<p>This summer I spent time with several groups of parents from both Europe and Africa. In both groups they discounted the American idea of an education for its own sake. Higher education if you have the aptitude plus the goal of a career where higher education is needed otherwise get a good secondary education and after do some training for a vocational career. Granted in both groups they felt their HS secondary education was rigorous. Not sure in the US we can all say that</p>