Investing in Education – Keeping California Competitive
- According to the National Science Board’s Science and Engineering Indicators 2004 report, the United States has fallen from third in the world in 1975 to 17th today in the proportion of 24-year-olds who earn a degree in the natural sciences or engineering.
- A report of the National Intelligence Council, “Mapping the Global Future,” projects that China’s GDP may surpass the United States’ GDP by 2040.
- Australia, a country with half the population of California, has established an $8 billion trust to catalyze the development of new science and technology industries and to restructure its educational system.
- And Singapore is building two huge new research campuses to help it become globally competitive in the life sciences and physical sciences, students there are receiving substantial financial incentives to pursue careers in science and math, and the government has invested in a campaign to publicize these students as “heroes” for Singapore’s future.
California continues to grow and diversify. Providing a higher education to this population will be critical to the state’s economy, especially given the increasing international economic competition we face.
> Check out the CA 2025 video from the Public Policy Institute of California...
Can California Meet the Education Demands of Tomorrow's Economy?
What other issues should we consider?