US President Barack Obama today said an updated elementary and secondary education act blueprint will be sent to the Congress that will take American students on top of the education ladder, weeks after warning that countries like India are marching ahead in the field.
"Our competitors understand that the nation that out-educates us today will out-compete us tomorrow. Yet, too often we have failed to make inroads in reforming and strengthening our public education system," Obama said in his weekly radio address.
As a result, over the last few decades, the US has lost ground, he said, adding that one assessment shows American 15-year olds are no longer even near the top in Math and Science when compared to their peers around the world.
"We once led the world in the proportion of college graduates we produced, today we no longer do," he said adding, "Unless we take action, there are countless children who will never realise their full talent and potential."
Earlier Obama has said that countries like India and China were making a rapid progress in the field of education and American kids really need to work hard to match up to their standards.
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Stressing that he does not accept that future for the USA Obama said, "That's why we're engaged in a historic effort to redeem and improve our public schools. On Monday, my administration will send to Congress our blueprint for an updated Elementary and Secondary Education Act."
Under these guidelines, schools that achieve excellence or show real progress will be rewarded, and local districts will be encouraged to commit to change in schools that are clearly letting their students down, he said.
"For the majority of schools that fall in between--schools that do well but could do better--we will encourage continuous improvement to help keep our young people on track for a bright future: prepared for the jobs of the 21st century," he said.
"The most important factor in a child's success is the person standing at the front of the classroom, we will better prepare teachers, support teachers, and encourage teachers to stay in the field," Obama said.
He said an ambitious goal has been set for students and achieving this goal will be difficult but this effort is essential for American children and the nation.
Taking a dig at his critics Obama said there will always "be those cynics who claim it cannot be done" but US citizens have always risen to the challenges that they have faced.