led by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Joel Klein, the former chancellor of New York City's school system.

The task force reported that, 75 percent of young adults don't qualify to serve in the military because they are physically unfit, have criminal records or inadequate levels of education. That's in part because 1 in 4 students fails to graduate from high school in four years, and a high school diploma or the equivalent is needed to join the military. But another 30 percent of high school graduates don't do well enough in math, science and English on an aptitude test to serve in the military. 

If this is not bad enough, the report continues with, …too many Americans are deficient in both global awareness and knowledge that is "essential for understanding America's allies and its adversaries, leaving large swaths of the population unprepared also threatens to divide Americans and undermines the country's cohesion, confidence, and ability to serve as a global leader."

"I don't think people have really thought about the national security implications and the inability to have people who speak the requisite languages who can staff a volunteer military, the kind of morale and human conviction you need to hold a country together. I don't think people have thought about it in those terms," Klein said . . . 

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while Rice stated, "The rest of the world is not sitting by while we, in a rather deliberate fashion, reform the education system.”  And, if our education system continues operating as it is currently operating, it will not yield enough graduates who will have the pre-requisite knowledge to help us fight cyber crimes which robs businesses of billions of dollars annually.

 As an lifelong educator, this news is very disturbing to say the least.  Over the years, I have seen a gradual decline in adult education but also in the foundation knowledge of the adult student.  It was first brought to my attention when I moved to Greeneville, TN to work for Walters State Community College and volunteered to teach a class on quality to Junior Achievement students at one of the local high schools. 

What I heard from several of the students was appalling and while experience took place over 20 years ago, it revolved around the following: 

“. . .  just tell me what I need to know for the ‘A’ and I’ll memorize it and give it back to you . . .   ‘A’s’ will get me into the best colleges and that will get me the best jobs . . .  and all of that has nothing to do with what I’ve learned or know . . .”