The core problem is that K-12 schooling largely isn't for the benefit of children, but for the state. That's why the state pays for it and not private tutoring

The core problem is that K-12 schooling largely isn't for the benefit of children, but for the state. That's why the state pays for it and not private tutoring in child-lead learning. It's awfully convenient to have a populace indoctrinated into a shared set of cultural norms.