I'm not sure what you are implying, but I'm guessing you are an advocate the 3Rs and six of the best. I'm wondering what metric you are using for the outcomes success of yesteryear and today and what that means.
I'm proud we have a country that still tolerates children learning in the field how the power of people does matter. It was a dead schoolday in QLD anyway, holidays an all.
Sometimes it means taking a good look at our superstitions about education of the past versus today: