Not everyone is capable of college level study, and that is why the college degree USED TO be worth more in the economy, because of the relative scarcity.
And, yes, the schools are not preparing students to be thinkers or learners, but to be cogs in the socialist system.
I’m reading “A Well-Trained Mind”, and the main point of it is that kids need to be trained in “the trivium” of grammar, logic, and rhetoric. A student that is classically trained will be able to learn and discern.
Discernment is the enemy of socialism, so this is intentionally NOT taught.
One of the most important things I’ve always believed in learning was the etymology of words, getting an appreciation of the history and just how our language evolved over time.