[Mind's Eye] Re: are we as a global society moving forward or backward?

[Ash]

Not at all pessimistic Malcolm, I keep hearing depressing news about my old 
highschool. Teachers overworked, theyve changed it from an alternative to an 
urban school with higher student ratios. They teach using computers a lot 
and the kids mostly slack off visiting facebook and youtube, there is a lot 
less one-on-one contact and interaction based learning. To top it off all 
this is because of no child left behind crap and teachers are so overworked 
they are doing their best just to teach to the test and pass them along. 
Someone will have to deal with it eventually while kids keep getting by on 
as little as possible fundamental skills and perpetual remedial panaceas. 
Not pessimist at all! They are destroying public education, and all the 
teachers know it. :(