Report Card on a Sentimental Education : What’s wrong with schooling in the United States? Observe a ‘Marriage and Family’ class that familiarizes teen-age students with the minutiae of the perfect wedding.

At this very minute, hundreds of people are writing applications for grants to figure out what’s wrong witS. education.

I call their attention to “Marriage and Family,” a class at Westlake High School, a school in the Conejo Valley Unified School District set in a lovely high-end suburban area that includes part of western Los Angeles County.

Let me describe the course. It’s an 18-week elective. My student informant, a 16-year-old boy who requested anonymity, says the class is about relationships and family problems, but the biggest focus is on preparing for a mock marriage.

Boys and girls pair off as mock mates and embark on an almost semester-long quest for the perfect wedding.

They go, in twos, to department stores to pick out china and price it. They select a church or synagogue and cost out the rental and other fees. They explore the typical wedding minutiae, including bands, photographers, invitations, gifts for the wedding party and flowers. They are required to visit each of these places in person to get the information. The mock couple even takes a trip to a jewelry store to choose, and price, rings.

The project constitutes 25% of the grade. The couples collaborate on writing up their discoveries and counting up the costs. They include the business cards for the establishments they visited, photos of the desired wedding dress and the rings. They even ask their parents how much they are willing to mock-contribute, to learn negotiating and cost-cutting tricks.

The class finale is a mock group wedding, involving the entire class, followed by a mock wedding party, designed to mimic the weddings these suburban teens have prepared for, at least on paper. To date, there have been no mock consummations--at least not on class time.

This class meets daily. “We take it because it’s fun--and considered a real easy class--and to have a good time,” says the student.

The course includes a brief introduction to the job market: The students pick an occupation or profession they think they might like to pursue and find out details “like education required and starting salary,” the student says.

Teacher Judy Caestecker said the course provides a way to learn about relationships, communications skills and employment.

“The students are engaged right now,” she said, “so they’re looking into what kind of jobs they need to support themselves.”

The career focus part of class didn’t take up much time, though, says the student. “It was a homework assignment,” he said. “Most of us did it during class time.”

To be fair, the class does have a textbook--”Family Matters”--and has tests--”a lot of feelings,” said the teacher.

The students also spend time learning to communicate. “You have to learn to compromise on things, even when you go out to look for dishes,” she said.

The teacher also helps the students understand different kinds of family arrangements. She divides the class into groups, by whether they come from single-parent homes, stepfamilies or traditional families. Then the class discusses the challenges of living in each.

Though not required, the course is tax-supported, at a time when parents and educators decry the lack of funding for essential education.

These students are preparing for a one-day event that is unlikely to happen to them in the next eight to 10 years.

And college is less than two years away.