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PTI U.S. President Barack Obama lights the traditional lamp on the occasion of "Diwali" celebrations in Washington on October 15, 2009. This year, the President will be celebrating the Diwali in Mumbai on Sunday with school kids. File Photo

WASHINGTON: Seeing it as signs of emerging of new world, US president Barack Obama has warned American students to strive hard to stay ahead as they face tough competition from youngsters in India and China.

"You’re competing against young people in Beijing and Mumbai. That’s some tough competition. Those kids are hungry. They’re working hard. And you’ll need to be prepared for it," Obama said in his remarks to students at Memphis, Tennessee.

"We live in a new world now. Used to be that you didn’t have to have an education. If you were willing to work hard, you could go to a factory somewhere and get a job. Those times are passed. Believe it or not, when you go out there looking for a job, you’re not just competing against people in Nashville or Atlanta," he said.

"And as a country, we need all of our young people to be ready. We can’t just have some young people successful. We’ve got to have every young person contributing; earning those high school diplomas and then earning those college diplomas, or getting certified in a trade or profession. We can’t succeed without it," he said in his speech.

Through education, he said, one can also better oneself in other ways.

"You learn how to think critically and find solutions to unexpected challenges. I remember we used to ask our teachers, ’Why am I going to need algebra?’ Well, you may not have to solve for x to get a good job or to be a good parent. But you will need to think through tough problems. You’ll need to think on your feet. You’ll need to know how to gather facts and evaluate information. So, math teachers, you can tell your students that the President says they need algebra," he said amidst laughter.

Education, Obama said, also teaches the value of discipline -- that the greatest rewards come not from instant gratification but from sustained effort and from hard work.