Now I haven't been living very long but it seems like some teachers aren't as strict as they should be. Therefore it should be harder in the future to find skilled engineers or scientists. Now I don't don't want them to be more strict, and I don't need them to, but others do.

The lower education system in America is pretty weak. In Japan, Germany, and other western European countries it is very strong. One thing the U.S. has on all of them though is a superior advanced education system (college and advanced degree work). I know I learn more in a semester than I did in four years of High School.

If we could Take Japans primary school, France or Germany's secondary school, and Americas college system, you would have the perfect education system.

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The Asians are incredibly smart.

Hmm, well what do you mean by strict? More punishment? Or more insistence on a higher standard for students?

Not more punishment just be a bit more serious and I think the school councilors should be doing more to help those who need help.

Right now, for the first time in the history of our country, the generation of people retiring from work is more educated than the generation entering the job market.
As a nation, we are in decline, as much as anything else, because we do not value education at the primary and secondary levels.

That depends on what you mean by educated. A much higher proportion of people get high school educations, bachelor's degrees, and doctorates than before, but credentials are not the same as quality.

WOW is that a broad statement. Please define Asians as I travel and conduct business in several Asian countries. Also, how do you qualify that statement?

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Oprahma is the "Wright" person for the job

As to Asians being smart, you might wish to reflect on the fate of an American initiative to restrict admission to post graduate courses in American universities to [Largely] American students.

It was withdrawn at the request of the american universities on the grounds that, without these overseas students, the courses were not viable. I regret that I cannot supply sources for this; the time frame is between two and three years ago.

As a teacher with 40 years experience, I have reason to believe that standards in education in the "developed" countries such as the UK have plummeted. Those in other places--often held to be "educationally backward" and "out of touch with modern educational thought" have remained high.

Melek

I recall when the University of California was debating affirmative action for minorities, they had to exclude American born Chinese, Korean and Japanese students because they were already doing better than whites. I don't know if the same applies to other Asians