Corporate cash-hoarding continues
Even as the economy improves, corporate America continues to pile up record amounts of unused cash, Bloomberg reports. Read more at Counterparties
Reuters Photojournalism
Our day's top images, in-depth photo essays and offbeat slices of life. See the best of Reuters photography. See more | Photo caption
Sponsored Links
Obama proposes money for math, science education
President Barack Obama discusses about the economy at Fire Station Number Five in Arlington, Virginia February 3, 2012.
Credit: Reuters/Larry Downing
WASHINGTON |
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Tuesday proposed $80 million in new government funding for a program to boost science and math education in U.S. schools.
Obama, who is running for re-election in November at a time when the economy is voters' top concern, has sought to emphasize math and science education as one of the keys to a robust economic recovery.
Many U.S. business leaders have complained that a shortage of workers with strong math and science skills has forced them to look abroad.
Hosting a group of middle school and high school students whose prize-winning science-fair projects were on display at the White House, Obama said: "What these young people are doing is going to make a bigger difference in the life of our country over the long term than just about anything."
Before he spoke, Obama inspected the exhibits sprawled about several rooms on the ground floor. During one exchange, he helped eight-grader Joey Hudy of Phoenix launch his Extreme Marshmallow Cannon, which shot a sugary morsel at the wall of the State Dining Room.
The aim of the new proposed funding is to train 100,000 specialized teachers, who Obama said would help to "meet an ambitious goal, which is 1 million more American graduates in science, technology, engineering, and math over the next 10 years."
Obama will formally unveil the request in his proposed budget for fiscal year 2013 that he will present on February 13. The request requires approval from the U.S. Congress.
In addition to the government funds Obama is proposing, the president said philanthropic organizations and private companies have committed to providing $22 million to help train new math and science teachers.
Organizations involved in the effort include the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Google, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Freeport-McMoRan and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation.
(Additional reporting by Caren Bohan; Editing by Eric Beech)
- Tweet this
- Link this
- Share this
- Digg this
- Reprints
My question is if he plans on having 100,000 teachers train 1,000,000 students over a decade…that’s one student per teacher per year based on some pretty simple math. And 1 million students at a cost of $80 million means 80$/student, assuming he hasn’t planned this based on additional donations. So there’s a few possibilities here. The numbers could be wrong. This could be the worst plan ever. Or, as I suspect, this program will cost much more than 80 million.
Follow Reuters