I agree that the standards to pass a EMT-B class are pitiful. I had some younger students in my class that passed the exams and National Registry practicals, but I wouldn't want them working as EMTs on my worst enemy.
I believe though, that the quality of the class is dependent upon the instructor(s). The material presented would be cut and dry without someone to inject life into it. I was extremely fortunate to have several long time paramedics teaching my class, who made the long hours actually exciting to sit through, as they went off the beaten path of what's in the textbooks, and related their years of wisdom and experiences. I consider myself a pretty intelligent person, with a pretty good background in the medical field, and I definitely did not get bored in my EMT class. I think a good instructor makes a ton of difference in the quality of EMT-B produced.