Two years after I graduated, my high school stopped teaching world history and European history (which is really American history in the making).
Today, my high school only teaches US history as an elective course. It's no longer a requirement. Neither is US Government, which was a required course when I was in HS.
The problem with not teaching history and government to our adolescents is when they turn 18 they have no idea what our government, election and voting process is all about nor do they know what their rights are.
Less than 50% of HS grads attend college,
http://nces.ed.gov/...
I don't know how many states currently don't teach history and/or US government but there are too many young people not receiving adequate education about their own country's history and government.
I'd like some politician to use this argument regarding education.
But I can guess that these classes are required in most private schools,