Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is calling out the national security risk of having a generation dependent on China as U.S. students fall behind in the classroom. 

"75% of eighth graders are not math proficient according to international standards," Ramaswamy told "The Ingraham Angle" on Thursday. "We're number 26 out of 38 developed countries. There are kids in other countries where English is not even their first language, out-beating our own students on English proficiency and I just think, speaking as an American and as a parent myself, that's unacceptable." 

According to recent studies, reading comprehension scores are hitting all-time lows in the U.S., with only 31% of fourth graders reading at grade level, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Now, President Donald Trump is attempting to turn around these statistics by supporting school choice and getting rid of CRT and gender ideology in the classroom. 

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY CHANGES ‘ILLEGAL’ PROGRAM THAT EXCLUDED WHITE MEN   

The former presidential candidate told Fox News that states must lead the way in improving education by allowing merit-based pay for teachers, giving families school choice and by encouraging students in American virtue. 

"Lighting a fire under the feet of our educational culture, not teaching our kids to be victims, but to be victors, rewarding excellence instead of victimhood. I think it's a cultural change we need in our educational system, too, and if we don't fix it, China is going to be eating our lunch if they already aren't," he said.

Ramaswamy explained the importance of returning to a "true American system" of education, with fewer participation trophies and competition in various academic fields. 

"This is a national security risk to the future of the United States if we have an entire generation that is dependent on China," he said. "It's unacceptable and yes, the woke left is responsible for a lot of this ...but it goes beyond that to where we got to just light that fire under the feet of a generation and teach them that achievement is actually worth working for."

"Hard work is an American virtue, and that doesn't start in college," he continued. "It doesn't even start in high school. It starts young and so, President Trump is leading the way with that culture, but it's going to take the states to really lift us up."

Fox News host Laura Ingraham reflects on optimism under President-elect Donald Trump on "The Ingraham Angle." 

LAURA INGRAHAM: First, new year, new wins. That's the focus of tonight's "Angle." I hope you all had a blessed Christmas and a happy New Year. Our family, and I hope yours, felt like we all had a lot to celebrate and be grateful for.  

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I hope you also got some rest, too, because after the last four years, hey, we all needed it, but now we're done with being on the defensive, and we're all ready to get to work.  

Right now, tonight, America is in the strongest position that we've been in, in decades, to be able to restore the country and return power back to the people where it always belonged. The election was certified today, and Kamala had to preside.  

... 

It was a sight to behold. Now, Democrats spent over $1 billion. They threw everything they could at Trump, trying to put them in jail. Yet the result is Republicans control every branch of government and have a historic opportunity to govern. Now, of course, we're all going to have our disagreements, but no one, and I mean no one, should forget that without Donald Trump, there would be no GOP majority. So, his nominees and his proposals deserve some serious deference.