Dr. Jai Maharaj wrote:
US doctoral degrees in the decline, worried about Indians taking over

PTI
Saturday, August 20, 2005

Washington - The number of Americans earning doctoral
degrees has declined in recent years, "renewing worries"
that the US is losing its dominance in PHD-level
education to rapidly developing nations such as India and
China, according to a media report.

The US in 1970 produced more than half of the world's
doctorates, but if current patterns continue, the country
will be lucky to produce just 15 per cent of the world's
doctorates by 2010, Scripps Howard news service reported.

It said the trend "renews worries" that the US was losing
its dominance in PHD-level education to countries like
India, China.

"We don't know exactly why this is happening. But we do
know that there are financial issues involved, including
the increased debt burden that American students are
facing," said Debra Stewart, president of the Washington-
based council of graduate schools.

In a country where mathematics requirements have been watered down for
high school graduation, and mathematicians (and scientists) looked
"down on" as "nerds", the president of an organization doesn't know why
US students aren't going to graduate school? It ain't all financial,
Debbie. (Granted, a high school diploma is worth about as much as a
sheet of toilet paper, which forces people to go to college and rack up
debts courtesy of credit card companies ...)

--- Christopher Heckman