I recently had some input into a textbook and did my best to ensure that the bit about Bernoulli's law and airplanes was accurately represented, and similarly for everything else I could find. I don't know whether the editors will incorporate those changes, but they got them.

reasonable-sounding stuff about genetics and airplanes and Bernoulli's law

What is this referring to?

If you are not a person who chooses to read Dante voluntarily, you would probably find a way how to fulfill the teachers' requirements without reading Dante seriously. I have underwent education with emphasis put on the humanities (although probably not as strong as in the Italian system - but I can't really compare) and the only things I remember are a bunch of literature related trivia - names of few writers and books - and the fact that literature sucks.

Don't get it wrong: I love Dante, and can indeed quote several pieces of the Divina Commedia by heart. I can even still recite the first 30 verses of Lucretium's De Rerum Natura (which, by the way, contains some very good proto-rationality).

To be honest, the humanae litterae are often very well taught, encouraging text analysis and critical thinking. To be even more honest, the system works rather well for the more scientific-minded: it helps you keep a broader culture and widens your mental horizons. Unfortunately, it usually has the exact opposite effect on the majority of people.