Efficiency or Control?

After reading The Law of Going Long, a New York Times Idea of the Day: "The same natural law of flow toward efficiency governs everything from river basins to National Football League offenses, a professor says.."

My Rumbling:
If we apply this concept to the current public educational system is it really more efficient to focus on outcome based education, behaviorist education and the like rather than critical thinking? Or have we focused on the definition of critical to mean "negative; inclined to find fault or to judge with severity, often too readily" instead of "involving skillful judgment as to truth" so as to be more efficient.

Does the flow of prescription drugs to school age kids ultimately make them easier to control therefore making for greater efficiency?

Something to think about!