I agree with some of the things here and disagree with others, here's my view.
Education should start from day 1. When you sing to your baby and play games with your baby, it is learning. When you set a routine and clearly mark boundary lines, it is learning.
When you discipline yourself and deny yourself pleasures you don't want your child to use, such as drugs, smoking and alcohol, the child learns self-respect and self-discipline. I am only paraphrasing here, so forgive me if I am brief. I am not saying don't occasionally smoke a joint or a ciggie or have a drink but fathers getting drunk every night and slamming mother around the house are only teaching their kids that it's ok to get drunk and beat your wife. So you control your need to beat her up.
As they get older, you make them watch documentaries, play video games, yes it teaches them hand-eye co-ordination and to concentrate - wonderful for hyper-active, attention-deficit kids. You read to them encourage them to learn to read.
When they go to school know the teachers, know their curriculum, encourage research make every project just that - a project.
Then you deal with OBE and 'no child left behind'. As a prent it is up to you to supplement the learning they do at school. Discipline and excellence are your jobs, not the school's or the teachers.
Before you start beating me with a big e-stick about this, let me assure you I know what I am talking about.