They aren’t public schools, they are government schools.
And they are not places of learning.
If life was nothing but standardized testing, which the budget depended upon, then maybe we’d be accomplishing something useful. But alas, life isn’t that… so what exactly are children being prepared for? Other than learning to sit still, conform, suffer, deny yourself, that you’re stupid, creativity has no place, and the list goes on and on….
Stuff From Hsoi 
Thanks for sharing this, John. My 5 year old will be starting school soon and I’m doing my best to ensure that learning is, and always will be, fun for her . . .
Well, it won’t always be fun… but that’s OK. That’s part of life, all things can’t be fun. It’s those moments tho that you use to help reinforce the fun and show what fun is. 🙂