What is the optimal form of education?

Modern schooling trains one to be a robot, to be a disciplined foot soldier, to be a clerk, but not to be a thinker. Perhaps this is a natural by-product of the design of the system. It is geared to produce extras for there are far more extras than actors. Actors are left to automatically stand out by creating their own path.

Hypothesis: The most effective impartation of learning is through the apprenticeship model.

Proof by examples:

1. Classical traditions in South Asia and in medieval Europe, mostly before the advent of modern Western influence.
2. Gradaute research programs use a substantially similar model to this day.
   
3. On the job training of new employees at the most firms.

Points to ponder over:
Can such a change be percolated to earlier stages in life?
Can this model scale to everyone? Does it need to?
Can there be a multi-tiered system, wherein actors are subject to an apprenticeship model fairly early while extras go through the current system?