Agreed. I find that memorization, as a first step in learning, does not encourage any deep thought or inquiry on a given topic, i.e. learning. It only encourages a rote repetition and no further. I do think memorization has its place, however, but this is only after you have wrestled with the topic for some time, so you do not forget what you have already learned. In other words in my opinion there is some cause and effect confusion in education, in that memory is something used after learning, not before. To use it before is, also in my opinion, quite harmful.