I'm not an expert on education, or on public policy.

I see people on twitter and reddit bitch about having to learn calculus and never using it.

But you know? I don't remember how to use calculus at this moment either, but I remember concepts of it measuring infinitesimal increments of change, and how derivatives and integrations relate to rates of change.

I don't remember the mechanisms of all my teachings in school, but it made me appreciate bridges, combustion engines, biology and literature.

The honest question is: How do we determine when a child/teenager has no capacity or will to understand the beauty or utility of advanced learning, and what do we do with them?

Especially as automation takes over in the next 30 years and we have millions more out of work because we don't need taxis, truck drivers, farmers, or 60% of food service?

You need some kind of VoTech and continuing Ed for people without degrees and white collar portable skills. Otherwise you get legions of disaffected populist voters when the economic tides shift against the only industry they know how to work in.

I think this is already happening. High school is not helping…

A lack of education is one of the most pressing issues in western democracies. Reducing that doesn't look like a good idea to me.

I agree with you but we need to re-think education. The current education system is not working in general. Class rooms are over crowded and not enough teachers.

A pre-recorded video you can pause and rewind would be more beneficial than being corralled into an overcrowded stale box and expected to learn.

Looking at the US from central Europe, I see so much weird stuff. Like elected boards of education, at county level, that have actual power. Just why? There is so much broken with the German system (early selection of school types in 4th grade, social unfairness, lack of digitalisation), and still it is giving everyone a rather solid basic education of 9 years, one you can only opt out by leaving Germany.

IMHO, this is a good thing. Same for France, Austria and most other EU countries I know of. Like healthcare, a public system is working in most developed countries. Except the US.