why do we try to achieve status?

Our society is, when you think about it, hindering our progress as a species. We are forced to schooling that hasn't changed since its begging. Where we sit in a class where we are given facts. We then get tested on those facts and we are then given a grade and sent on to further schooling. Where we go through the same process. It isnt until we have left school where a good deal of education happens, we are encouraged to learn and think for ourselves to find new and creative ways to do those things faster, better and cleaner. why dont we do this in school, give a range of lessons like this. Let students enjoy and dictate their own schooling to further their education to make new discoveries instead of just memorise facts to be graded on how many facts they memorised. why not grade them on their solutions to problems, their ideas and their motivation towards certain feilds???