NIU should be expecting a lot more English majors in upcoming years because in mathematics, American eighth-graders just aren’t stacking up against the 13-year olds from other industrialized countries.

This is not a good sign for our future, considering an announcement this past summer that most American adults can’t do mathematic calculations much more difficult than balancing their checkbooks.

America has for years been becoming less competitive with other nations. These test results are just another sign of a trend which is and has been growing.

As the leading industrial nation in the world, America should be in the forefront of education, not lagging behind and trying to catch up before its too late.

It’s a sad reflection of our society when children receive sub-par educations and are unable to do relatively simple math.

Education should be the top priority of this and every country. The future of any nation rests on the shoulders of that country’s youth.

As crime and violence reach epidemic proportions, America should be investing in education and rooting out the problems which lead to an impotent education.

Problems like overcrowding and poorly trained teachers, not to mention money pit-like bureaucracies—these problems should all be attacked and eliminated.

A quality education would give many children who come from poverty-stricken neighborhoods in the inner city an avenue away from crime and drugs toward a better life.