Present Perfect in the past ???

I've encountered this sentenced on one of the English-language sites and it made me a bit puzzled, because as far as I know Present Perfect is not to be used for past actions.

''With the advent of formal education, kids are more isolated from the adult world than they have been in the past.''

Why did the author not use the expression ''used to'' at the end of the sentence?

Does anyknow have any idea?

Than they have been up to now. The "in the past" is redundant there. Better with "were in the past".

>>
''With the advent of formal education, kids are more isolated from the adult world than they have been in the past.'' <<

than they had been in the past.

The sentence was taken from the BBC website. Is it possible their journalists make mistakes?

I am an American and I think "have been" is perfectly fine.

It doesn't specify a specific time in the past, so present perfect is fine as opposed to simple past. "Used to" is fine too.

I'd have used "had been" but if this advent of formal eduaction was not so long ago, "have been" doesn't sound too bad.