>>We really need to move back to the system of only the best and brightest sitting an learning full-time for most of their lives. Everyone else should be supporting their families, and learning whenever they have time. <<
Every word of Torah learned benefits this world in more ways than we all can imagine. Why should people stop learning?
And your idea of “best and brightest” is foolish at best. Look at the order of the meraglim and see where Yehoshua was placed. Yet HE was appointed as the new leader.
How to you plan on checking “best and brightest”? Is the current high-school system not cutthroat enough for you? What would this do for the shidduch crisis?