[pessimizer]

I'm pretty sure many(most?) of us started that process within school.

>Isn't that the best way?

Best for what? Best for being a good programmer? In my experience, no. You can't avoid spending 1000s of hours outside of school programming and reading about programming, but having fantastic teachers to help guide you through that journey is awesome when you can get it.

>School is there to show kids how to teach themselves anything they want to learn.

Not any school that I want my kids in. I want my kids in the school that teaches them how to read, add, and understand the science of the world around them - including how their stupid cellphone works. They've got the rest of their day and the rest of their lives (with a bit of latitude starting in the last half of high school, and college) to learn whatever they want, at least until all the libraries are closed and everything is behind a paywall.