Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — Good afternoon. I've come here to talk about the future—about freedom and our schools.

This is surely the appropriate city to talk about freedom. Philadelphia is a citadel of liberty, where Benjamin Franklin was one of our first advocates for freedom. It is the place where Pennsylvania representative Gouveneur Morris spoke out vigorously against slavery at the Constitutional Convention. Philadelphia gave birth to a process that continues today—the Constitution and Bill of Rights, documents that frame and fortify the longest continuous democracy in the world's history.

This is an appropriate forum. The World Affairs Council has been a strong voice for international cooperation and inclusiveness of people, cultures, and languages. The World Affairs Council, since its inception more than 50 years ago, has made many contributions to our country. One of them is Bodine High School, which I visited this morning. Another is your vocal support for education.

I come here today to talk about efforts in the United States and abroad to improve education, and, as a corollary, to set the foundation for a more just, free, and peaceful future. Education is emancipation; education is freedom. So, I strongly support education in all of its components—history, languages, and international studies. I believe that education is an important and profound source of freedom, justice, and peace for all people.

In this country, and worldwide, there are islands of excellence, but quality education is not available to all. Here in Philadelphia, and around the country, there are some schools that are very good, many teachers who are outstanding, and some students who receive the best education. But not all schools are working well; not all students receiving the education they deserve.

I know as parents and policy-makers you worry about the lack of comprehensive quality. I know that for years you have asked for educational reform. You wanted more resources for schools and teachers, and more attention for special needs and other students. You demanded that education become a priority under each President since Truman. And I share your impatience, your sense of urgency, and your frustration when, year after year, more and more students get passed up and passed out without a quality education.

Believe me, I do understand. The divisions in our educational system have become rigid, establishing a two-tiered approach. The gap is outrageous. It is unjustified. Simply put, in this country, education is not inclusive…it is often systematically divisive, a type of emerging de facto apartheid.

Our nation and the world face unprecedented challenges: violent conflict, terrorism, environmental degradation, discrimination, oppression, poverty, hunger, and disease. The problems are so large and vast that we need all of our citizens—in this country and throughout the world—to help in constructing solutions. No one person and no organization can afford the luxury of sitting on the sidelines. This is a struggle for our future.

So today, at this moment, we face a choice.

We could have a future where millions of our children would be under-educated, unfulfilled, without opportunities, and unable to compete for jobs or forced to wander in an economic darkness.

Or, we could construct a future where all of our children are well prepared, and become life-long learners, with a love of knowledge. In this vision, our children are seekers of wisdom and truth, full of honest purpose, with vast opportunities, and able to provide the leadership needed to tackle immense global challenges.

We stand at a juncture. The choice is before us.

I am certain that we must choose excellence and inclusion. Fortunately, the President and others are working vigorously to provide education for all children. It is appropriate to talk about this during "International Education Week," a time when we promote international awareness and the study of foreign languages. During such a week, we must demand that education become the bridge that crosses oceans and continents to unite all people.

Let me explain the gravity of our task. In September, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development released a disturbing report. The findings indicate students in other countries are rapidly overtaking American students. American students read, do math, and understand science at rates lower than many students in Asia and Europe.

This is a shocking report, especially because it also documents that we spend more per student than any of the other OECD countries. Yet, we receive insufficient results. The report makes it unarguably clear that if educational performance does not improve, underachievement will be a disaster, not only for our students, but our nation as well.

Surprisingly, some people don't believe the data. A lot of critics try to ignore these findings, saying we have one of the finest educational systems in the world. After all, we produce Nobel Prize winners, physics champions—you name it. Well, we do have some wonderful elementary, secondary and tertiary schools. Bodine High School is one of them, thanks to you. But we also have some schools that aren't making the grade.

We can no longer close our eyes. One writer put it this way: "Indifference and apathy have one name—betrayal." I believe we betray the trust of parents and students and community leaders, like all of you in this room, when schools fail to educate.

I'm glad to say there is a solution to this problem. The President and the Congress have given us the tools we need to reform our educational system—the No Child Left Behind Act. I really give the President much credit for recognizing this problem and giving educational reform an unprecedented priority. I know that the lack of inclusion weighs heavily on his shoulders. He was so determined to end it that he introduced the No Child Left Behind blueprint just four days after taking office. And he has followed through at every juncture to help pass and implement the law. This has been an historic bipartisan effort. But the law is a credit to the President's vision and courage.

Because of No Child Left Behind, our schools will make progress. For the first time in the history of our nation, every state in our nation has an accountability plan that holds all schools and all students in their state to the same high standards.

For the first time in our nation, parents and teachers have the information they need to work together to make sure no child is left behind. Every child counts. No Child Left Behind focuses attention on the children who most need our help; but it benefits all children.

Thanks to No Child Left Behind, I'm proud to report that all across the country, communities are making progress in reforming their schools.

• This fall, parents in economically disadvantaged school districts can get information about how well their school is performing, and about their teacher's qualifications.
• Schools and teachers will have detailed information about their students' achievement, so that they can adapt their lessons and better serve ALL their students.
• Parents of students attending high-need schools will receive a letter telling them they have options if their child's school hasn't made sufficient progress over the last couple years.
• And they will find that this year they have more federal funding, the highest federal support in history.

This Administration has provided record spending—the highest investment per child ever. The President has secured higher levels of Federal funding—historic levels. President Bush and the Congress have provided a $3 billion increase for Title I spending in the first two years following passage of No Child Left Behind. That is a 33 percent increase. The President sought an additional $1 billion for Title I in Fiscal Year 2004. We believe that this level of funding is more than enough to carry out the changes called for in the new law.

The Administration's FY 2004 budget request includes $390 million to help states develop and implement annual reading and mathematics assessments in Grades 3 through 8. In addition, the FY 2004 budget proposes $4.5 billion for teacher-related programs and benefits, including $2.85 billion in state formula grants for teacher quality, almost $800 million in set asides for professional development in other state formula grant programs, and an additional half billion dollars in loan forgiveness and tax benefits for teachers.

The No Child Left Behind effort parallels a worldwide initiative to educate all children. Last month, I was in Paris as the head of the U.S. delegation, participating in the ceremonies where the United States rejoined UNESCO after a 19-year absence. Education was high on the agenda. There I renewed our country's support for international literacy. Roughly one-out-of-every-six people on our planet are illiterate: about one billion people. UNESCO coordinates the "Education For All" initiative, an effort to dramatically improve global literacy by 2015.

This program:

• forges global and regional educational partnerships,
• provides and directs necessary resources and funding to educational efforts, and
• tracks progress to monitor achievement.

The Bush administration certainly supports this effort.

While in Paris, I also re-iterated our country's commitment to Africa, particularly our initiatives to fight HIV/AIDS. President Bush recently made a visit to Senegal, Nigeria, Uganda, South Africa, and Botswana. The President's trip came in the wake of his initiative to provide $15 billion to African countries for fighting HIV/AIDS. This is a much-needed effort, laying a foundation for better health status, greater stability, and better education. The best way to stop the spread of HIV infection is through strident education efforts. Again, education is the key.

Education can stop the spread of HIV infection, and by addressing the devastation we help rebuild depleted educational systems. I know the President, the Congress, and I will continue to provide every possible support to end the destruction of HIV/AIDS in Africa and elsewhere.

I have also explained our country's global commitment to education in other venues. Last week, I again welcomed the opportunity to discuss common challenges and cooperation with Minister Reyes Tamez of Mexico, as we participated in the annual meeting of the U.S.-Mexico Binational Commission. I have also participated in a hemispheric meeting of education ministers from 34 countries of the Americas. In the past year, I have been to Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, and Ireland. I have also met in Washington with education ministers from many countries.

The President and I have tried to expand the department's global reach in other ways.

Last year, we introduced policy directives to increase the international focus of the Department of Education. In response, in fiscal year 2004 the Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad asks for seminars that develop and improve foreign language and area studies at elementary and secondary schools.

For the first time, the Title VI Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language competition asks for projects that provide in-service training for K-12 teachers in foreign languages and international studies, or strengthen international learning in teacher education programs.

Earlier today, I also spoke at the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. In my work I have made it very clear that foreign language study is not expendable. It is not an add-on. It is essential for a 21st Century education. Under No Child Left Behind, we introduced more local flexibility to allow for music, language, art, and other courses to remain part of the curriculum, or perhaps to even allow the number of courses to grow.

Of course, some people argue that the law forces reduction or elimination of such programs, but that is not true!!! Some school districts are using No Child Left Behind as an excuse for their own lack of support. Our requirements have been more than adequately funded. And I have told my department to work closely with local school districts to make sure that language courses are not cut.

I have outlined several actions. We must do all of this and more. Education is the common denominator of all people, the road to emancipation and liberty, the way we find our humanity and discover our soul.

Our nation remains willing to lead international engagement for freedom and peace. I believe that our leadership will be measured in many ways. But one of those measurements will be our ability to increase literacy, abroad and at home.

Thank you again for your untiring, diligent support of international education. Together, through your work and mine, we can usher in a new era of global understanding, finding the common ground between all people.

Here in Philadelphia, the spark of freedom ignited a revolution. Here today, we see another revolution at work, a revolution in the classrooms, a mission of salvation and hope for the mind and heart, and the freedom and dignity of man.

Thank you.

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