The central argument is that the people are focussing on the symptoms and not their causes. We use medical analogies. Most of the ills in the education system as a whole are the products of systemic failure caused largely by mad political interference. Remove those and the symptoms disappear. 
Yes but a 'don't cure the symtoms' stance just becomes a root cause for more issues
How would you like it if you turn up to a doctors appointment and they say
"well yes I could prescribe X to cure your symptoms but surely my time would be better employed looking at addressing the root causes of poor health"?
You'd be tempted to smack them in the mouth
