Now, there is a modestly priced bit of quite sophisticated technology which had a real and physical impact. Your earlier comments about library on-line information systems brings up an interesting point. John Abbott, the director of Britain's reform movement, Education 2000, tells us that in some cases they've seen a 300 percent increase in the number of books checked out of libraries through those systems. Not only is the computer user friendly, it's bringing kids back to books. I'm familiar with Education 2000, and John and I have spoken many times.
People read things when they're engaged and interested.
Whether I tell them, or whether they are attracted by something from their computer, people work on things that they find inherently interesting and important to them. I doubt whether the English Education 2000 had much of an impact on America 2000, though I don't know. America 2000 is an interesting grab bag that was put together very fast, I gather. And indeed, there are parts of it that are contradictory. Some of my English friends call that 'Maggie Thatcher's choice plan,' whereby local entities are allowed to run the schools as long as they meet the definition of education devised by a centralized authority.