Nope, the current system sucks. I agree with you on that. We come from different countries with different education systems, so I can't really speak for what you're used to consider "school", but here in Italy, governments have been destroying the school system piece by piece in the last 30 years. I know what you mean by "brainwashing" and I agree with your views on that.
But we have to be aware what we wish. The younger you are, the more your brain is flexible and your learning curve is easy. I'm not going to be one of those parents who force their kids to learn 2 languages by the time they're six, I think kids shall be kids and enjoy their life and their energy. But when you're young, what you learn sticks with you. It's important that you keep at it. And keep in mind I'm one of those guys who hated school in their teenage years, I spent a whole year walking around my city instead of being in class. Still, I'm grateful to some of my teachers who were able to form me as an individual. And yeah, students know what they need to some degree, but there's tons they don't know, yet. That's why they learn.
I think the only solution is for the school system to be actually managed by people who care about the kids more than they care about politics and economics.