OUR VIEW: Study abroad popularity rises

After a slight dip last year, the number of U.S. students studying abroad has continued to climb, according to a recent study by the Institute for International Education.

OU fortunately did not experience a dip in its number of study abroad students last year, and the continuing climb is positive news in our increasingly global world. The recession’s impact is global, but it hasn’t stopped international students from coming to the U.S. for college education.

If the U.S. is going to remain competitive with world powers, students will need to continue using every resource possible to fund their trips abroad. Additionally, lawmakers need to start rethinking their investment in education at home.

Standardized test scores among the world’s major industrialized countries, released Tuesday by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, show the U.S. continues to fall behind other industrialized nations. The statistics are based on the results of a test called the Program for International Student Assessment, given to 15-year-old students around the world.

Students in Shanghai, China outperformed nations traditionally in the top tier of standardized test rankings in the areas of science, math and reading. The U.S. ranked 31st, 23rd and 17th in these subjects, respectively.

Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, described China’s test results as a “wake-up call,” in a Tuesday article in The New York Times.

Given the rate of students traveling to China has only increased in the last two years, there are definitely some who have answered the call.

However, more higher education students understanding and improving U.S.-China relations is only one piece of the puzzle. Common education needs to improve if the U.S. hopes to remain the world’s leading innovator.

The Editorial Board

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