Nelson [the Man]dela

I would like to start off with an out right tribute to Mr. Nelson Mandela for his overwhelming influence that he left throughout the world. I am beginning with this because the focus of this entry, while somewhat on Nelson Mandela, is more on the failing education system within our nation. What I am about to say is by no means meant with pride, but rather embarrassment and shame -- to date, my parents have spent somewhere near $250,000 on my education. While it has definitely paid off in certain areas and aspects, there are many where it has not, such as the topic of Apartheid and Nelson Mandela.
Everything that I know about those two, Apartheid and Nelson Mandela, is because of either my family or the news and media... absolutely NONE of it is from my school. Even during my time in public school, the names Apartheid and Nelson Mandela were almost never, if even ever, brought up. It has recently come to my attention that this is a fairly common trend in both public and private schools around the nation. It has also been made known to me that in other countries, such as South American ones and European ones, Apartheid and Nelson Mandela are the center of an entire class's curriculum. If this in itself does not encompass the giant gaps in our education system, then I don't know what will.