Why is philosophy no longer taught in mainstream secondary schools?

Question

I have spoken to a lot of my friends and it seems that philosophy was not on their syllabus when they where in secondary school, why is this?

My Spanish friend Eduardo says he studied philosophy in school, it seems that these subjects are taught on the continent.

Does the education system feel we are unable to tackle such lofty things?, I for one love a good philosophical debate and always have.

Answer 1

its a pity they don't.  it would be my favorite subject.

Answer 2

The curriculum has been progressively dumbed down over the decades. Latin and Greek used to be very commonly taught, along with rhetoric and philosophy. Kids in high school have so many distractions today that courses in philosophy cannot hold their attention, nor is sustained high-level thinking expected at this age. You can still have plenty of philosophical debates, though, in many of the classes that are taught today.Besides, there is enough in high school to keep anyone busy these days, so save philosophy for college. It's a tough discipline!