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upfront - What ever happened to Japan?

Would relaxing Japan's restrictive immigration policies help the nation make an economic comeback?

11 Facts about Education in America

1. A high school dropout will earn about $260,000 less than high school graduates and $800,000 less than college graduates in their lifetime.
2. High school dropouts have a life expectancy 9.2 years shorter than high school graduates.
3. A one-year increase in average years of schooling for dropouts would reduce murder and assault rates by almost 30%, motor vehicle theft by 20%, arson by 13%, and burglary and larceny by about 6%.
4. There will be a shortfall of seven million college-educated workers in America by 2012.
5. College graduates are three times more likely to vote than high school dropouts, and those who earn more are far more likely to be affiliated with a political organization.
6. Californians spend about $80 billion to construct public and private schools and institutions. Despite having a bountiful of classrooms, there is a lack of teachers. In 2010 alone, about 22,000 Californian teachers and school employees received pink slips.
7. According to the 2010 Census, there are currently about 16.3 million public school students in grades 9 to 12 in the United States.
8. About a quarter of public schools report at least one type of onsite building in less than adequate condition, and four out of ten reported at least one unsatisfactory environmental condition.
9. Approximately one-fifth of schools have less than adequate conditions for life safety features, roofs and electrical power.
10. Three-quarters of the nation's schools, or 59,400, report needing repairs, renovations or modernization in order to reach good condition.
11. The average amount of repair or modernization needed per school is $2.2 million, or $3,800 per student.

Sources:

http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-education-america

11 facts about Education around the world

11 Facts About Education Around the World

1. One in five adults in the developing world — almost 862 million people — cannot read or write.
2. Most illiterate persons are female. In more than 20 developing nations, illiteracy rates amongst women exceed 70%.
3. As much as 115 million children of primary school age are not enrolled in school.
4. More than 226 million children do not attend secondary school.
5. Many children who do enroll in school do not graduate with even the most basic reading and math skills because their schools do not have enough teachers, books or facilities to provide a quality education.
6. Across the world many children miss out on their education because:
• They are made to work to help support their families,
• They are recruited into armed forces and become child soldiers,
• Their families do not have the means to pay for schooling,
• Discrimination and racism undermine their chance to receive an education,
• They face violence as they pursue their education. This is the case for girls in areas where they are threatened with extreme physical harm (eg. acid attacks) for the seemingly harmless act of attending school.
7. In most developing countries, public school is not free. The costs of books, uniforms, and teachers’ salaries are borne by the students’ families.
8. School fees and related costs are a common barrier to education. These charges are a greater burden for children from poor families, and disproportionately affect those who are racial and ethnic minorities, members of Indigenous communities and migrants.
9. Girls are more likely to be excluded from school than boys when there isn’t enough money to go round. As many as two out of three out-of-school children are girls.
10. Social traditions and deep-rooted religious and cultural beliefs are most often the barriers to expanding girls' educational opportunities in undeveloped countries around the world.
11. Educated girls and women are less vulnerable to HIV infection, human trafficking and other forms of exploitation, are more likely to marry later, raise fewer children who are more likely to go to school, and make important contributions to family income.

Sources:http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-education-around-world

Question- 1. What fact about education around the world surprised you the most? Why?