Don't blame the kids for their blind conformity. That is dictated at them from above. Kids today live in fear of being singled out in an negative manner. It can destroy your future. Mistakes are now permanent. A viral video of you doing something stupid as a teenager might come up in job applications decades later. Getting caught drinking alcohol in the park on a Friday night might mean jail/expulsion from school. And don't get me started on grade inflation. Study the wrong material, bomb a test, and you can say goodbye to that 97% average needed for university applications. So every kid is desperate to make sure they are studying exactly the same material as everyone else. That is the only safe way to make sure you don't waste time on a tangent. Kids today do and should fear breaking social norms. They live in a very rigid society.