The purpose of education is twofold-to teach students useful skills needed in life but just as important is to teach students how to live which is what good character is all about. Public education is failing miserably on both counts. Too many graduate without basic reading and math skills and far too many graduate without knowing the value of punctuality, dependability, orderliness, truthfulness, competence, curiosity, sharing, compromise, hard smart work, and family values in general. Critical race theory and sexual education which encourages promiscuity is definitely not something which should be taught in elementary public school.

How to read and do basic math is important but just as important is what you read and what you use those basic math skills for. In reading the emphasis should be on reading about the trials, tribulations, joys, and rewards of daily life and introducing technological and basic science topics which give real life examples using the scientific method, problem solving skills, and the concept of experimentation such as experimentation with the taste of different foods.

When it comes to basic math skills, these should be coupled with applied math as soon as possible with examples of budgeting money for expenses using calculators and introducing percentages or fractions with the aid of calculators so that students can understand percentages which appear on product labels. Financial literacy like budgeting is just not taught in most public schools nor are basic shopping skills such as knowing what a unit price is compared to the total cost of a product. Few graduate knowing how to calculate the price per pound, per ounce or per kilogram, per gram of a product and then being able to compare that with the price of similar and different products.

Far too many graduate without understanding what interest rates on credit cards and on mortgages really mean and how to calculate them for a purchase.

With religious teaching rapidly declining in many families, many public students don’t have a complete understanding of morals or ethical principles and how they relate to everyday life. An indoctrinated religious moral code of behavior is not being replaced with a secular moral or ethical code which covers the same territory of human behavior, especially in elementary school and preferably before the age of about 13.

Not having strict ethical principles to guide your life means for many a hedonistic like lifestyle which can’t distinguish which behavior is good or bad and what addictions to avoid as much as possible. The do your own thing or do what feels good philosophy often results in mental illness caused by addictions to lying, laziness, selfish behavior, promiscuity, pornography, alcohol, drugs, gambling, video games, social media, excessive shopping, and even criminal behavior. The net result is a disorganized dysfunctional brain and lifestyle filled with misery, stress, confusion, and yes, mental illness for many.

Some education like hands on lab experiments, vocational skills such as carpentry, plumbing, and auto repair, participatory sports and music, and in person social behavior skills can’t be totally done on the internet but the vast majority of subjects can be taught via the internet. So, the question arises. Other than for elementary school, is going to a physical school to learn really necessary in many cases? Interactive audio visual computer learning is a distinct and desirable alternative.

Many may not need a college education for many things unless you are going into law, medicine, or a PHD status career. Kids are learning on their own through Zoom which is online audio video conferencing. This conferencing can be led by a competent motivating teacher who can be the best math or English teacher in the community or world.

The education can be gamified so that it is not just hard to grasp memorization and regurgitation of information only. Gamification is the integration of game elements like point systems, leaderboards, badges, or other elements related to games into “conventional” learning activities in order to increase engagement and motivation. This gaming approach can make the learning experience less boring and tedious. So, internet learning can almost become a delightful fun learning experience

The new generation is almost a lost generation searching for meaning with community input and not just input from family and few friends. So, students join communities to give them a sense of belonging and sharing their spiritual views and lifestyle with others, since religion is on the decline and humans still yearn for moral or ethical principles which they can share and live by.

What should not be part of the educational experience is the promotion of critical race theory, promiscuity, political correctness, totalitarianism, intolerance of moral or ethical opposing views which are not criminal, blurring of gender identity or trying to obliterate the genetic difference between men and women, and Muslim Sharia law which oppresses women unjustly.

What society really needs more of is good, trustworthy, ethical role models in leadership positions. Not needed are untrustworthy woke role models who are graduating from a failing, increasingly dogmatic, ideological, and misguided public educational system which now includes public colleges and universities.