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ciphergoth comments on Mechanics without wrenches - Less Wrong
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The primary focus of schools should be to prepare students to participate in democracy. If that policy were followed consistently, much of what is already taught in schools wouldn't have to change, but there are some parts of the emphasis it would change dramatically.
What about education as a business investment for the country? Even a dictatorship would be better off with schools.
Not necessarily schools for all though. Uneducated people are easier to rule.
Also, a little bit of knowledge can be dangerous. Based on my observations of people with a little bit of political knowledge, I would guess slightly increasing the education of everyone across the board could prove disastrous in a democracy.
This surprises me. Can you elaborate on why?
Two reasons.
One, in my experience people with slightly above average political knowledge tend to be more partisan. This could easily be a selection bias, partisans being more likely to learn a little, but I think in general whenever people learn they are more likely to use it to amplify their confidence in their current ideology.
Two, a little knowledge can create undue confidence. There are a lot of issues people (rightly) stay completely out of because they have zero knowledge. If everyone had just enough knowledge to feel engaged by an issue the decision makers might become pressured to follow the partially informed judgments of the majority.
Can you go into more detail about what this would look like?