I find it TRAGIC that investment in science education is seen purely from an economic perspective. Look at the keywords Barret uses: "development, productivity improvements, and growth"! "determinant of economic growth"! "work force expertise in STEM"!

These considerations are NOT what inspired mankind's greatest scientific thinkers and philosophers to devote their lives to their pursuits. The major theme to stress instead should be "the study of reality and truth". We all hunger to know "The Truth". Just ackowledge this basic human tendency then. That's all it takes.

India especially is pissing away its advantage of having a culture that places a high regard on education. At my home we had days set apart in a year where we literally worshipped books! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durga_Puja#Kerala)