Grading Obama’s State of the Union Address on Education and Europe

President Obama mentioned a new initiative Tuesday night to link America with Europe.

“Tonight I am announcing that we will launch talks on a comprehensive Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the European Union – because trade that is free and fair across the Atlantic supports millions of good-paying American jobs,” Obama said in his State of the Union address.

Some are already comparing the idea to an economic version of NATO.

Willem Post says the idea is of huge interest in Europe, “because we are in big problems with our economy.”

Post works for a Dutch think-tank, called the Clingendael Institute, in the Hague.

It could also set a “good example of capitalist behavior” to countries like India and China.

Obama also touted a European model of technical education as vital to creating jobs.

“Right now, countries like Germany focus on graduating their high school students with the equivalent of a technical degree from one of our community colleges, so that they’re ready for a job,” he said.

Willem Post says, in fact, the interest is mutual. Europeans are studying America’s education system to see how to catch up in areas like science and math.

“I myself am leading delegations (of educators) twice or three times a year to your community colleges, where you have different ‘pathways to success’.”