I agree - primary school is an interesting exercise but maybe over-stressed. Anecdata: my brother-in-law grew up in rural Oklahoma. "How were the schools?" "Oh

I agree - primary school is an interesting exercise but maybe over-stressed. Anecdata: my brother-in-law grew up in rural Oklahoma. "How were the schools?" "Oh, terrible. No AP courses; not a lot of math. I had to spend an extra year starting college, to be ready for regular college courses." "So", I asked, "your entire primary education could be recapitulated in 1 year once you were 18? Why then do we put kids through all that?" He had no answer. Of course, since he is a High School teacher, he didn't want to think that was true. But I wonder.