Interesting perspective - well put.

> >
> >We cut school programs like music, shop, arts, special science
programs --
> >all the stuff that teaches you more than just stupid facts.
>
> not sure i agree with you 100% here. It depends what you mean, really.
> General shop (or really design-technology) is good, anything specific
> in that isn't. What do you mean by special science programs? ones
> conecntrating on a specific area of a subject, or a good in depth look
> all over. The ability to drop subjects is one there should be, but it
> should only be doable once or twice, and then its not dropping, as
> switching. I for one dropped Music when i could, switching for
> Business Studies, and dropped Spanish for 3D art+design
>

I think anything that helps the connecting of different synapses is a plus:
We've all been in classes as kids where all we'd do is regurgitate facts.
You and I can tell anyone what the capitol of Juguslavia was without even
thinking -- and that's not an all bad thing as long as there are other
classes that allow one to open the mind a little. If one never learned to be
interested in history/politial sciences/cultures, knowing the capitol of
Yuguslavia is hardly relevant (anymore).

Shop could be wood working, welding, car repair or metal working - where one
learns how something works or learns to build something from design to
product. Science/Technology could be some sort of programming class or some
sort of biology experiment.