Very true. In many contexts (ancient, current, and new) the students are painted as an empty receptacle to be filled in with knowledge from some external source

Very true. In many contexts (ancient, current, and new) the students are painted as an empty receptacle to be filled in with knowledge from some external source. In that world view, innovation is about "filling" students in a more efficient, more controlled, or more measurable way. Did anyone ever ask what students actually want to learn? Did anyone ever talk to them like adults, and put them in charge of their own learning process? I think for primary school there needs to be some sort of structure and "guidance from above" but starting with high school, students need to be put in charge. Sure we'll still need some sort of standardized testing and "proof of knowledge," but learning will be so much better if we let students follow their interests and their own pace, possibly working in small groups.