Right now, high school students are experiencing part of a nationwide push for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education. This is a result of the fact that we are sorely behind other countries when it comes to science and math. The United States needs to step up its game and get ahead of competing countries like China and South Korea.

Although there is no doubt that English and social studies classes are necessary to learn and grow, we don’t need a push in that direction. Nobody’s taking away this education. All that’s being done is an effort to increase student’s proficiency in areas that nationally, we are weak.

STEM education prepares students for a future where a large portion of careers will require proficiency in science, technology, engineering math. Without this kind of effort, our country’s students will never be able to compete in a global marketplace. It’s true that English and social studies courses are not completely useless; they help students express their ideas into words and use critical thought.

However, STEM education is needed right now. Among developed nations, the United States ranks 17th in science and 25th in math, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

One of the main problems right now is that many students simply aren’t interested in these fields. According to the U.S. Department of Education, only 16 percent of seniors are both proficient in mathematics and interested in a STEM career.

The important thing right now is America focuses on its weaker areas. According to NBC News, the U.S. scored above average in reading on the 2013 annual PISA exams, while it was below average in math and science. It is imperative that the country begins to make a change now.