>In this area I agree with you completely Tamar. I read a study not too long ago that compared the math and science knowledge in the 40s and 50s to today. As it turns out, students in the 40s and 50s actually were more knowledgeable in math and science than students are today. In fact, the study pointed out that college graduates today do not do as well in math and science as 9th graders did in the 40s,50s, and 60s. Given that information, I wonder if students back then were any more prepared for life then than our children are now. I know that students today do not focus as much time and energy on individual subjects but more on a 'range' of subjects with less time devoted to each. I think it does give kids a well-balanced education and better prepare them to enter life as an individual n any field or trade. However, I must also admit that because of that, 'in general' students are less prepared and less knowledgeable in their specific field than European students are.
>Even so, in many fields the education only prepares the student to begin learning on the job. The majority of one's knowledge in any specific field is gained after a degree is attained later while working in or researching a specific field.

Hi Tracy,
in this case USA society will lose all hi-tech jobs.
Americans should stopped wonder why big companies (ruled by people prepared for life) got easy and correct decision to move R&D jobs in places (India, China, Russia, etc.) where are available a lot young productive well trained peoples.
Some investigations show that in R&D peoples are productive between 20-30 years old. In USA people in this age still study for the job.