Ken Anderson, I "" re-learned"" English (which I knew since I was 10 y/o). Of course I had to study Spanish since is the official language of the other country (all levels / literature) and French. I wanted to improve my Italian (which I manage quite well) but I was told to learn it privately. See, the HS in Argentina is only five years. No time. The learning of these languages was a big help when I visited Europe, Australia / New Zealand....and....believe it or not....my Italian was of great help in Singapore......where I translated for an Italian couple. You never know. BTW: Languages should be taught since grammar scdhool.
"Ken Anderson, I like your answers...a lot. Unfortunately, what you and I suggest is not what the big shots want.
I learned reading. Writing and arithmetic are almost not necessary with computers. I took French which I use very little now. But I had my oldest take Japanese and sent her off on an exchange program which she enjoyed. I told her to help some customers at her father's factory who were there from Japan, later, She said MOM I speak teenage girl Japanese! Not manufacturing! But she picks up languages very easily, like my older brother. I? not so much. I learned to respect my elders, to be polite. Later I learned I could pick up and throw people if need be. Not so much now. But I can relate to people in a civil manner if needed. Sadly, college was a waste of money. I miss my encyclopedia and my three volume dictionary.
I have taught paramedic courses at the bare minimum necessary for someone to be eligible to sit for the certification test, as a certificate course through a college, and as the program chairman of a state college offering associate and bachelor degrees in paramedicine, and I can tell you that at least three-fourths of the courses that someone had to take to get a degree in paramedicine had nothing whatsoever to do with being a paramedic, and would not have made them better paramedics than those who had opted for a certificate course. Most of it was filler nonsense required to qualify as a degree course.