I remember a group of kids visiting us from the Bahamas. Before they left they were asked were the country they were going to was. One of them said Africa. I remember being astonished by the lack of knowledge about the world that they had, and that many americans had (as I discovered on my later travels).
Today I was watching a quiz programme in the background as I worked. They were given the task of listing European countries (that met a condition). One of them said Ecuador.
Is that really the level of education in this country? If so we might as well shut the schools.
I have always been amazed at the difference in the attitude of school children in different parts of the world. I saw a real hunger for education in poor countries, but in rich countries some people almost seem to despise education.
Maybe the time machine has got it right, as we become richer we become dumber and in the end out society fails.