I completely agree. I really think they should bring back home economics as a class again. I know a lot of people like to poke fun at it as some sort of quaint anachronism, but knowing how to manage your household finances, maintain household appliances, sew, iron, wash, and cook are vital for independent living. That's what we're supposed to be preparing our kids for, right?

The big stumbling block is going to be that public education isn't designed to do this. It's designed to accomplish the opposite - to make obedient students and civil servants - here in the US, and the system is similar in other parts of the world as well. The Prussian system is the prevailing model for public education, and it's not designed to create well-rounded, capable adults (despite what educators and administrators might like to say). That's also why I am extremely excited to see the rise of alternative schooling methods. Unschooling, home schooling, and private schools are the way to the future.