Advice from Bill Gates: Focus on education - 04/06/2008 - MiamiHerald.com#recent_comm#recent_comm#recent_comm#recent_comm

Advice from Bill Gates: Focus on education - 04/06/2008 - MiamiHerald.com#recent_comm#recent_comm#recent_comm#recent_comm
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Andres,
I am glad you wrote about this issue. I hope some Latin American leaders wake up to this sad fact.
From someone who has been in both systems, I noticed two major differences at the High School level: reading and flexibility. In the U.S. children are encouraged to read book at a very young age. Also, "gifted" students are allowed to advance at a very young age. In Latin America, everyone is placed in the same boat. Many 11th graders in the U.S. are taking collegue level courses. Further, it is becoming more difficult to get admitted to top universities; making it very competitive to stand-out.
The biggest difference is at the college level. Harvard, Stanford, MIT, etc. attract not only the brightest from the U.S. but also the world. If you go to Kendall square (by MIT), you feel like you are in Asia. They invest their multi-billion dollar endowments on attracting the best professors and investing in research. Most recently, they are investing in attracting the brightest students from low income families. I recently attended a Harvard alumni luncheon at the Biltmore hotel to listen to Drew Faust (first new woman President). It was very interesting to listen to a Harvard alumn from the 1960's who said that he grew up in a small town and was fortunate to go Harvard. Today, he is very successful and "owes all to Harvard" -- obviously he contributes a lot. Although China and India may be trying to "catch up", it will take many generations to get back from the alumni. Unfortunately, in Latin America, most leaders talk about investing in education but few really do. I am not optimistic; therefore, many of the brightest students will continue to come and stay in the U.S.