The Global Economy v. American Education

The Global Economy, we have been repeatedly told, is upon us. The world is flat, quoth the columnists, and their words soon became holy writ to the disciples of the Church of the Global Market. This newfound geographic conundrum has on occasion, surprise surprise, sent members of the Punditocracy into fits of bloviation on the need of our nation's schools to place a new focus on math and science. This is nothing new. Ever since the launch of Sputnik, that Americans are "falling behind" in math and science has been a common refrain in our nation's political discourse. The United States is always thought to be losing out to its rivals. First the USSR, then Japan, and now China and India. I suspect that once again, we are fixated on a paper tiger. But al the same, it is necessary to address the concerns of the latest round of nervous nellies, because it seems possible that they might actually do some serious damage to our nations education system, and yes, perhaps even our "competitiveness," an elusive term which very few politicos seem to actually grasp the meaning or significance of.
First of all, what are the supposed "threats" we are competing against? Well, the particular concern around this latest round of globalization seems to be that India and China are starting to usurp the jobs not only of easily ignored factory workers far away from where the op-ed rangers of the free trade frontier, but workers in sectors far - how shall I say this? - Closer to home. Yes, India and China have software engineers, and they can work for less money than their United States counterparts.
This begs the question, shouldn't we be pleased if relatively impoverished nations can gain a technological leg up like this? For the sake of argument, assume that this "IT gap" is actually an issue. For the sake of American competitiveness then, what should be done about it?
Well, there are certainly measures that should not be taken. One idea that should never have seen the light of day is that somehow, if we just make our educational standards as rigorous as those of the Asian Tigers, our workers will once-again out compete those of the rest of the world. Well, if I might take a controversial stand: education is overrated, at least the type found in most curriculums. For a society as a whole certainly, education for highly skilled professions is advisable and indeed necessary. But it should also be considered that education only goes so far. Perhaps ten years ago when outsourcing mainly affected more traditional "blue collar" jobs, it could be argued that a degree was the key to success in the modern world. But if the global economy is really the ruthless yet dynamic force that so many claim it to be, then the qualities most valuable in this brave new world are something quite different indeed. Creativity and something of an individualistic streak shall be far more important than any paper diploma in this novo ordo. In this sense, the finest specimens of American public education may produce the students least prepared for the workplace. American high schools are training their students for stability, where the most important attributes include an ability to take standardized exams in a world that will be anything but standard or stable. If we are to truly practice what we preach, it shall require a realization that success in the academy does not translate into success outside. The most successful innovators of the capitalist system have never come out of the ranks of the well behaved, the studious. And in today's world, this is true more than ever.