Practicing citizens or robots?

This issue has been brought up in a few of my education courses this year both historical, psychologically and now in the curriculum. What is the role of the public school when it comes to knowing what makes an engaged citizen? There is an argument that this is what students need to know to be a good practicing American citizen which in the early 1900's when immigration was at it's peak would sound great to anyone. There is also the argument that if a child knows the difference from right and wrong it will become second nature (i.e. Pavlov's Dog). And here in the realm of curriculum where does the purpose of the public education process come in. In the midst of all this standardization talk and government funding in schools, Should a school just pump out a bunch of robots that are no longer individually responsive to situations or are schools duty to allow students minds to develop into a cognitive critical thinkers that should be able to process this information and situations to become better engaged citizens?

I guess what I am getting at is that we should at a younger age instill values and principles but as students grow into young adults guide them into becoming better engaged citizens. An understanding of what is happening around them and a knowledge of what is right and wrong in this society should be enough to light a fire inside and make them want to engage themselves in civic decisions and become more involved with injustices, wrong-doings on a global scale and research the material and make their own inferences.

I see that there is a theme of freedom to develop the mind in my writings at the moment and im not sure why yet but it is just an observation that i have made i'll figure it out soon enough. Rock on, Luke