| As excerpted from the book, Escape to College, | | | | decided that becoming a high-tech nation was the only |
| Remember the cartoon, the Jetsons, the | | | | way to secure its future. The government offered |
| Hanna-Barbera cartoon created in the fifties and | | | | information technology courses to homemakers, |
| sixties, to depict the future. George, Jane, Judy, Elroy, | | | | subsidized computers for low-income families and |
| Rosie the robot servant, Mr. Spacely drove Flying cars, | | | | made the country the first in the world to have |
| used Video Phones and moving sidewalks to shuttle | | | | high-speed Internet in every primary, junior and high |
| them from place to place. | | | | school |
| While The Jetsons cartoon was fantasy in 1950, sixty | | | | In 1979 with the creation of China Central Radio and |
| years later, it has become a reality today. The Jetsons | | | | TV University (CCRTVU) a dedicated open and |
| cartoon was prophetic as many of the inventions | | | | distance education institution, under the direct |
| within the cartoon are coming into existence. Many of | | | | supervision of the Ministry of Education of P.R. China |
| these inventions today seem to be a normal part of | | | | offered, on a nationwide basis, multi-media courses |
| life although in the 1950 they were farfetched. They | | | | through radio, TV, print, audio-visual materials and |
| have evolved straight out of science fiction. It is | | | | computer networks. |
| amazing the change that has occurred within the past | | | | In the first 20 years, the China Central Radio and TV |
| 59 years. As people crave more technology, | | | | University (CCRTVU) has produced over 2.6 million |
| innovative world changing products are being created | | | | college graduates, 1 million secondary vocational school |
| at rapid pace ushering the Jetson Age into full force. | | | | graduates, 35 million non-degree continuing education |
| Here are some of those inventions: | | | | and in-service training. The China TV Teachers College |
| Movator and air tram at Detroit Metropolitan Airport | | | | (CTVTC) has graduated 710,000 teachers of primary |
| The Flying Car at Gas Pump | | | | schools and 550,000 teachers of secondary schools |
| Bigelow Aerospace Space Hotel Genesis | | | | and has trained 2 million teachers and 1 million principals |
| White Knight Two | | | | of primary and secondary schools. These tech savvy |
| Robot Extracts Wounded Soldiers | | | | educators are driving the Chinese k-12 educational |
| Jupiter, the robot servantiPhone/ Smart phone touch | | | | system in the same manner they were educated via |
| screen cell phone | | | | radio, TV, print, audio-visual materials and computer |
| Video Games Consoles/ software | | | | networks. |
| Netbooks | | | | Malaysia following in the footsteps of its more |
| Web Conferencing | | | | developed Asian counterparts developed and piloted |
| Large corporations are moving away from American | | | | 88 Smart Schools in 1999 to sustain, productivity-driven |
| inner cities to developing nations to acquire the desired | | | | growth, which will be achievable only with a |
| Jetson Age skills. This past week months, General | | | | technologically literate, critically thinking work force |
| Motors Corporation, headquartered in Detroit, | | | | prepared to participate fully in the global economy of |
| announced the opening of a design studio in South | | | | the 21st century. |
| Korea. Facebook decided in March it would open an | | | | With the same business technology education and |
| office in Singapore. DE Shaw, a 24 billion dollar large | | | | college preparation, urban students can be prepared |
| financial hedge fund, is opening an office in Shanghai, | | | | for the Jetson Age and the high-demand high-paying |
| China. This year 2010 has been the year of boom for | | | | Jetson Age careers. Pew Internet Wireless April 2009 |
| Asia as it secures those new non-manufacturing | | | | reports African Americans are the most active users |
| facilities while urban cities like Detroit has seen many | | | | of the mobile internet. They are the fastest growing |
| businesses shutter their doors. Corporate leaders | | | | group as well followed by Hispanic Americans. |
| perceive Jetson Age skills are in short supply in | | | | Compared with 2007, when 12% of African |
| American urban cities. | | | | Americans used the internet on their mobile on the |
| The Perception is that only Asian countries can | | | | average day, use of the mobile internet is up by 141%. |
| produce these world changing inventions as it appears | | | | They have the technological skill sets and wiring to |
| they were more aggressive in implementing them into | | | | acquire the business skills if taught. |
| their educational systems. In 1997, South Korea | | | | |