But then I am a semi-old fart and went to school when school actually meant learning.
What's changed since you went to school, specifically? How much do you actually know about a high-school curriculum in this day and age?
What did the schools teach "back in the day" that are no longer widely teached - which facts or which methodologies are missing?
I raised three daughters to adulthood all graduated out of the public <puke> school system by the year 2000.
1. Hours - 20% fewer hours in a school day than when I went to school
2. Choice of courses - at HS level - not as broad
3. Requirement to graduate - 10% fewer credits
4. Days - now start in Aug end in May vs Start in Aug end in June
5. Time spent on BS like feel good *expletive deleted*it, parties for every holiday, grief counseling, the sun didn't come up today counseling -
6. Lower emphasis on core courses - math, science, history
7. Lack of discipline - their peers got away with stuff that would have gotten kids in my day kicked out of school - cussing at teachers, always tardy/absent, not doing homework, talking in class, dressing like the scum of the earth, beards, slutty clothes on girls etc
8. Everyone gets an award for something instead of just those who actually deserve one - part of that feel good thing
9. Teachers - probably not their fault - but they just don't seem to teach anymore - hamstrung by silly policies that mix up the smart, average and dummies so that teachers have to teach to the lowest common denominator.
I started noticing stuff like that when I realized my kids were learning stuff in the 6th grade I learned in the 3rd and that lag pretty much stayed constant right up thru HS. 2 of 'em are now in college - their piss poor public education is now coming back to haunt them.
Where I work I have to deal with lots of HS graduates - most of 'em barely know where the US is on a map let alone where the rest of the world is, History - forget about it - they either did or never learned it. Math - hah - without a calculator they can't add 2 and 2 together and get 4 twice in a row. I've had to let more than one go because they can't fill out something as simple as a time sheet and some because they couldn't work simple percentages.
I have ZERO respect for the education system as it existed when my kids went to school and less now as I see the results of it on a daily basis.