International discussions allow us to make our contributions to the major world-wide issues of the day as well and thus to establish our place among the nations of the world. The substance of the various sessions of this conference and the expertise and stature of the presenters and other participants will provide us with excellent opportunities both to give and to receive from the international dialogue. There is, I believe, general agreement that education has two primary purposes. It must provide the skills required to permit each individual to function productively during his or her lifetime. And it must provide the knowledge from the past and information of the present that form the intellectual, ethical and moral context within which people will live their lives.
All students require certain basic skills that are fundamental to all areas of human activity.
Likewise, all professions proceed on a set of skills determined by world-wide standards and practices. These skills prepare the student for useful and productive occupations so that they can contribute to the economic and social development of the nation. Important as such skill development may be, we require more of the education system in order to maintain a healthy economy and a thriving culture. The effective and productive citizen will also need to know the context within which his world currently operates, the source and content of the technologies on which his activities are based. In addition, he must have a basis for adapting to changes that occur during his lifetime and, most important of all, he must have the ability to contribute to the developments which will continue over his lifetime.