"It can't be helped"

It's a common conception that the education establishment - in any country - is too complex, large, entrenched, politicized, conservative, etc. Also, they don't have enough finance, teachers, principles, managers, public support, etc. Many of these assertions are well based, but it is important not to confuse difficulty with impossibility. The task of creating a better education system falls under "difficult", or even "formidable", but some have done it and are doing it. A few examples of success:

There are some efforts to measure education achievement. One of them is embodied in the IEA - International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement. They make international assessments like TIMMS - Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study. Some countries, such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan (aka "Chinese Taipei") consistently do well in these studies. At the very least, this means it's possible to do well.

The OECD runs its own international test - PISA - Programme for International Student Assessment. Finland consistently performs at the top of PISA tests. With Finland, it's an even more interesting story, since the education system there hasn't always been great. A concerted effort was put into improving education, using administrative structure, finance structure, careful building of teachers' education and giving many relevant stakeholders the power to make their own decisions. In addition to success in international tests, there are some indirect indications of success. For example, in Finland there are about 10 applicants for each position in teachers education. That is both a good sign, and an assurance that the establishment can select the best. Again, this must mean it is possible to do well.

So, some countries are doing much better than others. My contention is that there is no good reason for my country - or yours - to have a poorly functioning education system. Changing a n established education system is a great task, both in terms of difficulty and in terms of value. Arthur W. Foshay - a founder of IEA - said "If custom and law define what is educationally allowable within a nation, the educational systems beyond one’s national boundaries suggest what is educationally possible." I say: "Hey, a few decades of tremendous effort, and we can do much better." It will be worth it.