Americans must catch up academically to other nations, Education Secretary says

Americans must catch up academically to other nations, Education Secretary says

The U.S. faces a major educational challenge to keep up with other countries that show consistently strong performance in subjects such as science and mathematics, according to Bloomberg.com.

The Program for International Student Assessment measured the academic prowess of 34 countries across the globe. American teenagers ranked 25th in math and achieved middling scores in both science and reading. Shanghai, meanwhile, topped the charts in every subject, leading to concern that the U.S. may not be sufficiently prepared to succeed in the competitive global economy.

"The brutal fact here is there are many countries that are far ahead of us and improving more rapidly than we are," said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, quoted by the news source. "This should be a massive wake-up call to the entire country."

Experts suggest that a shortage of teachers may be contributing to the poor academic performance of American students. Encouraging more people to pursue this profession could help young people succeed academically and have a greater chance of graduating, thus improving their chances for a high-paying job.

For example, estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau for 2007 show the average earnings for men with high school education were $42,466, while those with bachelors degrees earned $88,843, more than twice as much.

By Mark Huntsman