RE: Question 2: Single curriculum

While I sympathize with the idea in theory, I believe it is a bad one. Instead we should put incentives in place so school districts do demand as much as possible from as many graduates as possible, but:

1. It should be up to the districts, and not driven centrally. Each district has different population and social and economic context.

2. We already have an excellent secondary system, and community colleges provide as many second chances as needed.

3. No country ever succeeded. All split cohorts - in junior year at the latest. Frequently before.

4. It will create enormous drain on resources, trying to bring students which are clearly unsuitable up to that level, yet they (or their parents) refuse to opt out. After all, we have just guaranteed them this "right"...

5. Provide good voc ed and apprenticeship programs instead. While forcing kids to choose when not ready is bad, not allowing them to have a maningful choice when they want to make one, is probably worse.

Sounds great. Like the self esteem "theory" did.