"I'm one of those few people who can actually say that I use the stuff I was taught in school on daily basis in my job. I'm a Science Teacher: so naturally, I'm teaching my students almost the same things I was taught at school.
However, there are a lot of things I had to work out by myself when I left school. Was 'personal experience' the best way to learn these things?"
Martin, given only about 25% will ever need as much academics learning as a science teacher, I say teach the kids to read, do a little arithmetic, a let them study what they want which will probably what they are good at, their special intelligence.