education

Judging by what is posted here
http://www.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/index.html
American Federal Government efforts
toward "improving" education
have much more to do with
evaluation of students and teachers against
politically determined criteria
than with learning that will allow the student
to do something useful.
Nothing in the document that I can find
discusses curiosity or other motivation to succeed,
or taking initiative,
or evaluating multiple biased information sources,
or debate,
or dealing with moral ambiguity and incomplete information,
or originality,
or collaboration among students,
or the idea that one might want
a mixture of skills
that complement one another
on a professional team
instead of a bunch of identically trained people.
Students may be tested to the point of
passivity and disinterest.
Who would blame them for rebellion?
It is very easy to be critical.
It is not as easy to
suggest a better alternative.
So assuming for the sake of discussion
that the politics could be dealt with,
what might a better alternative look like?
Yes girls, yes math and science,
but more generally what education now
do we think would be better for the future?
Have countries other than America
come up with a better alternative
that could be used in America too?