State of the Union Address

President Barack Obama said in his state of the union address "and dropping out of high school is no longer an option... it's not just quitting on yourself, it's quitting on your country - and this country needs and values the talents of every American", currently the dropout rate in the U.S. is higher than it's ever been - the highest of any industrialised nation. According to his speech only a little over half of Americans are currently getting their high school diplomas, and that half of the people who do make it to college will drop out, this staggering statistic means that only about a quarter of our population will ever receive a degree, (that's a lower graduation percent than is expected of children who work in Chinese sweat shops). This rate of failure is unacceptable, because as Obama so eloquently states: "the countries which out educate us today - will out compete us tomorrow".

Our president insists that everyone commit to at least one year of education past high school. This doesn't specifically address current students because adults who are already part of the work force can always benefit for taking additional classes to improve themselves as well as their job performance, because an educated population is our best defense against further recession - well educated people get better paying jobs and in turn help stimulate the economy by spending excess capital. Obviously this goal is harder for some people than most -specifically people who can't afford higher education to begin with- that is why President Obama vows that under his administration college will be made affordable through unmentioned means to anyone who is willing to serve their country or their community.

Saving our education system (and vicariously our economy) however, does not start at a college level- it starts at home long before a child ever begins school. It is in this stage of development that a parent must instill in their child a desire to learn, an insatiable thirst for understanding. As Socrates once said "I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think." to me this means that no matter what you tell somebody it will never sink in until they have a desire to know more than you've informed them of, and seek knowledge for themselves. For this reason President Obama Implores us to spend time with our children, by reading to them, and turning off the T.V. during dinner, or doing anything else you can think of to stimulate your child's mind, rather than addle it with useless information.