It's even more complicated than that, because a significant number of the stakeholders, from superintendents right through to students and their parents, are self-absorbed, barren (intellectually, ethically, or both), and malignant.

A single system that must accommodate both those who genuinely try to do good and the other ones will inevitably be bloated and kafkaesque.

I think the most basic problem is that in many western(ized) cultures, the cultural and societal forces that "shape" the overall structure and place of the educational system is such that it's simply impossible to meet the twinned goals of (a) education as a universal right, and (b) suitably professional cadre of instructors. That is, there aren't enough good teachers (and admins) to fill the need, so we lower the bar, look away, and sweep under the rug the real structural deficiencies of our cultures and societies.