Well, sometimes you have to think in the short term. People will have plenty of time to become a well rounded individual after they have a good source of income.
Seriously though, I have read a lot about the Japanese elementary school system, and it is extremely progressive by American standards, and completely unlike middle and high school. From what I have read, it does a spectacular job of getting kids to both think together and think independently. It puts a low priority on correct answers and a high priority on refining solutions to problems gradually.
Since control of schools are so well centralized, it should be relatively easy to introduce things like that intergrated learning time quickly. Too bad the damned exams dominate their priorities.
