From K-5, (Elementary school), I generally was termed a problem by the administration. In 4th grade I was already standing up on chairs and tables shouting about the injustices of the education system and the lack of a democratic process. I was generally the class clown and very theatrical about it. At that point I rarely read, but I often thought philosophically, the questions I posed to myself when I was 8-12 I found out later were the same questions that Descartes and Plato agonized over.
Needless to say, there were stacks of disciplinary reports with my name from Kindergarten to Middle School. It was never sinister problems, just class disruption. The office girls and the administration developed a rather friendly relationship with me since I was in the office so often. There were what I found out later to be several psychologists that came to interview me. They concluded I had no real mental problems, just a few disciplinary ones which as a result of my ability. Nothing was done. It always went something like this: we think you could do the work in advanced classes, we just don't think you will do it. They never stopped to think that I wasn't challenged, which was why I was bored.
This was essentially the case well into high school, now I am in junior college. I get A's in most subjects now, where before my report card would be something like A,D,A,A,F,A. Hopefully, since I will most likely graduate from junior college with high honors, I will be able to get scholarships when I transfer to university.
An interesting thing happened to me when I was 13 (I am 20 now), I began to read a great deal. Before that age, I had no desire to read, beyond what was required. I learned "how to learn and think" mostly through what could loosely be termed "independent study". I have read various works from Plato to Homer. Along with the classics of the "western canon" I have read more "unorthodox" works from modern to ancient eastern texts. Most of my "hard education" is a result of my own independent study. My K-12 education taught me some of "the basics". I learned more about socializing with others and having fun than academics in school.
What I look back on now and laught about is the blatant political propaganda which fills K-12 education, I knew the statements enumerated by teachers and textbooks were far too simpilistic and mythological at the time, but I did not know what to call it. I had a nose for finding deceptive political platitudes when I was a kid, a bit strange I think. I saw the irony in the treadmill of the consumerist life that deams its collective sheep behavior as "individualistic".
Draw your on inductive conclusions from what I had to say about my experience.
Now, for a more general analysis:
It is generally accepted that K-12 education in America is far behind many other developed nations. The majority of Americans do not have B.A.s, let alone Masters degrees. So, the majority of Americans are most likely poorly educated. What happens in what are termed good undergraduate programs in America? Resources go into remedial education rather than true undergraduate work. However, America's poor education system used to be sociologically functional, because what was required in America were relatively poorly educated factory workers to produce millions of units of goods to be sold to those same poorly educated factory workers in the name of consumerism. It was also important, as it still is today, to keep the people ideologically stupid, hence anything intellectual in nature, or questioning in authority was labeled "Communist" or "un-American". Anti-intellectualism still runs strong in America.
The problem now is that the information economy requires people that can think for themselves and think critically. Of course people like this were always required, but not in large numbers. If people think critically about ideas for work, they will eventually turn to their ideology. If a seige mentality is maintained however, it may be possible to keep people ideologically disciplined. Even critical thinkers will bow down before the sake of the empire. They will think of themselves as a sort of Archimides invents for the Greeks to defend against the Romans or Persians. A culture of fear has to be maintained for this to work though. So you hear about redicilous connections to terrorism that have nothing to do with security whatsover in order to maintain the ideological bulwark.