Growing achievement gap hurts competitiveness – Report

The United States' global competitiveness is suffering, in part because recent policies at all levels of education have widened the achievement gap between rich and poor, according to a report released last Monday by the Council on Foreign Relations, writes Cory Weinberg for The Chronicle of Higher Education.

The report, part of the council's ‘Renewing America’ series, says that stalled expansion of access to community colleges, and student loan repayment plans that favour wealthy borrowers, have perpetuated a class divide, increased dropout rates, and curbed college attainment. As a result, the percentage of 25- to 34-year-old Americans who have completed college has fallen to 13th in the world, while older Americans earned college degrees at a rate that put the country third internationally. The slip puts the country's national security at risk, the council warns.
Full report on The Chronicle of Higher Education site