WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 (UPI) -- The need for an education system to prepare students to succeed globally is the central economic issue facing the United States, an education group said.
In a report released Wednesday, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills found the United States needs a fresh approach to education that recognizes the importance the latest skills play in the workplace.
While the global economy has changed through the years, the United States focused primarily on closing domestic achievement gaps rather than graduating students who can fill emerging job sectors driven by a global economy, the organization, based in Washington, said in a news release.
"Equally important to the domestic achievement gap, is the global achievement gap between United States students -- even top-performers -- and their international counterparts," said Paige Kuni, partnership chairwoman and worldwide manager of K-12 education for Intel Corp. "Quite simply, for the United States to stay economically viable and remain a world leader, the country must make closing all achievement gaps a national priority."
The partnership encourages the United States to do a better job teaching and measuring advanced, 21st-century skills beyond science and mathematics. The report also outlined recommendations that can be taken on the local, state and national levels to better prepare citizens to participate in the 21st century.
