[Broker15015]

This is the sequel to an earlier essay about education in the United States. As you may recall, I advocated the privatization of all schools, at all levels of study, from kindergarten to graduate school. This piece will focus on the curriculum that needs to be followed.

Every time I encounter graffiti in public washrooms, I am reminded of just how poorly we educate our citizens in the art of writing. For example, just the other day I saw this: "It is not just innate capacity that determines success or failure in competitive activities. A considerable element of chance is also involved." Isn't that awful? I remember the good old days when one could read graffiti with much better style. For example, long ago I saw this in a public washroom: "The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all."

Few would dispute my claim that the time is LONG OVERDUE for the United States to get back to the basics. Even fewer would dispute my claim that the time HAS ARRIVED for the United States to get back to the basics. On the other hand, if we do get back to the basics, then those few people might use their new, improved communication skills to persuade the rest of us that they are right. However, that's all just hypothetical.

What is not hypothetical is the fact that we need to exclusively focus on the development of communication skills from kindergarten to eighth grade, along with annual testing that measures aptitudes and interests. Unless communication skills are fully mastered, there is no need to measure aptitudes or interests. So why should we be measuring aptitudes and interests from kindergarten to eighth grade? I'm not sure.

I am sure about mathematics. High school mathematics should focus on nothing but the addition and multiplication of positive, whole numbers. Subtraction and division can be covered in college. Those continuing on to graduate school would study such topics as differential equations, category theory, Fourier analysis, square roots, the Fibonacci Sequence, the Königsberg Bridge problem, and the formula for the area of a square.

Besides mathematics, the high school curriculum could include humanities, social sciences, and the natural sciences. Books such as "For Dummies" and "The Complete Idiot's Guide" could be used to foster an understanding of various religions. Athletic activity would be strictly confined to cardio vascular exercises and all sports (including chess and dwarf tossing) would be eliminated. While there would still be an emphasis on communication skills, the focus would now be on preparing students for college with courses in sex education, mixing drinks, and partying.

Those not continuing on to college would apprentice to learn trades. After the first two years of college, students would specialize in a particular subject area. Nearing graduation, internships would be required to begin the transition to the working world. Think of how different our society would be if our fellow citizens were capable of reading, writing and speaking. For example, if they could speak, then they might say something like this: "Take your stinking paws off me, you damned, dirty ape!"