Graduation? It is not just about the diploma. It is about the knowledge.

It is good news that more North Carolina students are earning their high school diplomas.

These days, without a diploma, there is a serious lack of opportunities for a young person looking to begin his or her life.

Getting students to finish school should be this state's top priority -- that is, if its leaders want to see North Carolina continue to grow and to prosper.

But the news about the state's school report cards and the statistics buried inside that announcement suggest that there is another reason to be concerned, a call to action of sorts.

The bottom line is that while more students are doing well, there are still many, many more who are not getting the mastery of skills they need to succeed in the real world.

And that is absolutely not what we want to hear, not as we try to figure out a way to improve the state's education numbers.

What is the reason for the knowledge gap? There are many. The new world's focus on video games and things electronic rather than books and interpersonal communication is not helping, that's for sure.

But whatever the cause and the challenges ahead, the bottom line is simple: This cannot stand.

We have to find a way to get students to achieve the basic skill set they need to make it in the world. Whether we get tougher on promotion standards or we hire more teachers to work with children who do not get the learning reinforcement at home, the bottom line, an answer is absolutely critical.

And it must be a priority.

Published in Editorials on September 3, 2015 10:46 AM