@David Pollard:
Jesus! I wasn't expecting that! You misunderstood me. It had been my intention to be gratuitously sarcastic and insolent.
The intended gist of my cynical, snide, pseudo-fatuous rebuke had been more along the lines of:
"Well, d-uh! Of course they're all duffers in the Department of Education. Have you seen what they've done to the education system? FFS! QED"
The last thing I'd expected was to be mistaken for sincere and thus solicit a thoughtful and considered reply. I keep forgetting you can't do sarcasm in type. Still, I'm glad I was misinterpreted. I prefer your interpretation, and the reply it provoked is certainly a valuable addition to the discussion. Well done me! ;o)
Anyway, there is a (somewhat cynical, again, I'm afraid!) point to this post...
Re. Your initial thought that perhaps there's someone sane and conscientious on high who might hear and heed our cries. I doubt it. The prostitutes in Rio (or wherever the minute fraction of our money that gets directed back at them in inducements leads them) are probably far too comfortable. If stuff like this: http://royalsociety.org/education/policy/computing-in-schools/report/ can't change their course, I don't hold much hope for our insignificant potty-mouthed clique of geek-plebs. I'm not always this cynical. Honest! I blame the topic. ...but perhaps the mere (public) existence of stuff like that report is a sign that the dark veil might be lifting. Despite the cynicism , this commentard's fingers are firmly crossed.
I've reversed my clicking episode. Please accept my apologies as although I was intentionally rude to a fellow commentard who is working to make things better, my aim had been hopefully to stir a bit of discontent in the ranks and thus promote change.
Good luck with your stirrings!