CONCORD--In a speech at the Capital Center for the Arts on Friday, President Bill Clinton spoke about more than just the challenges of education.
"We have to meet the challenges in order to get the benefits," he said, "and we can only do that if we work together."
The President said he was glad to be back in Concord and praised the quality of New Hampshire's political process.
"Every four years this state performs a valuable function for the rest of the country," he said, referring to the primaries.
"In your tradition of town meetings and quiet conversations and genuine dialogue you rebuke the loud slogans and the harsh conflicts and so much of modern political life, which sheds more heat than light," Clinton said.
"I learn a great deal from the people of New Hampshire," he said, "including the students."
The President spoke before a group of Concord elementary and high school students, teachers and community members.
Clinton commended a Concord high school junior for introducing computer technology to the sixth grade classroom at Walker Elementary School.
Clinton said this is "symbolic of what we need more of in America," people helping each other and bringing out the best in themselves.
"Every child has a contribution to make and a talent to develop," he said.
He cited a strong sense of community and willingness to work as a team as the two "fundamental lessons of America."
Although the government cannot solve all of the nation's problems, it cannot simply leave people behind to fend for themselves in the new global marketplace, he said.
But Clinton added a cautionary note, saying, "Any time of great change is also a time of great challenge."
With changes in the economy, many American families are working harder to keep up, and it is important to include everyone in these possibilities, he said.
"We must take the energy that is out there and figure out how to spread these opportunities to everyone," Clinton said.
He stressed the need to work directly with the people saying, "The era of big government is over."
Clinton said he has reduced the size of the government by 200,000 people without reducing its productivity by using new technology.
"I still have the responsibility to give you a government that costs less and does better," he said.
He said more and more of the nation's well-paying and most secure jobs require knowledge.
He said the last census showed a huge gap in income between 1980 and 1990 for those with at least two years of education after high school.
The center was nearly knocked down a few years ago, but "community leaders worked to turn the challenge into an opportunity."
