Public vs. Private Schools  Although my area of expertise is
higher education, I feel that the problems we face at the
college level can't be solved without major changes taking place
in our grade schools and high schools.  As I've indicated in a
previous column on curriculum reform, there is no shortage of
criticisms of U.S. public schools or suggestions on what should
be done to fix things.  The fact that things need fixing was
emphasized by a recent article in The Wall Street Journal that
provided statistics to show that U.S. schools are the least
efficient in the industrialized world.  It was pointed out that:
• The United States spends more on education per pupil than
almost any other nation—75% more than the international average
for primary schools and 53% more than the international average
for secondary schools.   • At the same time, our year-to-year
academic achievement gains are among the lowest in the world.
Among 17 OEC nations the U.S. ranks second to last.  (The OECD
study cited in the Wall