school students

Few days back, I happen to accompany my sister to her son's school. He is doing 6th std. We entered Principal's room, Myself and My sister were sitting before her and my Nephew was standing. I asked him to sit in the available chair, he was fumbling. On seeing this, the Principal and class teacher told, in our school Students are not supposed to sit in front of us.

The same thing happened when I accompanied my relative for his Daughter's admission in an Engineering college in Chennai. There also the student was not allowed to sit in the admin office.

I wonder whether our education system has improved. I believe there are two aspects of education.
1)IQ Level irrespective of knowledge in the academics.
2)Knowledge of what we are studying.

I believe unless we are good in the first aspect, the standard has not really improved. By doing the same old practises of making the students bow in front of the superiors we are only curtailing their shrewdness.