I agree that critical thinking needs to be at least stressed more at the grade level. Young students seem to get pushed through the system today. It's more about "not holding little Johnny back" because we don't want to damage his self-esteem. But then little Johnny grows up, comes to a trade school like the one I work at, and has no skills to think his way through a situation or problem. I'm not blaming grade-school teachers for this, but the system that they have to work in that doesn't give them enough time to work with kids in this way.
