Bad Education

If I may throw in something that seems to have worked very well here for many years, and also is similarly done in the UK from what I understand:

in first year high school, every subject on offer is compulsory for all students -- that is, you have your basic core subjects of English, Maths, Social Studies and Science, then the subjects that become elective in second year such as Manual Arts (woodwork, metalwork), Graphics, Home Economics (sewing and cooking), Commerce and Bookkeeping, etc -- these are all offered just once a week so that kids get a chance to sample as much as possible.

In second year you have the four core subjects plus four electives.  In third year (the year of the junior certificate, or first opportunity to leave) only English and Maths are compulsory, the rest are electives (although most people do science as well).  

In the last two years, the senior years, you have two possible paths.  There are vocational subjects on offer such as business maths, basic science (largely environmental and horticultural) and many trades also offer initial courses through high schools.  If you take the vocational path you obviously forego the chance to go to university but it means that at least you're learning something of use.  Every other subject counts for university entry.  There are weightings and English is the highest, but interestingly the social sciences and languages rate just as highly as physics or chemistry. We don't have "advanced" courses per se.  If you're at school in your senior years, you're either studying for a trade or vocation, or you're going to go to university.  The rate of continuing students from junior to senior is increasing and our unemployment is less than 1%.

Furthermore, you choose your area of university study straight after high school.  It's straight into a bachelors, no wasted subjects.  From what I can understand from talking to people who are in early college years, those things were already covered when we were in high school.  From an outsider's perspective, it seems to me like the US education system doesn't give its kids enough credit.  They're either in advanced classes or they're not smart enough.  This has two effects -- the advanced classes are populated by people who don't really want to be there but have to be because of the pressure for college placement, which disadvantages those who really do want to learn what's on offer, and the kids who don't cut it academically are left feeling pathetic and useless.  

Our education system isn't perfect but it ain't bad.