Maybe it depends on the school system and the culture in which it is located. I have a problem with the idea of "kids to fight for their dreams". I don't see anything wrong with well-placed obedience. I live in the US and where I work now definitely has an entire tier of workers that the organization wants to be 'thoughtless' -- or I should say like drones, doing exactly what the job requires with no questions asked. But those drones are also expected to innovate and do more with less and come up with better ideas to do things (which the bosses then steal and present as their own ideas). Which is why I am making plans to get out of that environment. Why? Because my education did not prepare me, nor do I want to be, anyone's slave. I'm inclined to think the local culture creates the school system rather than the other way around. I enjoyed school and still do; although I should point out I am not young anymore. I am often in classrooms with young people who don't give any appearance of having enquiring minds; who have a small fund of knowledge gained through personal curiosity; who don't read for fun and who don't care about issues that they do not believe personally affect themselves. I work alongside many adults who are the same way. I don't think school can beat an enquiring mind into someone. I think bipolar disorder, ADHD/ADD and Narcissistic Personality Disorder may be found in people in school systems, but school systems don't cause those problems. They might make them worse but so would other major life stressors like marriage, gaining or losing a job, or moving to a new city. I'd specifically like to stress that I don't encourage anyone to "fight for their dreams" and I don't think it is random that you chose the word "fight"--I've seen the students who believe in clawing and biting their way to the top and they are miserable, miserable people.