| 12 weeks 22 hours 2 min ago Schools make math and science more engaging
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(Peter Howe, NECN) - Anne Mulcahy became CEO of Xerox in august 2001 when the fabled technology company was in deep trouble. Hundreds of millions of dollars in red ink and accounting scandals.
She's credited with leading a massive turnaround at the seventeen-billion dollar company.
Today she sees our whole country facing an epic threat ... Education.
“We are failing to invest in our future and nurture our technological infrastructure“
The US ranks seventeenth in the world in college grads with science degrees.
There's an appalling lack of minorities and women that are choosing careers in science and engineering as well.
All this is precisely happening at the worst possible time because the number of jobs in the US that require science and engineering is growing. The number of people prepared to fill those jobs are shrinking.
AND THE CHANGE HAS TO START BACK IN ELEMENTARY AND HIGH SCHOOL, MAKING MATH AND SCIENCE MORE ENGAGING FOR KIDS.
One school that's doing exactly what Mulcahy is talking about is Match Charter public high school here in Boston. It requires math and science all four years. And of this year's 30 graduating seniors, 14 plan to major in math and science in college.
Anthony Trotman is heading to Virginia state university to major in computer engineering.
Hands-on experience with computers inspired him.
“Actually having computer class in school not just you know typing papers on
the computer but actual like different programs”
Chris Dupuis
Science and math is just another thing that we do and taking it off that pedestal of being the difficult courses just changing the perception is one of the key issues.
Anne Mulcahy would say, right on.
“If you had to make one pick, I would clearly say education is the place to put our energies.”
NECN’s Peter Howe reports.
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