Proclamation 4797—American Education Week, 1980

Nothing is of greater importance to the future of America than education. The survival of our free institutions, the health of our economy, the power of our ideals depend on the vitality of our educational system.

The theme of this year's American Education Week?an event we have celebrated for more than sixty years?is "Education in the 80's: Preparation for the Future." Our future will be determined by how well we pass along our knowledge and our values to our children.

American Education Week affords all of us time to think about the needs, the importance, and the hopes for education. And it gives us a time to acknowledge the accomplishments of an education system that serves more than 58 million young people and adults.

We have much to be proud or?our schools, our teachers, and the administrators who make the system work. But there is more progress to be made and more work ahead of us.

I invite all Americans to join me in reaffirming our commitment to the excellence and equality of the educational opportunity offered to every individual in our Nation. Education is everyone's concern.

Now, Therefore, I, Jimmy Carter, President of the United States of America, do hereby designate the period of November 16 through 22, 1980, as American Education Week.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of September in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fifth.

JIMMY CARTER