I think that reading, writing and mathematics are really useful skills to know. History and other subjects are also important to understand how your society was created and works. However I think it's wrong to have to study stuff even if you don't want to, because if you don't have any interest in something, having people forcing you to learn it is bound to fail. I think you go to school as a child so you can try different things and see what you like, but I don't really think teaching everyone the same thing is really the way to go. When I think of the stuff I know and compare it to the things I was taught in school, I realize that most of what I know I've actually learned on my own. That's why I think there should be more freedom of choice early on so you can find out early what you really like and then be able to learn it passionately. I don't think I will make my kids go to school the way I did. Maybe I'll just give them a computer with an internet connection. :P