Thomas Daschle: “the degree to which our Nation prospers in the 21st century will depend on our abilities to develop scientific talent in…”

“the degree to which our Nation prospers in the 21st century will depend on our abilities to develop scientific talent in our youth, to provide lifelong learning to a well-educated workforce able to embrace the rapid pace of technological change, and to raise the level of public scientific and technological literacy. That is why I am proud to announce a very exciting series of events taking place this week in my home State of South Dakota. We urgently need to upgrade American students' knowledge and skills across the educational spectrum, particularly in mathematics, science, and technology. Results of an international science and mathematics study conducted in 2000 indicate that ``children in the United States were among the leaders in the 4th grade assessment, but by high school graduation they were almost last.'' Part of the problem is that many girls and young women in junior and senior high school lose interest in science and technological careers. As we work to develop the finest scientists and engineers for the 21st century, our human resources policy must move beyond simply the supply and demand of personnel and address the composition of the science and engineering workforce. Achieving diversity throughout the ranks of the scientific and technical workforce presents a formidable challenge; the number of women and minorities in science and engineering, relative even to professions such as medicine and law, remains low.”