Our schools are not generally teaching critical thinking anymore. I am sure it is intentional so that students can be more easily manipulated.
Correction: Our schools are definitely teaching critical thinking, in terms of targeting and attacking Republicans, capitalism, the establishment, the white race (see "critical race theory," "1619 Project"), heteronormative institutions (see "Drag Queen Story Hour") etc. But somehow, Marxism and its precursor, socialism, are exempt from critical thinking.