@Allamanda I remember when young and at school. (Sixties onwards.) The school used to have a girls teacher and classroom, where the main thing taught was health care. I know, because although strictly closed to boys the girls told us. It was abolished by the last headmaster because it was said to be sexist, in part just an excuse, and also because the then fashion was that all education was supposed to be about preparing people for work, and anything else was outdated. He was not the only headmaster at the time to do this. The teacher left, and I don't think that the subject ever returned either. (He also threw out history, rural studies, which was environmentalism and gardening, and several other 'soft' subjects.) Yet I have to wonder, what could be more importants to society as a whole, and even an efficient work force, than that most of its population should have a good solid basic understanding of how to maintain their health. And don't get me started on rural studies.

@Allamanda No, we were left to our own devices. But of course if they wanted to truly abolish sexism, then they could have given us one, that is why I say the sexism line was just an excuse. Though I do think that part of the idea was that it was a female 'role' to do health care for the whole family including the males. It was a very different world then, but it did have its good points.

@Allamanda And of course the teaching of music and arts, would have done much to block the rise of crass commercial junk culture. There is nothing but good that comes from real education, which is perhaps why it is so much a part of the schools job to see that no one gets any.