This. The schools do not teach civics courses anymore, and haven't for a long time. Even if the teachers wanted to teach the students civics, the teachers don't know this stuff either because they never learned it themselves. Our schools are largely just indoctrination centers at this point, they teach children what to think instead of how, and do not teach them worthwhile life skills. No child gets taught how to balance a budget, how taxes work, how to set up retirement funds, what their local laws are, what their constitutionally protected rights are, how to apply for a loan, how to haggle a price when purchasing a car, or how equity works when buying a home.
All of these things are critical life skills that the schools simply do not touch upon, at all. And many children in America can't look to their parents for this information either, because their parents frequently don't know this stuff, because their parents are a product of the exact same institutions. About the only thing worthwhile that public schools in America teach is basic mathematics and reading skills, and in most districts they're failing at managing even that.
It’s the crap they teach in Common Core.
Edited to add: I was thinking of elementary and middle school, because that’s where all the really important stuff was taught when I was a kid: Civics, American History, Social Studies, Geography, basic Life math, basic science and biology, etc.
This. The schools do not teach civics courses anymore, and haven't for a long time. Even if the teachers wanted to teach the students civics, the teachers don't know this stuff either because they never learned it themselves. Our schools are largely just indoctrination centers at this point, they teach children what to think instead of how, and do not teach them worthwhile life skills. No child gets taught how to balance a budget, how taxes work, how to set up retirement funds, what their local laws are, what their constitutionally protected rights are, how to apply for a loan, how to haggle a price when purchasing a car, or how equity works when buying a home.
All of these things are critical life skills that the schools simply do not touch upon, at all. And many children in America can't look to their parents for this information either, because their parents frequently don't know this stuff, because their parents are a product of the exact same institutions. About the only thing worthwhile that public schools in America teach is basic mathematics and reading skills, and in most districts they're failing at managing even that.
Not sure about the mathematic skills. Aren’t they teaching “New Math”?
Dare I ask, what is this "new math" you speak of?
It’s the crap they teach in Common Core. Edited to add: I was thinking of elementary and middle school, because that’s where all the really important stuff was taught when I was a kid: Civics, American History, Social Studies, Geography, basic Life math, basic science and biology, etc.