Should we educate the bottom half of our population?

Our current education system is the best in the world--for those on the top rung of our social ladder. It is barely adequate for those in the shrinking middle class: we are clearly not a nation of thinkers. But our system condemns half of our population to near-illiteracy and economic failure. This seems to be the goal of those who believe that the poor are undeserving of the same opportunities as the rich. But why do the rest of us go along with this?

I have found many little geniuses among the poor children I have taught, and a hunger for learning among all of the children I have taught. For thousands of years, civilization has flourished on the backs of laborers. Why not continue the practice of keeping half the population in quasi-servitude?

Because the rest of the world is educating millions of people who are ready to take away from the United States the title of Biggest Economy in the World.

We need to offer a good education to ALL our population if we wish to continue to dominate, our even compete successfully in, the world economy. We simply don't need as many laborers as we used to. There are too many people competing now for the shrinking blue collar labor market.