[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 144 (Thursday, October 21, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2158]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      STUDENT RESULTS ACT OF 1999

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. MICHAEL P. FORBES

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 20, 1999

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2) to send 
     more dollars to the classroom and for certain other purposes:

  Mr. FORBES. Madam Chairman, efforts to achieve gender equity have 
made herculean strides in the past 25 years, but now is not the time to 
look back with nostalgia and congratulate ourselves on how far we've 
come. We must look to how far we still have to go to ensure that 
everyone has equal access to the opportunities presented by the 21st 
century, as well as the means to meet the challenges of the new 
economy. The Women's Educational Equity Act is a key to unlock that 
door. The Act has focused on combating gender bias in the classroom, 
and provided funds to programs that train teachers and supply 
instructional materials to encourage girls to pursue careers and 
instruction in those areas that will drive our commerce in the future--
math, science, engineering and technology.
  Since the implementation of the act in 1974, girls have improved in 
areas such as math and science, but they have been left behind in 
learning the technological skills needed to compete in tomorrow's 
economy. The new global economy demands these skills. Technological 
literacy is essential for success in the workforce. Next year, 65 
percent of jobs will require some technological skills. Why, then, do a 
very small percentage of girls take computer science courses? Of the 
girls that do participate in computer classes, they tend to cluster in 
lower-end data entry and word processing classes. Boys, on the other 
hand, continue on to higher-skill, more challenging computer courses 
such as computer programming and problem-solving. We cannot afford, as 
a nation, to waste such a precious resource in this way.
  The trend in educational initiatives is to give every student access 
to a computer and the Internet by the year 2000. These computers and 
the Information Highway have become as essential to the learning 
process as pencils and paper. We must ensure that girls in the 
classroom are equal partners in these opportunities and that teachers 
recognize and encourage their participation in technological training.
  While steps have been made in narrowing the gender gap, girls and 
young women still encounter barriers in the classroom. Congress has an 
obligation to ensure that all students attain the highest standards and 
obtain the resources and tools needed to succeed in the new millennium. 
I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of including this act as an 
amendment to the Student Results Act, H.R. 2.

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