have trouble understanding how this tech advanced nation managed to do its tech advancements with how little STEM it requires its high schoolers to graduate. Maybe by the sheer strong will of those very few individuals per class that eventually become excellent with their pursuit of STEM or spending WWII spoils/gains on attracting foreign brains to fill the gaps.
Possibly because individual drive and initiative is as important or more so then a population/country wide education plan? I've found that in real industry the people there have many different paths to the knowledge and experience they acquired and brought to their companies.
Lefty