civilization as a whole is on the way out when raising children is left up to the government and not the parents. but then, who really trusts parents to raise their kids well? this is an issue everywhere, but especially so in the usa.and zinga, i agree with you about education. in the usa at least, everything is so bureaucratically mucked up (especially the school system) that kids today aren't taught anything near 'learn because not being an idiot is much more fun', they are taught much closer to 'just do it this way, get it done, and that person won't bitch at you, and you can go back to doing what you want'.
the teachers who have to adhere to their strict time schedules so they can fit in everything an SOL (standard of learning test, the 'charter' of the public school system) tells them they have to fit in, and the teachers hate these SOL's guiding how they teach the kids but they have to do it. the kids they're teaching, of course, can feel how ground down the teachers are, and they learn the handle things in the same way, ie 'just get it done, don't bitch, don't think about it'

there are always exceptions to rules, but i definitely think wee are on the downward slope now.

aren't i a barrel full of fudgeing sunshine