It is the job of educators to prepare students for the futures ahead of them. Technology has changed the marketplace. Students today must be ready to compete globally, for fewer jobs than were available in the past. One of the criticisms about Americans, held by people around the world, is that they do not care to learn about any other culture, nor learn any other language. We are viewed as ethnocentric. That view for the majority of Americans is quite true, and that needs to change.
With the budgetary cuts that must be made, many of the classes that would enlighten students about different cultures are cut. Foreign languages, the arts, and electives have been scaled back over the past few years. But at what cost? We have once again become so focused on the core curriculum that we have forgotten about the ingenuity that made this country great and how important it is for our students to be competitive in a global market. It is not enough to be the best American student because there are millions of students in China and India who are just as good, if not better.
Teaching diversity and understanding ones role in a global marketplace is the simplest to understand, but with the greatest impact to students. American students must understand different cultures to fully engage in the global marketplace. Educational leaders need to see the value in the classes that support this understanding and do as much as possible to keep that education a part of their overall experience.
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