In my estimation our school system both public and private have failed in that we just teach pointless facts anymore and do not give the students the ability to make decisiion based on reason. It is not sufficent that a student knows that 2 + 2 = 4, he must also know WHY 2 + 2 = 4. As simple as that concept would seem to be, you would think that this would be a given, an common sence in our modern education, but it isn't.