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US education vs. other countries

在文檔中 美國創新之分析 (頁 56-60)

3 Innovation measurements in the US

3.3. US education vs. other countries

Education is a key component in the development of innovation and the United States has historically made great efforts to strengthen it‘s tertiary education programs. The National Defense Education Act of 1958 (NDEA) (Public Law 85-864) is a United States Act of Congress, passed in 1958 providing $887 million ($6 billion in today‘s dollars) in aid to education in the United States at all levels, both public and private. It was prodded by early Soviet success in the Space Race, notably the launch of the first-ever satellite, Sputnik, the year before.

The NDEA was instituted primarily to stimulate the advancement of and education in science, mathematics, and modern foreign languages; but it has also provided aid in other areas, including technical education, area studies, geography, English as a second language, counseling and guidance, school libraries and librarianship, and educational media centers.

In education, while the American literacy rate is at 99%, the U.S. lags behind a number of countries, ranking between 17th and 40th among world nations. By contrast, the highest literacy rates in the world belong to Cuba, Estonia and Poland with a literacy rate of 99.8% (Chart 2). While this percentage difference is minor, it indicates a growing failure in the U.S. educational system to meet the competitive efforts of other nations. This trend can be seen throughout the United States, most notably in California where 33 percent of high school students failed to graduate in 2007. The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), measuring the performance of fifteen year olds throughout the developed world, ranked American students 24th in math literacy and 26th in problem solving. This problem continues through higher education, where the United States ranks 16th out of 17 nations in the percentage of

twenty four year olds earning degrees in natural science or engineering, according to the National Math & Science Initiative.

The quality of American teachers in pre college education has dropped over the past few decades. Currently, it has a lower barrier to entry than it once had as evidenced by entrance exam scores. A recent finding noted that a majority of math and science teachers in American pre college education have had not received degrees in those fields nor do they have any formal training in the subjects they teach. A significant drop in competitive international rankings for K through 12 education arises after 4th grade when math and science curriculum begin to be focused on.

The current perception of the pre college teaching profession is relatively poor compared with that of other nations, due to the relative ease in entering into that field.

Many theorists believe the standards for entering into this profession must be raised.

The drop-off in foreign students has largely been self imposed in the United States.

After the attacks of September 11th, The U.S. government enacted much tighter controls on foreign students and due to a lack of resources, the process has resulted in long delays. In recent years, increased focus on this subject has resulted in better funding alleviating many of the difficulties for foreign students. The U.S. foreign student population has since increased.

In 2005 and 2006, thirty thousand Indian-born technology professionals working in the United States left to pursue ―career-enhancing‖ opportunities in India (NASSCOM, 2006). In Hsinchu, Taiwan, the Hsinchu Industrial Park, modeled after Silicon Valley, is now a considerable source of innovation for Taiwan, and yet a third of the companies in Hsinchu were founded by individuals who had worked in the United States but ultimately left to pursue greater opportunities overseas.

Many of America‘s brightest minds are leaving, no longer considering

America as the greatest location for opportunity. Edison Liu, former head of the U.S.

National Cancer Institute has left to become a division head at the biotech firm Biolis in Singapore. Ed Holmes, Dean of the University of California San Diego (USCD) School of Medicine along with his wife Judith Swain, dean of translational medicine at USCD have also left for Singapore to work for the Agency for Science, Technology and Research.

This loss of American talent is coupled with difficulties for those who still wish to enter the United States. In 2007, the supply of H-IB visas for foreign scientists and engineers allowed visas to be processed for only two days out of the year. Other methods for entrance to the United States are equally bureaucratic. Currently, the wait for ―green-cards‖ exceeds six years.

Europe is increasingly a destination for higher education studies as recent entrants in global competition seek to expand their academic horizons. A great number of Indian and Chinese students are pursuing higher education studies in Europe and efforts by nations such as Ireland are drawing Irish foreign nationals back to their homeland.

K through 12 education in Europe is considerably more successful than their American counterpart in terms of test scores however, substantial differences in the educational structure make this comparison somewhat irrelevant. In Europe, many professions do not require educational degrees but rather professional apprenticeships.

At an early age, children are guided towards particular careers where they learn the skill sets for that trade. Children who wish to pursue advanced degrees remain in the K through 12 education system while children who intend to pursue particular professions are diverted into trade schools. The children that remain in K through 12

education are predominantly more successful, academically than their trade school counterparts.

K through 12 education is highly focused on Math and Science and test scores in many Asian countries are higher than American scores. The growing economic standing of many Asian countries is fueling international academic pursuits. Many Asian students are pursuing advanced degrees in Europe and the United States and subsequently returning to their home nations with new knowledge and understandings to help them better compete in the global market

在文檔中 美國創新之分析 (頁 56-60)