In the K-12 level, students are basically asked to regurgitate facts that they are told to memorize. If they memorize the facts, they get good grades and are deemed smart or gifted. This doesn't prepare them for reality. We need to teach children not just how to memorize info, but also to think critically and become individualistic and open minded.
Higher education also suffers from this, in addition to being disgustingly expensive. In 1975, the average total cost of 1 year at a 4-year private school in today's dollars was $18,482. The tuition, room, board, and fees at Boston University for the '13-'14 year will be $58,530. Baby boomers could work part time during the school year and a summer job to pay for college. That idea is now a myth.
Education was 2% of the federal budget in 2012