By DION MAZOR

The education firm Pearson confirmed the United States’ 17th spot in education compared to 40 other developed countries in a study conducted in 2012.

Finland and South Korea appear at the top the list of the rankings formulated based on graduation rates among 15-year-olds between 2006 and 2010, international test scores and those seeking higher education.

What exactly does this mean for the United States? Good education, or lack thereof, puts the United States on the brink of falling off the cliff, representing our global economy.

The most recent standardized testing that called for different standards depending on the state of residence proved inconsistent and a detriment to the American education system in recent years. We must face the fact that our previous standards just don’t make the cut in teaching students the fundamentals they need to prosper in the demanding 21st century.

The coming of Common Core does not tread lightly on this recurring issue. Above all, Common Core offers a consistent and coherent standard created purportedly to ready students for their lives beyond compulsory schooling and onto higher levels of academics and eventually the workforce. Four years after its introduction, 45 states have adopted the same standards for English and math.

Supplying students with necessary tools should be the top priority given that a good education goes a long way in terms of the success of the individual, while benefitting the United States’ heavy role in the global economy. There is always room for improvement, which proves all too true in our country.

While reversing the long years of educational turmoil in the Unites States clearly is a leap for the books, the one thing that separates us from a successful education system is quite frankly, culture. Raising importance in education

Families—also known as “kirogi kajok,” or goose families in Korean are migrating, even separating in the scramble for quality education in South Korea, which ranked in the top three.

Education is a sacred practice considered a privilege rather than a right and is treated as such. Teaching is a highly esteemed profession; having people lining up behind the corner to achieve the position.

Education is a topic worth our uttermost attention, for it can determine the roaring success or crashing downfall of a superpower.