The current educational style that has became the norm for the so-called �civilized� world has worked in perfect tandem with the dog-eat-dog worth ethic perpetuated on the world-at-large. Students are taught for a period of 13 years, of which they are only taught the most basic of skills, much of which is forgotten during the large periods of break given during summer. Vocational programs are given in a number of schools to further tie students into this system, by lessening the importance of the academic by luring students into the system with promises of easy money.

For those students that are interested in college, the system tries to draw them into a technical school, another out to the working system that lacks in pure academic pursuits. The costs associated with going to these colleges are for the most part much cheaper then those involved in going to academic colleges. When a family is poor, and yet still wants to try to improve their children�s station in life, those colleges seem like a good idea, but do not properly exercise the mind.

The proper governmental authorities know that an all-around school year would dramatically increase the drive, motivation, and intelligence of the average American student. However, plans that would implement this are thrown by the wayside, due to the fact that American politics, by and far, want to keep their constituents happy in ignorance. This is also not to say the sheer reluctance of the vast amount of the American populace to break out of these certain ruts does not play a major role in the continuation of this ineffectual system. This leads to the only course of action for those that want to break out of the system of so-called �education� that adds to the pockets of numerous big-businesses, who are continual governmental supporters. Go to the local PTA meetings and propose the year-long school calendar, and get a discourse started on the benefits and other effects of a school year structured thusly. With proper prodding, it is possible for change to be effected in this forum, and we, as a nation, may be able to close the gap in the educational level that we have with nations such as Japan, who actually value school as more then a number of transactions.