On July 20, 1969, the astronaut Neil Armstrong landed on the moon. Millions watched in excitement as man took it's first step onto the moon. While this monumental achievement can be attributed to the ingenuity of American scientists and astronauts, the real factor behind the Space Race was the competition between the Soviet Union and the United States. For America, this not only opened up a new world in the form of space exploration, but also boosted math and science education in schools. Decades ago, competition was seen as being beneficial to society. Currently, that view has changed entirely. Once having one of the most cutting-edge curriculums in the world, the United States has now dropped below average; a plunge that is unmatched by any country so far (Barshay). Although the economy has not reached that critical state yet, it has been continuously declining. Future generations will not be able to sustain the same level of sophistication and productivity, if they cannot embrace the competitive nature of the global market itself (Holodny). In order for the United States to return to its former level of prosperity, it is necessary to realize that competition is a beneficial method of preparing a person for the future. Competition can push their abilities to a new extent, especially if reintroduced to educational systems.
In the words of former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates, "School may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not," (Sena). Presently, with the fear of mounting academic pressure in schools, children are striving for, "just good enough," rather than pushing themselves to their full capability (Sena). Teachers have become afraid that challenging material in classes, which may be leaving some students behind and further discouraging them to learn. For decades, the method of teaching has declined to a state where teachers cater to the lower-performing students, instead of pushing each child to their potential.