/
1x
Advertisement
Proudly Canadian, obsessively Toronto. Subscribe to Toronto Life!
Culture

Bill Gates and Davis Guggenheim talk about new doc Waiting for Superman

By Karon Liu
Copy link
Bill Gates at the Waiting for Superman presser (Image: Karon Liu)
Philanthropist Bill Gates at the Mavericks premiere of the education doc Waiting for ‘Superman’ at the Winter Garden Theatre (Image: Karon Liu)

Oscar-winning director Davis Guggenheim hopes that Waiting for Superman, his new documentary about the American education system, will have the same global impact as his film An Inconvenient Truth. “We are failing millions of kids in America—1.2 million kids in America drop out of school every year,” he said at a press conference for the film.

The doc follows a group of kids through public school and highlights problems within the system, like the bureaucracy of teachers’ unions and a defeated attitude toward improving education in low-income neighbourhoods.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates formed the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation almost 20 years ago to improve education levels across the States. “If you look at the computer science department in the top schools, the majority are not U.S. born. Berkeley would be 70 per cent foreign born, which says something about our education system,” said Gates. “This is something businesses should care about because it hits the two biggest issues, which are the competitiveness and justice of the country.”

But it’s not just America that’s slipping on the global market; producer Lesley Chilcott notes that other countries, including Canada, are slipping in terms of math and science levels. “Other countries can take us as a warning sign.”

NEVER MISS A TORONTO LIFE STORY

Sign up for This City, our free newsletter about everything that matters right now in Toronto politics, sports, business, culture, society and more.

By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.
You may unsubscribe at any time.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Advertisement
Advertisement

The Latest

"Coexistence isn't working": Coyotes killed her dog. Now she wants them gone
City News

“Coexistence isn’t working”: Coyotes killed her dog. Now she wants them gone

Inside the Latest Issue

The June issue of Toronto Life features our annual ranking of the best new restaurants. Plus, our obsessive coverage of everything that matters now in the city.