What can we do?
Poirot,
National Service.

Well there you go, individual. Let's solve the problem of institutionalised society by creating another institution consisting of 'National Service'. Does it occur to you that organic communities where members are 'connected' and personally reliant on each other, and, therefore, indebted for their succor on mutual good will, aid and cooperation, provide community assistance as a matter of course.

The reason why National Service appeals to some is that they are implicitly aware of what we have lost, yet think that formulating a solution based chiefly on the unsoundness of the present one is the way to go.

Poirot,
I am against institutionalisation when the teaching is mindless compliance. I'm for an institution which enlightens young people re the dangers of the former. A non-military National Service will provide this enlightenment. If you're uncomfortable with National Service call Community Service or whatever. I'd personally prefer the term Citizen Responsibility Service.
Those of you who think that we will simply continue to provide for you in return for diminishing living standards & nothing to look forward to except watching you lot enjoying the pension we provide, need to start thinking about the country as a whole not just your own little world.
The lefties argue about bailouts for various industries and, to a certain extent rightly so. But, they also need to argue the fact that the huge non-productive Public Service shouldn't get bailed out either. If Tony Abbott had the sense to remove the recent Parliamentarian pay rise the unemployment situation would improve vastly.

...Children are expected to attend six hours a day out of 24 at school: One quarter of a day; five days a week. Too much you say! Too little I say! Children in school will isolate themselves as always into self-protective units, which are not discouraged. Boisterous (read the bullying and violent type), will be controlled as usual. Learning is both academic and social.

...Successful co-existence is a major aim, and physical enterprise; team playing through sport, is the consequential and necessary overall aim of the modern school.

...Maintaining childish naivety into adulthood by withdrawing a child exhibiting inhibitions towards crowds, only hinders that child into adulthood. Encouraging a child to hide from the real world of pain suffering and confrontation is (as stated), counter-intuitive.

...Encouraging a child to “wimp-it-out” by hiding behind a parent with over protective tendencies, is a negative influence on any child and should be discouraged!

Believe it or not, there are still some schools around that carry the flame of the Illich (et al) legacy. And, by the way, I must add to the author's list the amazing A.S. Neill, who started Summerhill in the UK during the 20s, and which, the last I checked, is still going strong despite an attempt by the House of Lords to close it down a few years ago. (Also, another footnote is noted educator and poet, Padraig Pearse, who started such a school near Dublin in the early 1900s, before he was executed for his role in the Easter Uprising in 1916.)

In Brisbane where I live, there are about four of these schools in the metropolitan area, at least one on the Gold Coast, and another I know of in Warwick. One of these, the one my children went to, was established in 1967.

They struggle against the tide - government interference (subtly tied to funding), low enrolments, community prejudice, distance factors, and zilch budgets left over for decent resources, building programs and promotion. However, they struggle on due to a combination of parent/teacher passion and a resounding endorsement by the kids who attend them. My children had to be at death's door before they would ever 'consent' to stay at home, and getting them out of the school at the end of the day was major uphill battle - they just didn't want to leave.

diver dan,

Children attend school for the majority of their "productive" day for the majority of days in a week, and weeks in a year.

Now where do think it's more likely that a child would retain childish naivete? Would that be out in the community mixing with people of all ages or segregated with age-peers...hmmmm, that's a difficult one.

Your attitude doesn't phase me at all. My son is the most confident person I know. Part of that is due to his intrinsic nature, and the other portion is because he hasn't been taught to overly judge his worth according to the feats of others. He attends activities (outside school hours) with other children where we are not present. This term he's been involved in a theatrical class (because he's quite demonstrative) where I informed the teacher he was homeschooled and that perhaps she might need to keep a lid on his enthusiasm. She seemed genuinely surprised, not only at his level of confidence, but also his general maturity, ie - she wouldn't have picked that he has an autism diagnosis. In any case, 'wimpy' he is not.

Once again, diver dan, "school' is 'not' the 'real world', which is why so many teenagers struggle to acclimatise back into it following the cessation of school life.