I am honored that Education Minister Dempsey is in the United States this week to help celebrate International Education Week. We share the same goal--seeing that all our nation's children receive a high-quality education. I appreciate his counsel and friendship.

I would also like to thank Congressman Tom Davis for being with us today. He is a true champion of education reform and a strong advocate for children.

I want express my deepest gratitude to Principal Fernandez, all the dedicated teachers and the children at the Mantua Elementary School for welcoming us here today. Thank you for sharing your time with our friends in Ireland.

And I want to say hello to the children at St. Joseph's School in Dublin. We last spent time together just a handful of months ago when we conducted our first teleconference between these two wonderful schools. You welcomed us into your school and put on a concert that I will always remember.

We come together today through advances in technology. Just a decade ago, such a meeting would not have been possible. And yet we must remember that technology only provides the means of communication and discussion. It is up to all of us to take advantage of its many possibilities for growth and understanding among the children of the world.

Today, we continue a fruitful exchange started five months ago. Those of us involved will grow in our understanding of the world and each other. At the same time that our world becomes more closely connected, our horizons are widening. In our children's eyes we see the future. Today, we see a future moving closer to peace and understanding.

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