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I had more advanced math, won spelling bees, aced anything to do with reading and writing, could locate any country or state and most capitals on a world map, and had at least as good a knowledge of history as anyone taking this test. I don't recall that we had as pointed a background in physiology. We had biology classes that included human physiology to some extent, but covered all living things instead of just us. The one place where my grade school education was clearly less rigorous was in civics. It was way more general than this. I would not have outright flunked that section, but it would definitely have shown up as my weak suit.
So I don't think the real slide came until later. I think they put the brakes on civics classes. I remember even my government class in high school was stupidly easy. I slept through it every day except for tests. And got straight A's. Maybe that was the point. Give us high marks for having the general outline straight enough not to sound like a moron and call it a day. Much easier to get stuff over on us that way.
I did grow up in a wealthy area. Perhaps our schools were better than elsewhere. I remember my high school was in the top percentile of schools whose students smoked dope, but we also were recognized by the president for scholarship and athletic achievement... so.... Well, our brains didn't look like fried eggs on drugs and it didn't seem to be a handicap at all... but what's happening with kids now?
I don't have a detailed knowledge of the state of eighth grade, or high school, education in the third millennium, but I hear people are graduating from high school who cannot read... and see plenty of adults on videos who can't locate anything on a map. Couldn't locate their asses in a darkened room. I've seen some pieces on the appalling state of even college education these days. So either they are just trying to terrify me or they really have nixed most of what used to be basic American schooling at some point over the last forty-odd years.
I think we should nix all of it after making sure the kids are literate, making sure they can read and write. After that, they should be set loose on libraries and museums and any areas they wish to study. We should provide them with whatever guidance they need, but butt the hell out of what and how much of it they absorb. Maybe have them write us papers on whatever subjects they tackle... just to keep the idea in them that they are supposed to be tackling subjects... the ones they want to look into. Perhaps render them unemployable if they cannot pass a test on government... or make them take the citizenship test... something to make certain they are at least aware of the nuts and bolts of the art of being a responsible neighbor before turning them loose among the general public.
In short, I think your basic American moron is a learned thing, not an innate thing. It's both the regimentation of our school system and its insufficient information. Yes, you can't just let little kids run amok. There has to be some structure to keep them happening, but not this. Not this.
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