U.S. education goals are not being met. At the half-way point of the nation’s 10-year program of improving education, little progression has been made.

The goals by the year 2000 exist in eight categories: readiness of preschoolers, high school retention, student competency, teacher education, math and science achievement, adult literacy, student safety and parental involvement.

Unfortunately, it seems that Congress is more concerned with balancing the budget than with improving education. Budget cuts include cutting welfare — which directly affects children and their ability to learn — as well as cutting education itself.

In an era where Congress is considering cutting funding for school lunch programs, and cutbacks in educational programs, is it any wonder that the United States is not meeting its own standards of excellence? By cutting a program that provides meals to young disadvantaged children, how does this increase our educational system’s effectiveness? If school lunch programs are cut, will children learn necessary math and English skills during the afternoons?

Our legislators’ agendas should be reconsidered and refocused on an issue that directly impacts the futures of our children: education. And the 10-year program, headed for failure, is worthy of re-examination.