What Work Requires of Schools

Lynn Martin, Secretary of Labor, held a press conference to announce the release of a report from the Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills on what skills the nation’s schoolchildren will need to be taught in order to survive in today’s marketplace. Mr. Brock, chairman of the Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills, introduced the report as the first concrete step in President Bush’s education reforms. The commission assembled the report by speaking to working people about what skills they look for in employees. Mr. Brock said American schools do a good job preparing the 30 percent of the nation’s children who go on to college, but do not prepare the 70 percent who do not go on to college. The report broke down necessary work skills into foundational skills and thinking skills, and recommended the nation’s schools take steps to adequately instill these skills in the nation’s future workers. close