If the student doesn't want to learn it, it'll be hard to learn, no matter how much time is spent at it. If the student is having fun learning, they will excell at it. It's hard not to learn something which you enjoy thinking, reading, and writing about.
What's the secret to enjoying learning? I've found that I enjoy a subject a lot more if I understand it's core concept, and what it can do for me practically. And understanding is exactly what education is about. Rote memorization of facts isn't the best approach because it's no fun. The real goal is to understand the world around us so we can live richer, more fulfilled, productive lives. That's what education is really about.
Personally I support homeschooling. I think it's a lot more fun, you get to learn at your own leisure and you learn a surprisingly large amount in a lot less time. Most homeschoolers only spend maybe 1 1/2 hours actually doing schoolwork, and they tend to do quite a bit better on SAT and GED tests than the average. So I figure not homeschooling is a waste of time.
And when you think about it, using a government-funded school is a bit like going on welfare. Not a thing to be proud of and not something you should do unless you are poor and hard off.