I was born in 1947. Catholic upbringing. (Got away from it) As a child, I was always attracted to unusual religions, ghosts, ESP, and  other cultures, but it was not cool to do so ! As a result, I created my own world in order to survive my own personal hell : Public school.  My question to any of you:  Do you believe that Metaphysical subjects will ever be taught in Public Schools in the USA ? (Not forced, like religion used to be, but simply made available ?)  I would loved to have Astral Travelled before Graham Crackers and Milk. (especially in 11th grade lol). One of the reasons that I do not wish to reincarnate onto this crazy planet is due to the fact that I just hated public school after the 2nd grade. I considered it a nightmare.

LOL!  I thought I was the only one who didn't really want to come back, just so I could avoid another set of school days...

I doubt they'll ever teach metaphysical subjects, since it's hard to do so without promoting individual thinking, which is the last thing they want.

Home schooling is probably just as open to abuse as is public schooling. Public schooling is just teaching certain aspects of the culture; it will change when enough people want it to. The purpose of schooling is to teach how to read and write and do arithmetic. When did it become responsible for teaching you how to live? The early history of the country is full of stories of communities engaged in debate over issues. Maybe kids learned about how to think by watching their parents. Waves of immigrants built up the cities too fast for this way of life to survive. Schools became places to prepare people for the factory. Now things have evolved to people turning on the tv and popping open a beer. Do you think kids would be better home-schooled by parents like that? Yet there are alternatives. Some teachers are challenged to get their students to think. Lies my Teacher Taught Me was required reading for junior honors history students summer before last at my son's school. (Unfortunately the other teachers weren't required to read it). And Montessori schools and Waldorf schools offer alternatives. I just heard about another alternative school:
http://www.educationrevolution.org/dangreenberg.html
Besides, it could have been worse; you could have gone to parochial school. Like my former co-worker from the Phillipines who talked of having to wear long-sleeve blouses (in the Phillipines!!! with no airconditioning) in parochial school; the nuns told them it was good for them to suffer.

Here's a list of alternative schools
http://www.educationrevolution.org/lisofdemscho.html