We could get rid of it, but we'd have to fix high schools first. This would likely require admitting that a focus on academic subjects isn't appropriate for everyone. In many European countries, a majority of students go to trade-oriented secondary schools and the minority that goes to academic schools leading to university have to study quite rigorous material in secondary school. That's why their university programs can focus specifically on individual specialties.
For example, the French academic high school diploma (called Baccalauréat Général) is normally considered equivalent to at least a year in a US university.
