In fact, about 50 percent of the population did not complete their high school diplomas during the post-World War II economic boom. The American model for science education appeared to work for the college bound and non-college bound. Those who directly entered the workforce after high school were also successful in a variety of careers. The world has changed dramatically since those days. Labor-intensive industry has moved to other parts of the world and good paying jobs now require more training and education than ever before.
Science is also more important than ever before.
Opportunities in the field of science are endless as the demand for energy, medical care, communication and transportation has intensified. While American educators have continued to utilize an old model for teaching science, other countries around the world have established national curricula to ensure their children acquire important science skills in order to compete for quality occupations in science related fields. Schmidt insists that U.S. schools must expose all children to important science concepts from biology, chemistry and physics throughout their elementary, middle and high school experiences. Another problem that needs to be addressed in U.S. science education has to do with textbooks. American textbooks tend to be full of endless lists of topics, vocabulary and lessons.