I don't think the only alternative to the current system is home schooling. There are schools in which learning is less curricular and more curiosity-driven, and the pupils go on to be very successful in higher education. In Belgium I came across a schooling system called Decroly, and in Germany the Waldorf schools.
Home schooling is only a fall-back position. As a parent, I don't mind hiring teachers for particular purposes. But let it be clear that I am the "school". I am the employer. It is my money and these are my kids.
