> I don't think the purpose of college is to provide people with education and a love of learning. Most people don't want that.
Your stance on this issue strikes me as one-dimensional and solipsistic. Maybe you're a very smart person who was unfairly persecuted for being different, or maybe you were persecuted for being different and placed the blame on a feature.
From my perspective, humans are learning machines, as evidenced by the totality of human output.
> People who love learning have wikipedia.
Wikipedia does not talk to you, debate your ideas, or force you to think in uncomfortable ways (`Discussion` does not count). I might be nitpicking your point, but autodidacts are well served by interfacing with people who can challenge their ideas and also help them articulate their opinions in person.
Edit: I'm getting downvoted, and I hope it's not because this comment comes across as rude. If it is, please message me directly; I tried hard on the tone.
I believe that a good vo-tech schooling should be considered as an acceptable alternative for many.
Most people just want someone to give them a job and let them do it. Being told what to do by an authority figure is considerably easier than figuring out what to do on your own. College is a system of authority and assigned work, and that's a big part of why people like it.
I don't think the purpose of college is to provide people with education and a love of learning. Most people don't want that. The majority of people don't like to learn things. Learning is for nerds.
The purpose of college (or any form of institutionalized education) is to do all three of the things that you listed. It's a tool of our society. Changing it would only make it unappealing to the average person. People who love learning have wikipedia.