SXSWedu: The Most Important Skills Schools Aren't Teaching

The essence of democracy in the U.S. is threatened by our own education system which, in the era of No Child Left Behind, fails to meet the demands of a 21st century world. Complex issues — resource allocation, technology, genetics — require a scientifically literate population, but today math and science education are under siege in the classroom, where teaching "to the test" must take priority. The impact is disastrous: without STEM, we lose not just science or math, but also critical thinking and problem solving skills so crucial lifelong success.

And the economic implications are clear: by 2030, China will have 200 million college graduates — more than the total U.S. workforce — and by 2020 India will be graduating four times as many students from college as the US. The truth is: our children are not being adequately prepared to innovate and compete in the global workforce. But the answer is right under our nose, in the form of a rich network of 15K U.S. informal learning institutions.