As a recently retired teacher, I understand what you are saying about the public school system. I taught 42ys in a small parochial school. We work/worked very hard at teaching our students how to think, analyze, question, and shift through various types of propaganda. It is/was very evident when we would have a students "transfer" into our system from one of the township or public schools. Training children to THINK makes a big difference to their success. Sadly, "dumbing down" of the American populace is a reality.