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.To quote:
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According to a new report from the College Board, the U.S. is 12th among developed nations in the percentage of 25- to 34-year-olds with college degrees. The report said, “As America’s aging and highly educated work force moves into retirement, the nation will rely on young Americans to increase our standing in the world.”
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The problem is that today’s young Americans are not coming close to acquiring the education and training needed to carry out that mission. They’re not even in the ballpark. In that key group, 25- to 34-year-olds with a college degree, the U.S. ranks behind Canada, South Korea, Russia, Japan, New Zealand, Ireland, Norway, Israel, France, Belgium and Australia. That is beyond pathetic.
The problem is that today’s young Americans are not coming close to acquiring the education and training needed to carry out that mission. They’re not even in the ballpark. In that key group, 25- to 34-year-olds with a college degree, the U.S. ranks behind Canada, South Korea, Russia, Japan, New Zealand, Ireland, Norway, Israel, France, Belgium and Australia. That is beyond pathetic.
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“While the nation struggles to strengthen the economy,” the report said, “the educational capacity of our country continues to decline.”
“While the nation struggles to strengthen the economy,” the report said, “the educational capacity of our country continues to decline.”
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Everybody is to blame — parents, students, the educational establishment, government leaders, the news media and on and on. A society that closes its eyes to the most important issues of the day, that often holds intellectual achievement in contempt, that is more interested in hip-hop and Lady Gaga than educating its young is all but guaranteed to spiral into a decline.
Everybody is to blame — parents, students, the educational establishment, government leaders, the news media and on and on. A society that closes its eyes to the most important issues of the day, that often holds intellectual achievement in contempt, that is more interested in hip-hop and Lady Gaga than educating its young is all but guaranteed to spiral into a decline.
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While, this are all fair arguments, we - as a nation - have cut back on school funding at all levels - to provide lower taxes for the rich AND to fund two wars of choice AND maintain a massive standing army (we spend more than the next 10 countries combined).
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This is our current choice as a nation. We elected people who campign to be tough on terrorists, deliver defense jobs AND cut taxes. Cut the cost of ecducation is part of that. We may "set standards" - but we dont' fund. I don't approve - but my voice is not heard at all (I voted for Obama - who promised chance and delivered a lot more of the same).
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If you want to have more people go to college and try to get an education so they can improve their lot in in life then fund education. UCLA was $735 a year when I and is $7,000 a year now just for in station tuition. We have going to 4 day elementary school weeks to pay for wars.
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We are creating a system where only the rich and connected can go to school (unless you have parents that truly think ahead and save - and I bow to them in this economy).
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But the rich and connected don't really care. Multinationals and the very wealthy are no longer tied to the United States. They are tied to themselves and their tax cuts.