How do we prepare high school students for a global economy?

Question

If you have read Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat, or anything else on the topic, perhaps you can lend some insight. How should high schools prepare their students for their role in a global economy? What should go, what should get added, etc.

Answer 1

Foreign Language to be mandatory.
Possible add a class in macroeconomics

Answer 2

It's important to have well educated, well trained people -- but NOT because of global "competitiveness". That's a canard, that's where Friedman is clueless. The U.S. economy will rise or fall on its own merits domestically. If we have a smart, well trained, motivated work force, there will certainly be companies and managers and entrepreneurs to take advantage of that valuable resource. As will ALSO be the case in China, India, etc.

But the prescription's the same in any case. We need more rigorous, quantitative schooling. A high school kid should master calculus and study statistics and at least some computer programming.

But don't neglect the humanities because we also need people to be able to write competently.

I like foreign languages, but the kids should be taught that in 1st grade, not 12th grade. Absolutely everyone acknowledges that kids soak up languages best when as young as possible -- yet that's the one thing the educational establishment refuses to do.

The kids of America better hope I don't become King, I tell you that much.

Answer 3

Students should have a good foundation in world geography and the basics of labor economics. When choosing a college major and a career they need to understand the realities about which kinds of jobs are vulnerable to outsourcing and trade pressures.

Answer 4

I recently attended a Federal Reserve Bank lecture on global markets/trade/etc. It seemed the majority of young people saw trade as detrimental to American jobs. The stats we were shown concluded that the net loss of jobs did not exist. Trade/multinationals/foreign direct investment/etc. stimulated growth which secured jobs. I think we need to bridge the gap between popular assumptions vs. actual data.

Answer 5

By giving them a good education.