Gates takes study campaign to TV

LOS ANGELES: Students who might be too glued to their televisions to keep up with homework are going to find channels like MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon prodding them to get on task and graduate.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is partnering with Viacom Inc���s television networks, education leaders and celebrities to launch an awareness campaign to reduce the number of dropouts. The foundation, started by Microsoft Corp co-founder Bill Gates and his wife, has invested more than $2 billion in educational programs since 2000.

���People should understand how the system is falling short and how it really contradicts our commitment to equal opportunity,��� Gates said. ���If we don���t change it now, it will hurt the future of the country as a whole.���

The ���Get Schooled��� initiative focuses on low graduation rates in college and high school and the accountability of teachers. Gates criticized the practice of salaries rewarding seniority over proven efficacy, calling it a detriment to quality education.

A student drops out of an American high school every 26 seconds, according to the Seattle-based Gates Foundation.