It seems as if some people hate to hear the term "good old days" associated with anything these days.

But the truth of the matter is that in the good old days when education was centered on reading, writing and arithmetic, it seemed that a child did, in fact, receive and earn an education. Why? Because that's all the schools had to focus on.

Now, it seems schools and teachers are responsible for almost everything, including feeding their charges, taking care of medical problems and every other social ill that pops up.

It's no wonder there is not much time left for education itself.

In the good old days, final graduation tests were a true test on whether you had learned enough to pass to the next grade or were ready to head out in the world, to make it a better place to earn a living and to raise a family.

Such tests are about to be relegated to the past in Georgia, where they are being eliminated after this year. Read about it online at covnews.com.

Actually, we can understand why the graduation finals are being phased out: what our kids need to know today in order to survive cannot even begin to be measured by such tests.

It's too bad that the good old days are just that, the good old days.