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Goals of Public Goals of Public EducationEducation

Ideas about what should comprise the Ideas about what should comprise the purpose of educationpurpose of education

If we don’t have goals for education, we cannot know if If we don’t have goals for education, we cannot know if we have reached these goals and educated students.we have reached these goals and educated students.

There are at least two prevailing models of education – There are at least two prevailing models of education – the business model and the citizenship model. These the business model and the citizenship model. These two interpretations of the purpose of education lead to two interpretations of the purpose of education lead to contradictions in approaches to teaching.contradictions in approaches to teaching.

The two schools of thought are mostly irreconcilable, The two schools of thought are mostly irreconcilable, as the business model attempts to narrow the as the business model attempts to narrow the curriculum and the citizenship model attempts to curriculum and the citizenship model attempts to broaden the curriculum. However, schools which broaden the curriculum. However, schools which support the citizenship model tend to do better on support the citizenship model tend to do better on standardized tests – the implement of the business standardized tests – the implement of the business model.model.

““The Purpose of The Purpose of Schools” by Michael Schools” by Michael PetersenPetersen

The business model is comprised of the idea The business model is comprised of the idea that education teaches basic skills in order to that education teaches basic skills in order to perform competent work in the workforce so perform competent work in the workforce so that students can be used as human capital.that students can be used as human capital.

The business model then attempts to The business model then attempts to differentiates students according their skills, differentiates students according their skills, providing a competitive atmosphere linked to providing a competitive atmosphere linked to economic forces, usually in the form of economic forces, usually in the form of standardized testing.standardized testing.

Policies such as No Child Left Behind attempt to Policies such as No Child Left Behind attempt to impose standards of basic competency on the impose standards of basic competency on the nation using standardized testing.nation using standardized testing.

This connects to Michael’s research on the This connects to Michael’s research on the effects of corporate mentality on education, effects of corporate mentality on education, including the prevalence of the dominant including the prevalence of the dominant corporate culture.corporate culture.

The Business ModelThe Business Model

Identify basic skills used to perform most Identify basic skills used to perform most jobs.jobs.

Test students to determine their competency Test students to determine their competency and rank them according to competency.and rank them according to competency.

Increase the competency level of students on Increase the competency level of students on a large scale.a large scale.

Limit the curriculum to focus solely on those Limit the curriculum to focus solely on those basic skills needed for the workforce.basic skills needed for the workforce.

Push the disabled out of the system by giving Push the disabled out of the system by giving them little to no accommodation, thus them little to no accommodation, thus increasing the cost effectiveness of the increasing the cost effectiveness of the program.program.

Strategies of the Strategies of the business model:business model:

This model encourages students to build their abilities to achieve and contribute to a democratic society.

The curriculum that the citizenship model strives for is broad, to give students everything that they require to grow and fully understand their society in order to participate in their society and culture.

Parents and teachers that were interviewed tended to think the emotional and social well-being of the student is important. The citizenship model caters to these needs by allowing the individual to thrive mentally and socially.

The Citizenship ModelThe Citizenship Model

Develop student interests and abilities.Develop student interests and abilities. Student-developed learning goals.Student-developed learning goals. Student responsibility and control in the Student responsibility and control in the

classroom.classroom. Classroom culture of community.Classroom culture of community. Facilitation of group work, with groups Facilitation of group work, with groups

containing heterogenous mixes of ability containing heterogenous mixes of ability levels.levels.

Assessment designed to help students Assessment designed to help students learn further and develop personal learn further and develop personal excellence.excellence.

Strategies of the Strategies of the citizenship model:citizenship model:

The history of public education in its various form has The history of public education in its various form has been a long battle between different forces and ideals been a long battle between different forces and ideals concerning the purpose of education, including the concerning the purpose of education, including the business model and citizenship model.business model and citizenship model.

Public school has been influenced by current events, public opinion, economic circumstances, and global relations.

““Education Reform: An Analysis of Education Reform: An Analysis of the Purpose and Function of Public the Purpose and Function of Public Education” by Rachel Nicole Education” by Rachel Nicole MoranMoran

In the 17th century, colonialists believed education could solve crime and poverty and ameliorate immorality. It was based on the four R’s: reading, writing, ‘rithmetic, and religion. Part of the purpose for education was to get students to obey the government and religion, although it was believed that schools could cause social mobility.

The 18th century was similar, but included the academy, which prepared students for university education. The academy was more intellectual than other schools, and had a more diverse curriculum. Practical studies in the sciences and technology also occurred in the academy.

We see two goals from these centuries: social mobility – which later became the goal of giving students from different classes equal opportunity in education once this was deemed futile in the 21st century – and to set students up for higher education largely for technical training

Past Goals of Past Goals of Education: Pre-Public Education: Pre-Public EducationEducation

The 19th century began with a call for universal public education, and at the time there were charity schools designed to teach the poor social skills and values. In the 1830’s, Horance Mann created the public school. Schools were thought to be the cure to society’s problems.

In the 20th century, school was considered a cure to the country’s economic problems which was thought to in turn cure all other social problems. The cold war emphasized curriculum in math and science due to the arms race and national security, only certain students could take math and science and schools were still segregated. Schools were geared to produce human capital. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 was President Johnson’s attempt to assuage poverty. Education became more geared toward business with the publication of “A Nation at Risk” which lead to subsequent national tests with Goals 2000 under the Bush administration.

Thus we see an evolution of the idea that education serves to cure society’s problems.

Past Goals of Education: Past Goals of Education: The Onset of Public The Onset of Public EducationEducation

In the 21st century, No Child Left Behind has supported hiring highly qualified teachers, using research-based approaches, and trying to hold schools accountable. The increased testing has limited the curriculum.

Some consider the purpose of public education to be equality of educational opportunity. Whether or not obtaining equality of results, such as in NCLB, is possible is a different concept. Therefore this shows that the effort for social mobility has mostly ended and been replaced by efforts for equal opportunity.

Notice that this marks a transition into the business model of education.

If alternative assessments were used, subjects outside of those which are tested via standardized tests might be subject to greater emphasis, thus approaching the citizenship model.

“If public education truly is the path to a better society, then it is in the best interest of the individual and the greater good to perfect both its purposes and functions.” This perfecting of education was largely what John Dewey strove to achieve through adopting more pragmatic approaches based on developing an understanding of society based on experience. He believed that the purpose of education was to give students a chance to shape their society.Contemporary Contemporary EducationEducation

It is necessary to acquire an authentic It is necessary to acquire an authentic sense of what it means to teach students to sense of what it means to teach students to be democratic citizens, otherwise we run be democratic citizens, otherwise we run the risk of having a vague idea of our goals.the risk of having a vague idea of our goals.

The philosophy of education is marginalized as standard tests put pressure on teachers. Quantitative measurements such as standardized tests wreak of a corporate mentality.

An evolution of the education system requires fundamental understanding of its goals.“Democracy and Education” by

Richard J. Bernstein, an interpretation of John Dewey’s ideas

To Dewey, democracy was more than the process of To Dewey, democracy was more than the process of aggregating votes for political elections – it was a social aggregating votes for political elections – it was a social discussion about ethical conduct. This is similar to the discussion about ethical conduct. This is similar to the ideas about citizenship mentioned in Meagan’s research.ideas about citizenship mentioned in Meagan’s research.

The democracy majority, which is necessary in politics, is The democracy majority, which is necessary in politics, is only one product of an ongoing discussion which leads and only one product of an ongoing discussion which leads and shapes social life.shapes social life.

The social life of a group is defined by the “cluster of customs, attitudes, sentiments, hopes, aspirations, and actual practices that define the life of a people”. This applies not only to individual nation states, but to cosmopolitan ideas of a global community.

Democracy is constantly striving for a more humane and free human experience where all contribute.

Dewey’s Notion of Dewey’s Notion of DemocracyDemocracy

Education should teach students to participate in their Education should teach students to participate in their society and the evolution of the culture they are in.society and the evolution of the culture they are in.

Social life also affects education, as Wesam’s research Social life also affects education, as Wesam’s research shows that uniforms are perpetuated by the need of the shows that uniforms are perpetuated by the need of the parents to show they are cultured through their children. parents to show they are cultured through their children. It is also in apparent in Michael’s research concerning It is also in apparent in Michael’s research concerning the dominant corporate culture. the dominant corporate culture. We face pressure from administrators to teach measurable results at the same time that political, ethnic, and religious groups want to control what is taught in schools.

Dewey called education “public enlightenment in the interests of society”. Education has to “nurture those habits, dispositions, emotions and practices that develop the type of creative individuality that constitutes the democratic ethos”. Thus education allows students to practice participating in the ongoing ethical discussion.

Dewey believed we could not teach in an authoritarian way (extreme instructivism) or cater to the whims of the student (extreme constructivism).

Teaching Dewey’s Teaching Dewey’s DemocracyDemocracy

Dewey’s education philosophy relies on using Dewey’s education philosophy relies on using experiences of people by bringing out those experiences experiences of people by bringing out those experiences and discussing them or engaging in a discourse with the and discussing them or engaging in a discourse with the environment. environment. “We start with the child’s experience not for the purpose of indulging it, but rather to enlarge, enrich, and reconstruct it.”

Dewey thought idealism could be dangerous insofar as it can rationalize evil, and thought that ideas that were too abstract were arcane and cold.

Dewey wanted to teach students about human uncertainty and contingency, and the lack of absolute truths. Dewey frowned upon being too rigid and conventional and thought that aestheticism was very important. Dewey believed that one can avoid incoherence by the unity of thought that comes from experience.

This is similar to Susan’s research, which deals with experiential learning.

Dewey and ExperienceDewey and Experience

Dewey effectively gives clarity and insight to the citizenship model of Dewey effectively gives clarity and insight to the citizenship model of education.education.

Dewey observed that Dewey observed that living things change and react to external forces. Living things grow and self-renew. Education is the social renewal of ideas and practices, and the continuation of the ways of life of a group. Education is in sharing and communicating experience.

Formal education differs from indirect learning as it attempts to teach about the community life in general is not just an observation of isolated aspects of it. This can produce ideas which are abstract and dead.

Formal education is necessary for complex societies with many different societal roles and facets.

Humans need education to grow. Growing depends on changing or forming one’s habits, based on the ability to learn from experience or plasticity, which give power to harness the environment. Education should create a lifelong desire to learn.

Humans are indefinitely perfectible and the purpose of the individual is to be an agent of changing society into something more comprehensive.

““Democracy and Education” by Democracy and Education” by John DeweyJohn Dewey

As society becomes more complex, education should idealize social customs, simplify ideas, and create a balanced experience. If society fractures into many different groups that are isolated from the common social life, then this will cause strange social dynamics and incoherent ideas for each individual that tries to learn from the society. Exclusive groups are alienated from social growth.

A society which is poorly organized will cause different sets of standards which in turn will lead to individual minds being fractured and distorted.

The young have to be guided to accept social customs due to their juvenile nature.

Plato showed that a society is stable when each individual does what he is good at in a way that is useful to others. He said that we need to know the end of existence – the preferred result of our actions – in order for society to organize itself around that end. Philosophers were thought to be able to outline the nature of this universal end.

An aim informs a person’s actions and involves foresight of alternative actions. Aims cannot be fixed and rigid or they will not be connected to the given situation.

Preventing Incoherent Preventing Incoherent Ideas and Societies and Ideas and Societies and Plato’s Concept of Plato’s Concept of PurposePurpose

These are the views presented in Noam Chomsky’s video interviewThese are the views presented in Noam Chomsky’s video interviewhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdNAUJWJN08http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdNAUJWJN08 Chomsky suggests that one view of education is that it gives Chomsky suggests that one view of education is that it gives

students what tools that they can use for their personal betterment students what tools that they can use for their personal betterment and the betterment of society. In this view, the use of education is and the betterment of society. In this view, the use of education is ultimately up to the student as students are presented with.ultimately up to the student as students are presented with.

The antithetical view that Chomsky presents is that education is a The antithetical view that Chomsky presents is that education is a form of indoctrination by which the social forces of schools force form of indoctrination by which the social forces of schools force the ideas of society upon students. This is the idea that students are the ideas of society upon students. This is the idea that students are lead to conform to the norms of society as a form of social control.lead to conform to the norms of society as a form of social control.

Chomsky says that inquiry needs to be facilitated and given a Chomsky says that inquiry needs to be facilitated and given a framework or a “conception of what matters”. Education serves to framework or a “conception of what matters”. Education serves to guide learning.guide learning.

I think that both these views are interesting and different from the I think that both these views are interesting and different from the previously shown models, except that the former can be considered previously shown models, except that the former can be considered to be a more existential form of the citizenship model and the latter to be a more existential form of the citizenship model and the latter can be considered an extreme form of the business model.can be considered an extreme form of the business model.

Noam Chomsky’s views Noam Chomsky’s views on the purpose of on the purpose of educationeducation

Bernstein, Richard J. "Democracy and Education." Philosophy of Education (2008): 21-31. Print.

Dewey, John. Democracy and Education. Macmillan, 1916. Institute for Learning Technologies. Columbia. Web. <http://www.ilt.columbia.edu/publications/dewey.html>.

Moran, Rachel Nicole, "Education Reform: An Analysis of the Moran, Rachel Nicole, "Education Reform: An Analysis of the purpose purpose and function of public education." (2009). and function of public education." (2009). University of University of Tennessee Honors Thesis Projects.Tennessee Honors Thesis Projects. http://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_chanhonoproj/1300http://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_chanhonoproj/1300

Peterson, Michael. "The Purpose of Schools." Web. <http://www.wholeschooling.net/WS/WSPrncples/WS%200%20purpose%20schls.html>.

The Purpose of Education. Perf. Noam Chomsky. 2012.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdNAUJWJN08http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdNAUJWJN08

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