We used to consider it weird here too. There was this initiative called No Child Left Behind that was put into place by George W. Bush which pushed kids through school whether they had the grades to pass or not. Since then, the curriculum changed several times, each time, getting simpler than the last. They systematically dumbed down the American people and now we have a population with little to no critical thinking and a primary school reading level as the average. Also, out of all that, the loudest in the room is often the dumbest, so the bar is so low, you don’t even have to worry about tripping on it. I really hope this new trend to encourage reading takes.