The Purpose Of School

There seems to be no perfect answer to the question, “What is the purpose of education?” Every expert and activist probably has a different answer. Martin Luther King said the purpose of education is to, “…enable a man to become more efficient, to achieve with increasing facility the legitimate goals of his life (King, 1947).” Eleanor Roosevelt argued that the purpose of education is good citizenship (Roosevelt, 1930). Others, like Newman (2006), posit that education is a much broader idea. It is the “entire process by which a culture transmits itself across a generation” (Newman, 2006). In trying to form my own idea of the purpose of education, I tried to look at all of these ideas

In Kisautaq Lenona Okakok’s essay “Serving the Purpose of Education” she discusses the education dilemma in her borough of North Slope, Alaska, where many of the occupants are indigenous people of the Inupiat. Western education was thrust upon the Inupiat people of Alaska, changing the traditional way they taught their children. Okakok explains why and how The Board of Education for North Slope, Alaska took entire control of their education system after having Western education try to influence their way of teaching. The way the Inupiat teach is different from that of Western education, not only do they teach a different language (Inupiaq), they also need to teach a different curriculum that is better suited for the people of the North Slope compared to that of Western education. Okakok’s essay analyzes the way Western culture and teachings influenced her own culture, and how the Inupiat have taken control of their own education again while using considerable examples to defend her claims.

Higher education has a vast history; beginning in the early colonial period and spanning ten generations. With its wide range of history, aspects of higher education have changed as the ideals and reforms of society adjusted. Albeit, the missions and purposes of college have remained the same. In this paper, I will clarify the three main missions and purposes of higher education. Then, I will shift the focus of the paper to the area I would like to pursue in higher education and how it reflects those purposes.

The purpose of education is to provide all children with the tools to reach their fullest potential. Realistically educational systems have failed (and have been set up this way) to exclude various groups based upon race, gender, orientation and social class. This is the history that education is trying to deal with, and overcome (Roland, 2009).

The goals of education are controversial and not many people can agree on what they are. A commonly shared opinion of the “purpose of education is to prepare students for the “real world” to “succeed””. Children are constantly being prepared for the workforce and what will

As a high school student in 2016, school is a very stressful and important thing. I love education and learning, but school seems to be pushing students away from that. I personally am passionate about American history and politics and I want to study and interpret important pieces of American history such as the Constitution and help the world somehow with that, but I have to instead spend hours on quadratic equations and memorizing every step as to how the cell divides. School is extremely important. If it weren’t for school, then I wouldn’t have found this passion of mine. I was in 8th grade US History class when I did, and it has changed the path I am taking in life. But I think

A diploma worth having by Grant Wiggins (Wiggins, 2011) asked the question what is the purpose of high school? His proposal is untraditionally, bold in such a traditional, content demanding society. He explicitly states that the purpose of high school should be to prepare students for the trials and tribulations they will actually face in their adult lives and careers. Instead of a curriculum that is still based on archaic ideas centered on “content” as oppose to utilitarian “abilities”. I would have to agree that gone are the days of “covering” curriculum, and here enters a time where students are given an opportunity to follow their talents, hopes, and dreams. Where learning to write well and communicate effectively is a high school curriculum requirement. It’s a pretty ambitious vision. Is it too much to create conditions where students are expected and allowed to follow a path they are the most successful in and allows for the opportunity to remake and redo? Where they are given a chance to make meaning of what they are learning and how this will apply to them in their career of choice?

In almost every culture and in all parts of the world, getting an education is valuable to a person’s future. But what is it that makes education so valuable? What is the purpose of an education starting from the early stages of a child’s development into adolescents, and from adolescents into adulthood?

Getting educated is very important for every person. It goes without saying that each of us has to have a proper education. We learn how to read, count and write. These are the basic abilities we acquire and use during our life. Is there any other purpose of education or it is aimed only at giving us a possibility to communicate our ideas and satisfy basic needs? During centuries, there were different interpretations of the purpose of education. Many scientists, pedagogues and philosophers tried to answer the question: what is the purpose of education? Taking into consideration the needs and tendencies of a modern society, we can assume that the purpose of education is to prepare students to be self-sufficient citizens capable of solving

Have you ever wondered to yourself why we need school, as well that it teaches students nothing about real life such as taxes and other bills? Do you want schools to teach you about life and what to do? Well, that’s exactly what we need to add to school. In future decades, middle class jobs won’t be available to the people with high-school diplomas. That doesn’t necessarily mean a four-year degree either. It could be an associates degree which is one of the best degrees you could get in such a short time. The learning community must be expanded if this shall ever be accomplished, we are fastened in the 20th century teaching we need to raise our norms. One way we can do this is if we align school with the job skills and professions that

The three theories I plan to discuss are Functionalism, Conflict, and Internationalism with education. The need for these theories is what actually makes the system in education work, with the teachers, parents, school boards and committees the institution of education continues to function.

Community schools; is a category of state funded school which is ran solely by the Local Education Authority (LEA), staff are employed by the Local Authority and the land and buildings of the school is also owned by the Local Authority although the schools governing body is responsible for the running of the school. The LEA also decides which ‘admissions criteria’ to use if the school has more applicants than places. These criteria could be some of the following.

Many teachers and professors get asked daily questions about the importance of school by their students. Students often think the importance of school is to help you prepare for a job. From experience, many people disagree with this. Not only does school help you prepare for a job, it helps students learn basic life skills and what’s going on in the world. School is important for getting a good job, succeeding in life, and learning a vocation.

The purpose of school is to teach us how to make it in the real world. We are supposed to learn how to function and essentially grow up. We learn to write our names and to read. We learn to stand in straight lines and raise our hand if we have something to say. We learn that one plus one equals two and we memorize the multiplication table. We learn that cells make up all living things and what photosynthesis is. We learn state capitals and even state birds. We learn about wars and battles of our world’s past. We learn to write in complete sentences and that a haiku is a poem written in five, seven, five syllable count. To be honest I don’t remember most of what I was taught in school. I can’t recite the Gettysburg address or all the names of our presidents. I don’t remember how to find the area of a square or the angels of a triangle. What I do remember are the lessons I learned without realizing I was being taught. I learned that life is full of embarrassing moments, peer pressure can affect anyone and our relationships with other people influence who we are.

At some point in our lives we have all asked the question “What is the purpose of school? Why must I learn this?”. Some say school is simply preparation for employment and for the rest of our lives. I enjoy school; however, I have always found it to be rather difficult and pointless being in the French immersion stream and this was due to the lack of help I received from my mother and father unlike many of my peers whose parents attended university and spoke both English and French fluently. Everyone faces a variety of challenges and I have always tried my hardest to do my best and overcome any challenges I face in order to succeed as well as make myself and my parents proud.