I would think that, at least in the States, the horse has already left the barn, so to say. It appears that, in Germany, the government has no intention of letting that happen.
Having lived in Germany for a dozen years...I can offer some insight.
Teachers consider themselves highly educated and thus certified to do what they do. They see no reason for an untrained or non-certified teacher to exist. They use the same mentality for business executives....they all have master degrees or higher. You can't find a major business in Germany with more than 300 workers that has a company owner or CEO without the business degree. The banks work to limit loans to storng growth companies with such leadership. It all goes full circle....you have to be educated...to be in charge.
Add to this...schools and school funding all are directly tied to the local population. If you have 30,000 people in the local town...then your educational czar gets a certain amount of money and runs the mass system (lower school, mid-school, and college-bound-high-school). If you took 100 kids out of the system in that community...you'd mess up the statistics here and create a tidal wave of issues.
And finally...getting a degree in Germany is a highly "class" affair. Only the smart guys get a degree...don't you know? I was told this several years ago by a German. The education sector severaly limits the kid's progress in life. If you are a person prone to arguments...at age 10...forget about college. The teachers will ensure your road to higher education is screwed up. To make it to the college direction...you MUST have artist talents (no joke). If you can't paint or draw...you've got a major strike against you and its doubtful you can overcome that problem. Its the same way with organizing your book pack each morning. For a 11-year old German kid...each day is a totally different group of classes...just like in a US college system. You must demonstrat your ability to organize your books and bring the right ones...otherwise...you start having points deducted from your grades...which you can't make up.
All in all....the German system is great to get you on the fast track for learning. A 14-year old German kid is as smart as a 17-year old Armerican kid...this I can vouch. But the number of kids left behind in the German system...would shock you. And the amount of tudor service you have to hire...to keep your kid on the smart track...will run around $1500 a year if you take this serious....and we are talking about a 13-year old kid requiring a tudor just to pass with decent grades.