This topic seeks to identify the barriers to achieving the best of education for our sons and daughters and to discuss the reason why America has fallen behind some countries of the world in mathematics and science. The OECD, Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development in 2009 reported that the United States is ranked 25th and 24th among other developed nations in math and science assessment scores, respectively.
According to figures cited by the Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sometime in August of 2009, he noted that a report by the NCES, National Center for Education Statistics, American 15 year olds were compared with peers from other countries of the world in the Organization for Economic Development and was found that our students performed at below average in math and science. In mathematics our high school students were in the bottom 25% of the countries that took part and American students were behind countries like Finland, China, and Estonia. Unbelievable you might say, but that is our story.
In 2011, the OECD, Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development rankings placed American students at the 23rd position in science and 32nd in math ability levels. What is it going to take to make math and science a priority in our schools and colleges? OECD report has it that students from China came first in math, science, and reading in OECD’s Program for International Student Assessment this year.
What will it take for the ‘giant’ to wake up from its slumber?
