European schooling system & learning of foreign languages

When I was in Australia, everyone had to choose 3 or 4 subjects for each of the last 2 grades/forms. As it was possible to choose just Phys.Ed., Drama, Outdoor activities and Arts, with English being obligatory, it means that these highschool students who have no maths, no sciences, no history, no geography and no foreign languages at all. Is that also possible in the States ? What's more, as each subject only accounted for 5h/week, so the total school time was a mere 20 to 25h/week, against 30 to 35h in general in most of Europe, I believe (I'd like to hear other voices from my European compatriots on this).But European schooling system only got 60% in my rating because I think we should start everything about 3 years earlier than it is now. When I entered kindergarten at 3, I thought I was going to learn to read and write, but was bitterly disappointed (and bored as a consequence). I longed for history and sciences classes since I was 6 or 7, but didn't get any till age 10 ! Maybe it's just me, but I have always found school to be so slow and basic compared to my real needs.