The problem is that the existing education+certification process is staggeringly inefficient and wasteful. The other problem is that employers insist on certifications from an educational institution.

The efficient answer is a certification that employers will accept, and various competing educational pathways. And if your educational pathway was reading Byte Magazines that you found in your uncle's attic, and you actually learned enough to pass the certification, well, that's probably not the most efficient educational path, but if it worked for you, congratulations. You're certified.