In het betoog kwam de president na zijn pleidooi voor een
krachtiger economisch herstel dankzij een fair fiscaal beleid en
slimme investeringen meteen te spreken over het cruciale belang van
onderwijs, onderzoek en innovatie. Zijn verhaal sluit nauw aan bij
de denklijnen die Greg Darnieder, de rechterhand van zijn
onderwijsminister Arne Duncan recent in zijn interview met
ScienceGuide schetste.
Beloon de beste, geef scholen ruimte
"To prepare for the jobs of tomorrow, our commitment to skills
and education has to start earlier. For less than 1 percent of what
our nation spends on education each year, we've convinced nearly
every state in the country to raise their standards for teaching
and learning -- the first time that's happened in a generation.
But challenges remain. And we know how to solve them. At a
time when other countries are doubling down on education, tight
budgets have forced states to lay off thousands of teachers. We
know a good teacher can increase the lifetime income of a classroom
by over $250,000. A great teacher can offer an escape from poverty
to the child who dreams beyond his circumstance. Every person in
this chamber can point to a teacher who changed the trajectory of
their lives. Most teachers work tirelessly, with modest pay,
sometimes digging into their own pocket for school supplies -- just
to make a difference.
"Teachers matter. So instead of bashing them, or
defending the status quo, let's offer schools a deal. Give
them the resources to keep good teachers on the job, and reward the
best ones. (Applause.) And in return, grant schools
flexibility: to teach with creativity and passion; to stop
teaching to the test; and to replace teachers who just aren't
helping kids learn. That's a bargain worth making.
(Applause.)"
Leerplicht tot 18 jaar
"We also know that when students don't walk away from their
education, more of them walk the stage to get their diploma.
When students are not allowed to drop out, they do better. So
tonight, I am proposing that every state -- every state -- requires
that all students stay in high school until they graduate or turn
18. (Applause.)
When kids do graduate, the most daunting challenge can be the
cost of college. At a time when Americans owe more in tuition
debt than credit card debt, this Congress needs to stop the
interest rates on student loans from doubling in July.
(Applause.)
Extend the tuition tax credit we started that saves millions of
middle-class families thousands of dollars, and give more young
people the chance to earn their way through college by doubling the
number of work-study jobs in the next five years.
(Applause.)"
Exploderende collegegelden stoppen
"Of course, it's not enough for us to increase student
aid. We can't just keep subsidizing skyrocketing tuition;
we'll run out of money. States also need to do their part, by
making higher education a higher priority in their budgets. And
colleges and universities have to do their part by working to keep
costs down.
Recently, I spoke with a group of college presidents who've done
just that. Some schools redesign courses to help students finish
more quickly. Some use better technology. The point is, it's
possible. So let me put colleges and universities on
notice: If you can't stop tuition from going up, the funding
you get from taxpayers will go down. (Applause.) Higher education
can't be a luxury - it is an economic imperative that every family
in America should be able to afford.
Let's also remember that hundreds of thousands of talented,
hardworking students in this country face another challenge: the
fact that they aren't yet American citizens. Many were brought here
as small children, are American through and through, yet they live
every day with the threat of deportation. Others came more
recently, to study business and science and engineering, but as
soon as they get their degree, we send them home to invent new
products and create new jobs somewhere else. That doesn't make
sense."
Innovatie vereist fundamenteel
onderzoek
"After all, innovation is what America has always been
about. Most new jobs are created in start-ups and small
businesses. So let's pass an agenda that helps them
succeed. Tear down regulations that prevent aspiring
entrepreneurs from getting the financing to
grow. (Applause.) Expand tax relief to small businesses
that are raising wages and creating good jobs. Both parties agree
on these ideas. So put them in a bill, and get it on my desk this
year. (Applause.)
Innovation also demands basic research. Today, the
discoveries taking place in our federally financed labs and
universities could lead to new treatments that kill cancer cells
but leave healthy ones untouched. New lightweight vests for cops
and soldiers that can stop any bullet. Don't gut these
investments in our budget. Don't let other countries win the
race for the future. Support the same kind of research and
innovation that led to the computer chip and the Internet; to new
American jobs and new American industries.
And nowhere is the promise of innovation greater than in
American-made energy. Over the last three years, we've opened
millions of new acres for oil and gas exploration, and tonight, I'm
directing my administration to open more than 75 percent of our
potential offshore oil and gas resources. (Applause.) Right
now - right now - American oil production is the highest that it's
been in eight years. That's right - eight years. Not only that -
last year, we relied less on foreign oil than in any of the past 16
years. (Applause.)
But with only 2 percent of the world's oil reserves, oil isn't
enough. This country needs an all-out, all-of-the-above
strategy that develops every available source of American energy.
(Applause.) A strategy that's cleaner, cheaper, and full of new
jobs."