People say this all the time like it's some edgy gotcha.
And while Public education in the United States did really come to full fruition during the industrial revolution, and does do a lot to prepare a person for the workforce, noting not all school are the same..
..I am fully greatful my little rural New England School did a good job teaching me critical thinking. I really loved learning as I grew up and had many fantastic teachers.
To note, over the last 25 years, education funding, for whatever reason, is funded..but poorly. My son is in middle school, I've noticed he doesn't have music class. They have a band and chorus as extracurriculars, but no music theory/history class like I did. I was the last class group to take home economics, and there is no computer class either. Every kid has a Chromebook, but no one is watching a Sweeny Todd on stage, or picking a composer to write a report on. No kid is sewing a teddy bear or making pizza cookies, and they don't have general computer instruction. My son is in special education, so it's hard to gauge one to one, but I definitely feel like his quality of education is less than when I was in middle school 25 years ago, especially when we look at "specials", for what its worth. And this disappoints me.
But education as I see, is not "just to get you ready for the workforce" though that is part of it. A lot of teachers really care, and try to help kids find joy in learning, even still today. Well rounded schooling is important for children to become individuals with the power of critical thought beyond the scope of preparing them to work in a factory.
School where I went, and were my son goes, definitely fit "you get out what you put in".