I’d bet you had some good English teachers. That “universally” (like a too-convenient “always” or “never”) should tip off more people than it seems to do these days.

American education isn’t what it used to be, to put it mildly. The gap between what it is and what it should be may have widened a lot since you moved to Scotland, and all the school shootings won’t help to lure back the great teachers who have left in frustration with a broken system.