Academic Learning and National Productivity

[Excerpt] Concern about slackening productivity growth and deteriorating competitiveness has resulted, in many nations, in a new public focus on the quality and rigor of the elementary and secondary education received by the nation\u27s front line workers. Higher order thinking and problem solving skills are believed to be in particularly short supply so much attention has been given to mathematics and science education because it is thought that these subjects are particularly relevant to their development