What else, besides the current public school system, should serve as “a determinant of position/success within the social hierarchy”?

I agree with you and Gatto, our school system is not structured in the most productive and efficient way with the best interest of its students in mind, and I’m on your side in the claim that autonomy is not the answer and that some sort system is needed because this complex society would not function if everyone was left to govern their own education entirely. I think the solution, in an extremely broad sense, is a balance between autonomy and conformity. Young children do not have the diligence and motivation to hold themselves accountable for everything they should be learning. There needs to be a routine system in place that provides the authority and guidance these young children need to stay focused. At the same time, the current system is too repetitive and boring.

If students are going to have the autonomy Gatto thinks they deserve, someone needs to inform students on the different choices they have. How will a student know (s)he wants to study neuroscience if no one ever introduces him/her to that field of study? Additionally, I believe there are some very basic skills every citizen should know to be a productive member of society, like reading, multiplication, etc. In short, let’s keep some aspects of the current system but let each individual student have more of a say in what they get to learn. I think Williams is an appropriate example of this balance. There are certain classes we have to take to graduate so we are exposed to Language/Arts, Social Studies, and Science/Math, but we get to tailor extremely personal course paths for ourselves as we pursue the courses that we want to study. When are students responsible enough to make these decisions for themselves?