My high school Drivers Ed class consisted of using books from the '70's with pages missing, and a teacher who would sit in the front of the class and read the chapters in his monologue voice for 50 minutes. Maybe I learned some of the "rules" of driving, and what signs meant what, but in terms of actually driving, I learned NOTHING. Fortunately for me my parents made me drive all the time in all conditions, that's how I learned. I've only been driving for 4 years now, and due to my small town background, make some mistakes in busy cities.
Professional training is a must IMO for all new drivers.