In his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, President Barack Obama highlighted the importance of education by stating that to win the future for the United States, "we also have to win the race to educate our kids".

"America has fallen to 9th in the proportion of young people with a college degree," he said, highlighting the fact that the quality of math and science education in the US trails behind many other nations.

Meanwhile, the US media continue to debate Amy Chua's narrative of her role as a tough mother in Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. Only now, the debate is not simply about whether mothers should enforce almost unbearable discipline; but about the future of the US as the world leader.