In the city where I live there is this one school, not really a school, it is like home schooling but in one place. So kids from different families go there. But yeah what you explain there is very extreme, sounds pretty bad. I can see how someone can think like that, but it does not reflect reality at all.

I went to a really good private school in Washington DC for 6th and 7th grade. and then I went to Harvard later. The rest of the time I was in public schools. The difference is stark. In private or liberal arts settings they actually teach you how to think critically and make up your own mind about things, at least it is supposed to. 

Which is completely different from what you are describing there, where the goal is kind of to make everyone think the same. And then I would place vocational training in a completely different category - things like learning how to be a plumber, electrician, blacksmith, computer programmer. 

I feel that all of these different types of skills or approaches or ideologies get muddled together sometimes and people get confused about what education is even all about. And unfortunately, I think then it becomes a race to the bottom, as the easiest way out is likely always gonna be to just revert to a state-sponsored kind of conditioning.

Takes away people's creativity a lot of the times I think. You need to be pretty creative to be self employed or start a business. Better for govt maybe if you are an employee in a big company because then you pay more tax.