I pretty much agree with you for the most part, but at the same time the traditional schooling is also not for everyone, some people do better learning via other areas, and our history has shown / proven that.
Myself for example, I was at a collage reading level by the time I was 10 or 11 I learned more on my own outside of school then I ever really learned in school, I read EVERYTHING I could get my hands on as a child (yeah I was a geek lol)
I personally LOATH what the public school systems have became these days, my oldest daughter has learned little to nothing that we were taught growing up, I ask her about "simple" things that were drilled into my brain by her age and she's never been taught about it (sorry can't give any solid examples now I'm still half asleep lol)
Today (at least here were I live) there's no daily homework, or even reading assignments, and from what I can tell my she spends most of her time being 'schooled' for tests and little else.
I'd much rather home school her if I had the time, BUT at the same time she needs to be with peers her age to learn the social skills that most people don't get when home schooled, so it's just a catch 22.
Maybe instead of making school totally mandatory, offer an 'early out' exam for those who clearly don't need the X more years of school.
I dunno, like I said I pretty much agree, but just can't see a "need" for another mandatory law put in place in our 'free country' (and who knows if it even would ever fly)
Just hearing that last night got me worked up a bit
-Loki-