I don't think the national education system was set up to make the nation's children bilingual! When you are an immigrant to another country, unfortunately you have to put in the effort to learn that language (as I have done living in France) and adapt to that culture. Of course it's important to keep ties with your native language and culture, but that's something that should be done at home and not at school. I think there are more fundamental things for a child to learn in school such as mathematics, literature and science.

I do, however, agree with you that most native English speakers are disgracefully incompetent at speaking other languages!