I'm very sorry for not answering in time. I just found out I posted my answer in my own profile, not yours. My apologies. :(
Actually in my experience I've found the opposite. It seems to me that schools are giving up memorization in favor of giving the students the ability to understand and rebuild the codes they learn, as well as possibly creating something anew.
However, I won't say you aren't right. Recently, high schools in my country have resumed the teaching of philosophy, but it's still like what you said it is, they feed the student with info on a one-way route and make him/her sit exams. I'm good at exams, but I've always found I was lacking in certain other areas, because, really, most exams have rigged questions. An exam master isn't a master of wisdom. In terms of examination, my country is still behind the developed world, because we use exams for EVERYTHING.
I'm writing a novel and much of it is influenced by the Nasuverse. I actually thought the explanation of the fundamentals of the Holy Grail War was quite complex in the VN. I don't remember most of it, though, because it's been four years since I read it.
Why is college a heated subject for you? You can write in PM if it's something delicate.