When I was in education school (oxymoron alert!), one of the basic tenets of this curriculum was to take the time to write up some sort of ‘philosophy of education’ paper (which was graded only by its length…a broad hint here…). I never say nor heard of any discussion with prospective teachers about what the purpose of education was…
We spent lots of time looking over some 19th and 20th century theories about how students learn, and how some teachers think things should be taught. We never discussed, read, looked at, or considered some similar questions, such as:
What is the purpose of education?
What is important for students to learn?
So, when coming across a couple of these online articles, I was (at first) rather elated…
These links are filled with heartfelt perspectives where the authors define their personal intentions and motivations. Are these nice sentiments a true answer to what the purpose of education is?
What is the purpose of education (in 500 words or fewer)?
http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6075468
I think the purpose of education is to teach children how to fail. To drive them to failure and then see what happens.
The same is true for books, music, languages, arts – it is about engaging the children in the learning process, and opening their eyes to possibilities that lie ahead. If we look back at the etymological meaning of the word, education is derived from the Latin “educare” or “bring up”, which is related to “educere”, or “bring out”, “bring forth what is within”, “bring out potential”. This for me should be the purpose of education
So what is the purpose of education? In my opinion, it is to provide our young people with the skills they will need to become confident, independent decision-makers who will be able to shape our future. I’m not sure that many would disagree with this. It is the way in which we prepare them for this role that is of utmost importance and that has to involve a collaborative view of learning and a commitment to continuing to research how we make this happen in our schools.
Education provides us with an introduction to things unimagined and unencountered. It should provide the critical challenge to examine our beliefs, interpretations and horizons, the ability to re-examine ourselves in new contexts, to develop new interests, to review the ways in which we understand ourselves and our place in the world.
The purpose of education should be to expand expectations, not to confine them – to support our learners in understanding the impact they can have on their world
I want my son to struggle and to feel challenged. I want the education he encounters to be brave enough to let him fail and to support him if he does and help him to learn the lessons. Environments that encourage risk and innovation will also intrinsically understand failure. Education should embrace all the ups and downs, the bumps in the road, the setbacks and hurdles, the scraped knees and bruises, the “let’s have another go”, and not just the success at the end of the road/course/year.
The Purpose of Education -Critical Pedagogy for the Democratic Society
http://www.21stcenturyschools.com/Purpose_of_Education.htm
We live in a society which is continually evolving and yet, somehow, it has become generally accepted that schooling should not change. Many still hold an expectation that what “used to work” remains appropriate. But we are not the same, we are different. The world is different. Does one refuse to wear a pair of new shoes when one pair is worn out or outgrown? It doesn’t mean the old shoes are bad; they just don’t serve their purpose any longer. Critical Theory and Critical Pedagogy are based on the premise of continual change. Perhaps Critical Pedagogy will help us to prepare the citizens of tomorrow for the inevitable changes they must meet.
The Purpose of Education
http://www.drmartinlutherkingjr.com/thepurposeofeducation.htm
The function of education, therefore, is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. But education which stops with efficiency may prove the greatest menace to society. The most dangerous criminal may be the man gifted with reason, but with no morals.
What is the Purpose of Education?
http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/?p=1668
On several occasions, lately, when working with teachers and administrators at independent schools, I’ve been asked, “What is the purpose of education?” It’s not a question that comes out of public school conversations very often. We already know what education is for. The government told us.
Education is about:
· Covering all the standards
· Improving performance on government tests
· Meeting AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress)
· Producing a competitive workforce
We don’t even ask any more — and even in this season of Change (http://change.gov/), we’re still not asking that question.
I’ve had a ready answer to the question.
“The purpose of education is to appropriately prepare our children for their future.”
There are some implied, but essential questions in that answer:
· What will their future hold? What will they need to know?
· What are appropriate method, materials, environment, and activity?
· Who are these children? What is their frame of reference?
To my own tastes, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. quote about learning how to critically think is near and dear to my heart. But after that much of this is (interestingly) focused upon what individual students, their teachers, and their parents may want for these students to accomplish as adults. I see little here trying to describe what the real purpose of education is.
Maybe a more specific question would help. What is the purpose of a publicly funded public school education? This questions starts to imply who the real recipients of this societal service may actually be.
I think that it is a wonderful thing when students take the reins of their education and accomplish a great deal, whether in the academic sphere, in business, politics, or even in the military. Having said that, I don’t think that this is the primary reason we have a public school system in this constitutional republic.
I consider the need for an educated populace to be so self-evident for a democracy to function that I don’t see much reason in elaborating upon it…
So, what do you think?
