Unfortunately, I think our country will continue slipping behind others because of the lack of students entering STEM careers. One reason may be the fact that these subjects and careers are not highly valued by most Americans and the powers that be that are responsible for allocating funds to the schools. Also, comparatively little info is provided to students in schools about these careers but you'd find it easy to find service sector and military recruiters readily available at any career seminars.
Many school systems cut the funding for the arts. In some areas STEM offerings have less funding than the arts. But, we don't hear any protesting about funding for STEM courses do we? The teachers that teach these subjects are fighting a major battle just to keep today's students interested. Also, many parents don't show interest in these subjects either, let alone try to raise the interest of their children in these areas. Many parents steer their children towards basically any career but STEM because the parents don't have an understanding of what these careers can offer, requirements to entry, or knowledge of specific career paths that may benefit their child. These fields typically require advanced education which isn't cheap and can be out of grasp for many.
An understanding of at least one of these subjects and of course a combination, can truly come in handy in daily life whether for an individual, a group, or a nation. Individuals and nations that don't even have a moderate understanding and utilization of STEM careers will also be at a greater risk of falling by the way or being taken advantage of by those individuals, groups, and nations that seize upon the advances and protections offered by utilizing the potential in these fields.
