Have you looked into the structure of the school system that most of the world follows? It is designed after the Prussian empire's schooling system which was meant to create mediocre citizens of average intelligence with equal levels of understanding. Highly intelligent individuals won't take the cookie cutter and break the mold.
I definitely agree with you about the disconnect. Our societies place so much weight on a piece of paper that hardly do people care about the actual knowledge any more.
Good job gaming the system! Not everyone can do it. ;) I attend every class, but I only spend like 30 minutes on homework where we're told the average is 2hours per class.
Yea, I agree the education system is pretty far down a broken road.
I heard a theory that I think has a lot of merit. Our current curriculum structure was developed in the wake of the industrial revolution. It was designed to turn the masses into factory workers to power the engine of America. If you need millions of people who will work on an assembly line, they need to be indoctrinated to follow rules, play their part, believe in the system, not ask too many questions, etc.
I think this lines up with your mention of the Prussians.
I don't know if the powers at be planned this or not. I do know our school system definitely wasn't designed to nurture creative, free-thinkers.