You could do the same kind of thing that yCombinator is doing now. Accept the best and the brightest, train them for a couple years. Let them develop products inside the school by providing them contacts, advice, etc. Then take a percentage of the companies that make it. The students get a great education with the chance to do something great and the school gets the chance to fund the next wave of statups.
Perhaps I'm wrong about this - but I don't think you could pick out a future entrepreneur from a group of children. It's not about how bright you are - although that helps. It's more about their work ethic, drive, what they want from life, etc. It certainly has nothing to do with testable skills such as mathematics, writing, or even programming ability (programming affinity is a different matter...)
You're not picking out future entrepreneurs per se you're just getting the best kids. The odds are some of those kids are going to want to start their own company and when they do you are in a perfect position to help them and recoup some costs if it takes off. When you do find an entrepreneur it's just the prize in the cereal box, you're still teaching the children and getting paid to do it.
No, this won't happen. We're drifting AWAY form that, not TOWARD it, in the last 50 years.
And yet, a revolution in education WILL come. Some day, someone WILL figure out that generic schools are stupid and will provide a better solution en masse, and creating a better solution is trivial.
But there's no money in education. Why? Because it's declared government business.
Therefore, he who will do that will sweat blood and do it just because he's so passionate about it.
Myself, I'd rather work small - pick a few good ones, instill in them the proper ideas and virality, so that they do the same.
