Obama waarschuwt
In zijn State of the Union draaide de president er niet omheen: “Listen, China and Europe aren’t standing on the sidelines; and neither — neither should we. We know that the nation that goes all-in on innovation today will own the global economy tomorrow.”
Undo the damage done
“This is an edge America cannot surrender. Federally-funded research helped lead to the ideas and inventions behind Google and smartphones. And that’s why Congress should undo the damage done by last year’s cuts to basic research so we can unleash the next great American discovery.”
“My administration’s launched two hubs for high-tech manufacturing in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Youngstown, Ohio, where we’ve connected businesses to research universities that can help America lead the world in advanced technologies.”
Kennis voor nieuwe economie
Daarbij past ook een indringende hervorming van zowel het onderwijsbeleid als de studiefinanciering, onderstreepte Obama, niet voor het eerst. Jongeren van nu moeten de kennis en vaardigheden van straks zicheigen maken. Daarin zijn bètatechniek en wezenlijke alfa/gamma capaciteiten in zijn visie in vervlochten.
“Five years ago we set out to change the odds for all our kids. We worked with lenders to reform student loans, and today more young people are earning college degrees than ever before.”
“Race to the Top, with the help of governors from both parties, has helped states raise expectations and performance. Teachers and principals in schools from Tennessee to Washington, D.C., are making big strides in preparing students with the skills for the new economy — problem solving, critical thinking, science, technology, engineering, math. We’re working to redesign high schools and partner them with colleges and employers that offer the real-world education and hands-on training that can lead directly to a job and career.”
HO en SF hervormd
Dat heeft ook gevolgen voor het HO-beleid. De president kondigde aan dat hier wezenlijke hervormingen zullen gaan plaatsvinden.
“We’re shaking up our system of higher education to give parents more information and colleges more incentives to offer better value, so that no middle- class kid is priced out of a college education. We’re offering millions the opportunity to cap their monthly student loan payments to 10 percent of their income, and I want to work with Congress to see how we can help even more Americans who feel trapped by student loan debt.”
