PRESIDENT OBAMA: What The State of The Union Means to Education 2014

President Obama called for the following actions:

·      Apprenticeships:  Pledged to mobilize businesses and community colleges this year to boost apprenticeships.

·      Improved the job training programs at community colleges better aligned with the skills that employers demand.

·      “Across-the-board reform of American’s training programs”

·      Federal training programs will be announced:  Focus on skills that are needed in high demand sectors.

·      Regulatory waivers to colleges who want to use federal student aid funds to experiment with alternative ways of providing higher education, such as competency-based education.

·      Reduce inequality in access to higher education:  College Summit brought together 100 college presidents who had made commitments to helping more low-income students apply for and complete college.

·      Stop cuts in federally funded research and called on Congress to fully reverse the cuts to research.

Higher Education stated that there is no new legislative or executive action, devoid of dramatic initiatives.  I agree this is just not enough; our country needs to step it up and equip our future as a nation by educating our citizens. The government has to take responsibility for those who have been outsourced by technology, cheaper labor and yes our young.  

I remember a conversation I had with a friend in England Lesley (she is American), we were at her allotment, we had a bond fire going and it was all the footy (soccer) girls celebrating a birthday in November (cold).  Lesley and I always had political conversations when we got together (not a habit most Europeans display at a party), so as usual we were chatting.  Lesley was telling me about fishermen on the east coast in America, who were stopped from fishing hence giving them no income.  Lesley asked 'How could they do that?'  I answered with 'How could they not?'  She asked 'what do you mean?'  'Well, I said...

'Technology demands change (their methods are outdated), conservationists demand a stop to the depleting of a rare fish (a national resource) for the better of our environment, so what are we to do as a nation when their livelihood is in direct conflict with two important issues we face in our country?  Our government stopped them from fishing.  Instead of being mad at the government for prohibiting them from doing what isn’t working and is in direct conflict with modernization, you should be angry at the government for not stepping up and reeducating the fishermen so they can continue to earn a living and provide for their families.  The job of the government is to assure that we equip our country with solutions not dead ends.  I believe that the solution is directly linked to education all of our citizens to insure they can provide for themselves, their families and yes our nation.'

Leslie had no response, I hope I changed your way of thinking a little!

Bearla International Studies

Elizabeth Koukladas Director