WASHINGTON - US PRESIDENT Barack Obama urged all Americans not to drop out of high school, saying the US workforce needed to become more competitive to confront the challenges of the future.

Obama told Congress in his maiden speech that 'a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity - it is a pre-requisite.'

He vowed to pump more funding into the nation's education system, highlighting that 'we have one of the highest high school dropout rates of any industrialized nation.'

But reforming the education system would not be enough, he said.

'It is the responsibility of every citizen to participate in it. And so tonight, I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training.

'And dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It's not just quitting on yourself, it's quitting on your country - and this country needs and values the talents of every American.'