Gates Speaks

In a recent speech to the United States Congress Bill Gates reiterated that an overhaul is needed of the nation’s schools in order to keep jobs from going overseas.

Gates was speaking to the fact that the United States workforce needs to consist of people who have the knowledge and skills needed to drive innovation. Gates’ Microsoft Corp. currently is unable to fill 3,000 technical jobs because of a shortfall in educated technical workers.

Bill Gates

Gates currently is endorsing legislation that is currently moving through the Senate (backed by both Democrats and Republicans) that seeks to get more people to become math and science teachers and would improve their training. The bill also works to address getting more highly trained teachers in poor districts. Gates sites a recent study that found that “40 percent of high school seniors failed to perform at the basic level on a national math test. On a national science test, half of 12th graders didn’t show basic skills.”

Gates stated, “We simply cannot sustain an economy based on innovation unless our citizens are educated in math, science and engineering.”

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