Throughout time, education has slowly shifted upwards, this isn't only due to teachers actually teaching their students something valuable, but it is also due to technology improving a student's mindset because it draws him or her to the subject far more compared to a paper and pencil learning style.
Education, when it was first a thing, wasn't much but a group's history throughout said time. Now you learn about different mathematics and sciences daily.
Education now compared to education back then is substantially better, and without education improving, we wouldn't be here where we're right now with peace and prosperity for each country. :D