Your experience is exactly why investing in education by the Government is a good idea. Education is a super-long term investment, whose returns can only be reaped over a long period of time, via taxation. And that is only viewing it from a purely investment perspective; the gains to society by skilled and educated workforce is priceless.

It is for this reason that I don't think private companies can significantly change that, even in the US. Even the most innovative/successful companies don't last that long in the US to make a significant change in the Education system.