My girlfriend does that a lot at the school she works in. She’s only got a handful of kids that are permanent to her. The majority of them go to regular classes but she designs the others special coursework to help them with regular classes. Basically those kids are assigned goals to reach that are more to their level but are integrated into regular classes. It’s really interesting.
I’m not sure where it came from. I do think society should make an effort to help everyone attain a basic education regardless of their economic status. But I don’t think society should blow a bunch of money on risky post high school people. The risk is way too high they’ll bomb.
It’s another thing I like about Germany. They use public high school to establish what you are talented at and push you towards it. For your college in that field it is provided by society. Because it’s a lower risk than just letting them do whatever they want.
They do have alternative schools to send more problematic children in most districts. But it is an area of public education that is poorly funded. So they do everything in their power to keep them in the regular school due to it costing so much more to place them in an alternative center.
A logical and more practical approach to education could easily provide labor force with workers who have the knowledge and skills needed for most employers by the time they are 17/18, and make the additional four years of college unessary.