>To me the content of education in primary and secondary school is not that important. Whether you learned 4 or 8 books of Shakespeare to me is not important. The same for 20 or 40 wars in History. What counts is how well your brain developed at processing and communicating ideas from the exercises.
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>One final point, job skills and life skills are not that different. Its true that a Medical Doctor or Lawyer needs a specific education to get started but many of us (like myself) got their job training while "on the job". And today, young people have to learn to change jobs frequently with downsizing, takeovers etc. Those who have "learned how to learn" are the best prepared for a good career and a better life in my view.

Right on the money, Mike. Furthermore, specially holds for programming and IT in general. As they say, the doctors are fixing the same engine for a few millenia now, and we're getting new models every year. In programming, the moment you stop learning, retire.