US students at competitive disadvantage with Indian, Chinese

Lalit K Jha

Washington, May 22 (PTI) A top education official in
Obama Administration today said that the American students are
at a competitive disadvantage with those from India and China,
who spend more time in schools.

"Our students today are competing against children in
India and China. Those students are going to school 25 to 30
percent longer than we are. Our students, I think, are at a
competitive disadvantage. I think we're doing them a
disservice," Education Secretary Arne Duncan said at a
Congressional hearing.

"I fundamentally think our day is way too short. I
think our week is way too short. I think our year is way too
short," Duncan said responding to a question during his
testimony before House Education and Labour Committee. "I want
our children to compete on level playing field with children
from India and China," he said.

Duncan argued that the students in the US should
devote more time in their schools. "We saw it all the time in
Chicago what we call summer reading loss. If you get children
to a certain point by June, when they come back in September,
they're further behind than when they left in June. It's
absolutely crazy," he said.

"We've got to open up our schools and think very, very
differently. So time is a huge equaliser particularly for
children coming from disadvantaged families and communities.
We have to be much more creative in how we lengthen the day,
the week and the year," the Education Secretary said.

Referring to Obama's plan for American education, he
said it is a comprehensive plan that meets the educational
needs of our youngest citizens from cradle to career. "If we
are going to be successful in building our economy, our early-
childhood programmes need to prepare our youngest children
for kindergarten so they are ready to start reading and
learning," he said.

"Our K-12 schools need to make sure our students have
all the academic knowledge and skills they need to enter
college or the workforce. Our higher education system needs to
offer whatever advanced learning students need to be
successful in a career, whether they will become a plumber, a
teacher or a business executive," he said.

"As federal policy makers, we need to improve
preparation for college and expand college access and
completion by increasing financial aid so that students of all
income levels can pay for college without taking on a mountain
of debt," Duncan said. PTI LKJ
PMR