There's lots of human variation, sure. That hardly proves that education doesn't work or that the same skills would be acquired otherwise. I can hardly imagin

There's lots of human variation, sure. That hardly proves that education doesn't work or that the same skills would be acquired otherwise. I can hardly imagine that we'd reach the same literacy rate without an education system. Practice under instructor guidance helps. I teach robotics and other STEM classes. The robotics league that my teams participate in measures teams with both objective and subjective measures: presentation skills matter. Over a term, I see the less technically students develop a lot of hands-on knowledge about mechanics, electronics, and problem solving. I see the one who are already technically inclined build a lot of presentation and communication skills. And everyone learns a lot more about project management and organization. There's a massive apparent difference in abilities at the end of the term and the beginning.