There is a credible theory that socialist John Dewey and his educrat followers wanted an illiterate population that would be easier to control.
I’m not familiar with the theory you mention, but would be happy to read anything you could link about it.
Although it’s clear that a vast segment of our population is poorly educated and has limited skills in logic and rational argument, it is also demonstrably true that a far larger number of our fellow citizens have basic reading and numeracy skills than during Dewey’s time.
I think we’re witnessing a regression to the mean more than anything else.