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 The Purpose of Education
by Tom Campbell
March 20, 2008
What is the purpose of education? Philosophers, academics, and politicians have spoken on the subject for years with no generally accepted conclusion. How can we judge whether our education process is working if we don’t know what a desirable outcome looks like?
Many would define the purpose of education by using specific outcomes, such as being able to form a proper sentence, knowing the basics of math, reading classic literature or understanding history. These are functions or a process of education, but not the ultimate purpose. One should be able to explain how a person benefits from education to find a true answer to the question.
After much research I found former North Carolina House Speaker Joe Mavretic’s definition most helpful. He says the purpose of a system of public education is to graduate good citizens who have the necessary skills demanded in the marketplace and the capacity to enjoy contemporary society.
Mavretic feels it important to have a system, indicating an organized structure. Note he says system, not systems. One major problem in education today in North Carolina is there are four separate systems competing for money, for programming, and for attention. They are the University System, Community Colleges, k-12 public schools, and private schools. As long as there are four separate systems, we cannot have a seamless system of education.
Success is seeing them through to graduation, both at the primary and secondary levels. We know about the abysmal high school dropout rates, but we should also consider the number in higher education who start but don’t complete degrees.
How can we define a good citizen? Those who vote, pay their taxes, obey our laws, and make a positive contribution to society certainly head the list. Our rapidly filling prisons, litter-strewn highways, and a decline in the numbers of volunteers are three signals we are not as successful as we would desire in this area.
The marketplace defines the skills needed for our citizens to earn a livelihood. Those skills have changed over time. Fifty years ago a high school diploma was sufficient to get a good job in the mill that would support a family. We need to partner with professions and industry to ensure we know what skills are needed today. There is evidence we have problems in this area; a worker in our state earns about per hour less than the national average.
Knowing enough to hold a meaningful job is important but it isn’t the end game. The capacity to enjoy life in our contemporary society speaks to the need to think critically, appreciate cultural benefits like the arts and music, develop a system of values and societal conscience and enjoy interaction with others on a variety of interesting topics.
Is this definition the end-all, be-all for the purpose of education? It is at least a good start to a discussion that begs resolution. As Stephen Covey likes to say, we should begin with the end in mind. Until we can define it, we can’t achieve it. |
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