The above is a quote from Frank Zappa. He was referring to the USA where less money is spent on research than before and that this leads to the following: "The very big stupid is a thing that breeds by eating the future". Sound familiar? My view  of our crisis of education in this country is that we are eating our own future by pandering to the Unions and neglecting the  prime directive of an education system- to empower the youth so that they can create our futures for us!!! A classic case of the tail wagging the dog. Teachers are servants (now there is a word that carries its own fire and brimstone) of the Public who we  "subcontract" the care and education of our futures to. A case was made for trough nosing in the book "It is our time to eat", but I truly believe that we should not be eating our future. The irony of the teacher in the township sending her kid to a school in the suburbs is too great to be palatable. If those that know their own institutions do not trust them, what chance is there for those children who do not have the option to go to a different school. And I do believe that this country faces a very bleak future if the uneducated and unemployable products of our dysfunctional education system remain on welfare, with no jobs or even the prospect of a job. They have nothing to lose, do not have dreams of the future and will burn our futures. And on that happy thought, have a great day. (those that have enough education to read the above)