Education... or the lack of it.

Unless you want to be a slave to whomever is in charge, or want that for your children or grandchildren, we need to fix education; all of it, and all of it right now.

Worldwide!
That's the only way that as a species we make it to the next level.

With that in mind here's a direction to head.

Follow, (but better,) the idea of free, complete education for everyone through high school, but then, make all further education available freely online, as well as in structured classes, (which may cost money?)

The whole point comes down to one, very important fact... people who get nothing out of society, have nothing invested in society, and so might as well see it crash-and-burn in the hope they'll come out better off. The way our society is currently structured, allows people to get ahead but still limits them too much, keeps them under chains, such as debt for education.

We could reap so much more out of them in them long run, or even in the fairly short run, if we get them to making more money, faster! The more of a success they are, (and the sooner,) the more we make as a society.

Unfortunately, it is unlikely because the 'powers-that-be' don't want to give up control and that style requires more freedom of independent thought, action, and ability to make the moves necessary, (such as, 'no debt,' for one example.)

We are beginning to gravitate that way.
MIT and Yale, I believe, (along with others,) now offer online courses for free. These are the same exact courses they teach for $$$. But the problem is the previous education people have received. We haven't learned, 'how to learn,' we've learned rote facts.

So, to start with, we need to revamp K-12 education to teach people how to direct themselves, and how to actually learn. Sure, you have to start with the ABC's, and how to read, etc... but after that the style of the classes needs to change. The aim needs to change.

That's when you begin phasing out rote learning and start teaching people how to decide 'what' they need to study, 'how' to get that information and 'how' to evaluate that info, and the sources. You begin teaching them to determine what they need, and how to find it, learn it, evaluate it, and eventually how to take charge of their own lives.

That'll never happen because the powers-that-be want slaves, and y'all are it.
If you really want to be free you're gonna have to do it for yourselves.
This is the direction you head.