Why Mainstream?

I caught a story from VIN news regarding a Yeshiva that opened illegally and is trying to make it right.  While the commentators hash out the issue of opening without permits, I will leave that issue alone.  I'm a t crosser and an i dotter.  The culture of just doing without getting all the ducks in order is foreign to my way of thinking.

However, I have to say that I absolutely loved what I saw on the posted video (it is in Yiddish, but you should get the gist regardless).  These boys are learning in a different format, but they are also taking care of their yeshiva and each other through gardening, cooking, vocational projects, sports, and more.  When it comes to modern, conventional (aka traditional) education, it is fairly clear from most of what I've read, that education is built for girls, not boys.  When I see a school with kids out doing with their hands and with their bodies, in addition to book learning, as a parent of boys, I'm intrigued and inspired myself.  How nice it is to see boys taking care of their environment, taking responsibility for food preparation, lawn mowing, gardening, etc, etc.

And yet, the goal remains to "mainstream" these boys as evidenced in the VIN article:  "Berko estimates that the yeshiva has an 85 percent success rate.  Almost 100 students have gone on to mainstream yeshiva."  Personally, I'd consider it more of a success if the "mainstreaming" were in the opposite direction, i.e. watching "mainstream" yeshivot adopting some of the practices seen on the video!