> And I would add that one aspect of this training is the ability to deal with subjects student isn't particularly interested in.
What good does it do?
I don't think that you improve the ability to ingest irrelevant information and make them stick. What you can do is to try to trick your brain into thinking it's relevant - but then, why not make it relevant?
In the end, we don't learn for nothing, we learn because it should help us. If one can't answer why something would be helpful, then I say: don't teach it. If it is helpful (even if it's in the far future) then find a way to show that relevance right now or find something for which the learning is helpful _right now_ on top of the actual purpose.
Aren't you going to learn that eventually, out of necessity? But hey, this way you get to start hating the school (including the interesting parts - if there are any left) and you might also get the (incorrect) impression that the only reason you need to do things you don't enjoy is because some assholes decided that you must. Great life lesson.
What good does it do?
I don't think that you improve the ability to ingest irrelevant information and make them stick. What you can do is to try to trick your brain into thinking it's relevant - but then, why not make it relevant?
In the end, we don't learn for nothing, we learn because it should help us. If one can't answer why something would be helpful, then I say: don't teach it. If it is helpful (even if it's in the far future) then find a way to show that relevance right now or find something for which the learning is helpful _right now_ on top of the actual purpose.