Decrying the Republican plan to cut education funding by 20 per cent, President Barack Obama today highlighted the need for quality education in the US in order to compete with countries like India and China.
Acknowledging that the country is facing tough budgetary challenges, Obama, nevertheless, said he is not willing to compromise with the children's education as America has to be number one and not any other country.
"Nothing would be more detrimental to our prospects for success than cutting back on education. It would consign America to second place in our fiercely competitive global economy. But China and India aren't playing for second. South Korea and Germany aren't playing for second. They're playing for first, and so should America," Obama said in his weekly radio address to the nation.
"Instead of being shortsighted and shortchanging our kids, we should be doubling down on them. We should be giving every child in America a chance to make the most of their lives; to fulfil their God-given potential. We should be fighting to lead the global economy in this century, just like we did in the last. And that's what I'll continue fighting to do in the months and years ahead," Obama said.
From the start of the administration in January 2009, it has been fighting to offer every child in this country world-class education- from the cradle to the classroom, from college through a career, he said.
"Earlier this week, I announced a new Skills for America's Future initiative that will help community colleges and employers match what's taught in the classroom with what's needed in the private sector, so we can connect students looking for jobs with businesses looking to hire," he said.
"We're eliminating tens of billions of dollars in wasteful subsidies for banks to administer student loans, and using that money to make college more affordable for millions of students," Obama said.
Authorities have launched 'a Race to the Top' scheme in the states to make sure that all students are graduating from high school are ready for college to meet the goal of graduating a higher proportion of students from college than any other country in the world by 2020, he said.
"And yet, if Republicans in Congress had their way, we'd have a harder time meeting that goal. We'd have a harder time offering our kids the best education possible.
"Because they'd have us cut education by 20 per cent, cuts that would reduce financial aid for eight million students; cuts that would leave our great and undervalued community colleges without the resources they need to prepare our graduates for the jobs of the future," he said.
He also admitted that there are "real challenges" to meet on the budget front.
"And if we're serious about getting our fiscal house in order, we'll need to make some tough choices. I'm prepared to make those choices.
"But what I'm not prepared to do is shortchange our children's education. What I'm not prepared to do is undercut their economic future, your economic future, or the economic future of the United States of America," Obama said.