On a side note, there are elements of the problem with the American education system that can be demonstrated by the vast number of children who are prescribed Ritalin (anti-depressants or any other mood altering medication) because of perceived problems that are limiting their education; the last studies I heard of had American students being prescribed these drugs 3 to 4 times as often as most other western nations, and the rate of growth in usage in the United States was far greater than every other nation.
I have anecdotal evidence in Canada that a lot of teachers will aggressively push parents to seek out medication for their children to keep them from acting up in class; and that these children will often stop acting out in class if they’re put into a more structured environment, like the ones that are often found in private schools.
I want to be clear that I don’t think the drugs are what is causing the problems, as much as I believe there are countless teachers who are unwilling or unable to adequately supervise and teach their classes; and in order to get some sort of control over their class they encourage the parents of the most disruptive children to medicate their children turning them into brain-dead (but quiet) zombies.
