Nations in danger

Nation is a word that expresses a dynamic concept – a human formation moulded by the long, ever-changing course of time. Its strength is forged through human potential and the natural resources found both above and below its land. But it is the capabilities of the mind that act as the driving force, creating, building, and achieving progress.

From the dawn of the Renaissance in Europe to the Great Industrial Revolution, science and technology have been the engines powering the strength of nations. Those who lagged behind became vulnerable prey, pursued, colonised, and ruled by those who possessed the power of innovation.

The United States, established in the nineteenth century and led by an elite of European origins, attracted millions seeking a new life. Fuelled by science and technology, and the influx of new citizens, it quickly surpassed other nations. In the First and Second World Wars, the United States ascended to a position of global leadership, filling the void left by the decline of the British and French empires.

The atomic bomb, a terrifying weapon forged in the laboratory of science, brought the Second World War to an end. However, this victory also ushered in a new era, one dominated by the competing ideologies of dictatorial communism and democratic capitalism.

In this new world, where the means of production and the nature of consumption were rapidly changing, technological advancement remained the key to power.

However, a jarring wake-up call shook the United States at the end of the 1950s. A huge bell tolled, alerting the powerful continent to a real danger looming over it. America, with all its wealth and military might, discovered it was a “nation in danger”. The shock reverberated throughout the nation, not just amongst the elite, but amongst all Americans. The Educational Testing Service conducted exams for students in mathematics, science, and English.

The results were dismal: average scores were less than 40 per cent in science and mathematics, and only 50 per cent in English. Seventeen-year-olds were tested in mathematics, and very few could solve the problems. In the English test, a mere 5 per cent of those examined were able to write correctly.

These results were shocking beyond measure. The experts who conducted the tests issued a stark warning entitled “A Nation at Risk”. This declaration, with its sense of urgency, became the topic of the hour throughout the country.

A decision was made to form the National Commission on Excellence in Education, a committee of 18 experts in the field, including young people representing the new generation. Remarkably, two of these young representatives, John F. Kennedy and George W. Bush, would later lead the country.

The commission, along with a large team of specialised assistants, conducted a broad and in-depth study into the causes behind this threat to the most powerful country in the world. The Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik in 1957, which orbited the Earth for three weeks, dealt a severe blow to America’s sense of scientific superiority. The American media, which had often portrayed the Soviet Union as a backward and ignorant nation, was forced to acknowledge this unprecedented achievement.

A semi-state of scientific emergency was declared in America. Sputnik captured the attention of people worldwide and announced the Soviet Union’s technological dominance.

A broad mobilisation began in the United States to implement the recommendations of the National Commission on Excellence in Education. These included developing a new curriculum for the English language, to be taught over four years in schools, recognising that language is the vessel that carries all knowledge to young minds.

The commission emphasised focusing on teaching science and mathematics, each for a period of four years. Furthermore, they stressed the importance of elevating the teaching profession, attracting the best and brightest by ensuring that teacher salaries were amongst the highest in the country.

Teachers would be prepared through rigorous, ongoing training programmes and continuously evaluated to ensure their ability to achieve the specific goals of the educational process.

The commission also advocated for raising the cultural awareness and personal presentation of teachers, ensuring they served as role models for their students, and dismissing those who proved ineffective or failed to meet the specified standards.

The issue of education, or rather, the danger facing the American nation, represented a true national challenge that captured the attention of successive presidents. Presidents Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama were amongst the most prominent advocates for educational reform during their time in office.

The result was a significant leap forward in science and research, preserving America’s global standing. Similarly, Japan created a unique educational programme, spanning from kindergarten to university, which propelled it to the forefront of nations, both economically and culturally. Singapore, once a small and impoverished country, transformed itself into a model of progress through a commitment to education and innovation.

Yet, how many nations remain mired in the darkness of ignorance, clinging to the comforts of backwardness, celebrating superstition and mysticism, while marginalising their scholars and dismantling their scientific institutions? In these nations, professors and teachers suffer from poverty and neglect, and advanced degrees are bought and sold in the marketplaces of corruption.

These are nations in decline, unaware that they teeter on the precipice of danger. They serve as a stark reminder that the pursuit of knowledge and the cultivation of human potential are essential for any nation that seeks to thrive in the modern world.

This op-ed was initially published in Arabic by Ean Libya, a prominent Libyan media outlet.