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Financially squeezed state governments will benefit immensely from the $14 billion program that will be aimed at providing funds for improvement of impoverished student’s education opportunities. However, in order to benefit from these funds, the State governments must make considerable efforts in raising the academic standards.

According to President Obama as detailed to the Governors at the White House recently, overhauling of the No Child Left Behind Act as proposed to the Congress will come tagged with a need for states to adopt standards in math and reading that is “college and career ready”.
No Child Left Behind program, initiated in the year 2002 by President George W. Bush stipulated that states must adopt a challenging academic standards in math and reading.

However, it was not required by the states to follow a set standard and states differed in their efforts. Certain states even lowered standards to accommodate more number of students in order to be eligible for continued funding under the program.

There is a significant effort since last year by the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association to set national standards. In order to create national tests, a Federal stimulus fund of $350 million was allocated last year by Arne Duncan, the Secretary of Education. Except Alaska and Texas every other state is participating in this stimulus program.

At a meeting with governors in White House, Obama reiterated that it must be sole aim of every state to contribute towards upholding high economic standards and remaining the economic leader of the world. He cited the example of South Korea where during a visit he was impressed with the country’s efforts in educating every child to remain competitive with next generation Americans.

Obama stressed on the fact that America, at no cost, should be second to others and there is a strong need to maintain our primacy by identifying and working on what is at stake. There has always been a contention that the No Child Left Behind Act, which is a revised version of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act, has always been under funded. The law also saw opposition from those who were against nationalization of education standards.

Standards set for education was therefore always by the local and state governments. Many parents preferred to enrol their children in the secular and religious schools while others preferred home schooling.

The recent push for national standards is a welcome move. Education revamp is absolutely the back bone on which the country’s future economy relies. It is the need of the hour to stand united and address the strongest issue that needs to be stream lined in order to remain a leader amidst stiff global competition.  

Traditionalists have always been opposing any move from the government in taking over the duty of education. In a country that is divided by states, a unified effort is possible only if the responsibility of setting standards is handed over to the federal government. The sooner states realize this and co-operate, the better it is for the future of our country.