Imagine if everyone knew a bit of serious first aid. That would be good for society. But if a given person chose not to learn, it probably wouldn't hurt them or

Imagine if everyone knew a bit of serious first aid. That would be good for society. But if a given person chose not to learn, it probably wouldn't hurt them or those around them at all. I look at general education from this angle: it is for the benefit of society, not just the individual. A critical mass of the population having a grounding in "the arts and sciences" makes us richer as a whole.