Why High School Students Learn So Little And What Can Be Done About It

Abstract

[Excerpt] The National Commission on Excellence in Education has stated, "Learning is the indispensable investment required for success in the information age we are entering." The high American standard of living has always depended on the high quality of American workers. There is no way unskilled American manufacturing workers can compete with the millions of unskilled workers of India, China and Latin America. The watchword in American manufacturing is now "AUTOMATE, MIGRATE, OR EVAPORATE." Automation, however, requires a highly skilled and flexible work force. Skilled workers are essential for the design, introduction and maintenance of the advanced manufacturing technologies that must be adopted if we are to maintain our high standard of living.