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As we wrap up September, a month dedicated to basic education and literacy, I would like to take this opportunity to expand upon my opening quote from the late South African Statesman Nelson Mandela during last week’s meeting: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
Mandela also noted what happens in its absence: “When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.”
Changing the world has been a mission of Rotary since its inception. But as we make strides in many areas, in many places around the globe, perhaps our biggest battle for peace and prosperity needs to be fought in our own schools - where the “failure to educate” and the subsequent right to live a good life has been identified as a growing threat to national security. Simply put, the Pentagon is finding only 25 percent of Americans ages 17-24 meet the current requirements to serve. Obesity, drug use, or criminal records aside, military leaders have sounded the alarm that a significant number of U.S. students cannot meet the military’s educational requirements.
They have good reason for concern. American student scores on the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) test, have been dismal. The test is conducted every three years to measure reading ability, math and science literacy and other key skills among 15-year-olds in dozens of developed and developing countries. The most recent results from 2015 ranked US students 38th out of 71 countries in math and 24th in science. Among the 35 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which sponsors the PISA initiative, the U.S. ranked 30th in math and 19th in science.
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Sitting in Killeen on a Friday morning, solving the nation’s education woes may seem like “Mission Impossible.” But, as Brad Henry noted, “No other investment yields as great a return as the investment in education. An educated workforce is the foundation of every community and the future of every economy. Can we afford not to try?”
Rotarians before us decided they could not sit by and watch another great threat tear apart our society. They built a grassroots movement and successfully rallied against Polio. We are the home club for Fort Hood, a cornerstone of our national defense. Our military neighbor has identified a critical issue of our time. Can we afford not to heed the call to address it?
And finally, a local educator last week asked for our assistance in supporting continued funding of the highest tier of our critical education structure, Texas A&M Central Texas. We fought hard to get this campus. Can we afford to let it fall?
In closing, if you believe you can “Be The Inspiration” then, as Mahatma Gandhi wisely stated:
“Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny.”
Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny.”
The solution will follow.