The nature and level of basic education achieved in a society reflects the frequently inadequate official and unofficial level of learning provided for and required of its members. Inadequate formal education is experienced at most levels and in most societies, resulting in uncertainty and student unrest. Public schooling is often past-orientated and abstract, with over-emphasis on individual attitudes. Student-teacher ratios are generally too high, often 50-1 or even 100-1, and classroom equipment is lacking. Awareness of the necessity of understanding new global developments and of relating such understanding to the individual's situation, while lacking the means to achieve these goals, generates cynicism.