I disagree. While the majority of smart kids at school do follow the traditional route, doing their work, conforming to the system (sometimes because it's easy for them, and they may as well take advantage of their brains to get a decent job, and sometimes because they're simply blind), there are always a number of exceptions. You have exceptionally-bright kids who don't know what to do with their lives and slack in school because they're bored and lazy, but you also have exceptionally bright, almost enlightened kids who are extremely passionate about learning, but find themselves disgusted by the mindless conformism required to excel in such an institution. Not every person who can excel wants to excel at something so pointless.