What is the Purpose of Education?

We were to ask 8 - 10 people this question and journal our results. I am afraid I emailed this question to a number of people and ask two classes of students. I have more responses than required (24):

The purpose of school is to provide a positive environment in a community of learners where ideas are shared and valued, meaning is constructed, and young people learn to assume responsibility as citizens in a democracy.

MH – Literacy Leader
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What a great question! The cool thing is that no one can argue that any answer is more right or wrong than any other. So, with that caveat, here are my thoughts:

Many might view school in the tactical sense: get a 3.0 GPA or above, pass that next test, complete that next paper, etc. I would argue that these are only supporting outcomes in context of the larger goal: lay an ever-thickening foundation of learning skills to support a lifetime of learing. I think this is the true litmus of a successful education - that a person throughout their life would have the skills to continue to learn and excel in any avocation.

RB – Director of IT
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The purpose of school is to provide students the opportunity for learning and development. I firmly believe that our job is to help students develop academic knowledge and civic responsibility. Students are here to learn and we are here to guide them through their journey.

ML – Middle School Assistant Principal
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To educate students and provide them with opportunities for success in life and society.

TC – Middle School reading teacher
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To help people become life long learners and help them to be contributing members of society. Hopefully, we will also instill within them the desire to make the world a better place because they were in it.

JB – Middle School principal
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I think I could write a book...


School provides not only the opportunity to learn and gain knowledge, but also the opportunity to expand your mind (broader range of thinking skills), build relationships through interaction with others, expand musical/athletic talents, and gain workable experience. (Not sure what I'm trying to say with that one...skills that can help for future work endeavors??) That is just to name a few.

I'm going to have to say that the purpose of school is to provide
opportunity. (Doesn't matter the age: from 5 to 95...it's all the same)

CC – Application Support Analyst and parent
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The purpose of school is to teach children the basics of life: reading, writing and arithmetic. Also as the years go by more information is added to prepare them for being independent, knowledgeable, and socially functioning people.
Most parents can not provide all the information that is given to youth therefore teachers of the many subjects are needed
to help guide and educate our future leaders, business men and women and so forth. Schools are vital to our society.
I believe that children that do not get the most out of their education are depriving themselves of the best chance for a promising future.

VB – Middle School secretary and parent
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I think the main purpose of school is to help prepare kids for the future. Whatever this means--academically, socially, emotionally, --for each individual kid.

AB – Middle School art teacher
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The purpose of school I believe, is to acclimate our children to social behaviors as well as the actual process of educating. School as I see it has a multifaceted influence on children. Yes, we want to prepare our children in a learning sense, but which learning are we speaking of? Is it only to learn the three "R"s? Of course not. We need to make sure that all children have the right to attend school and grow emotionally, physically, behaviorly, and yes educationally stronger.

EG – Middle School social studies teacher
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School is an institution where people "grow" both intellectually and socially. It's a place where academics are taught along with social mores. It's a place where a student's experiences are expanded and he/she becomes a better, more well-rounded individual.

KD – Middle School reading teacher
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School is a safe place to explore people, places, and things and to build relationships. It is a time for true growth in all areas.

JS – Middle School English teacher
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Here is our combined effort:
T *to understand our culture and political institutions, values and way
of life.
T *to provide skills necessary to be a successful contributing adult to
self and society.
T *to provide appropriate social interaction between students and adults
in day-to-day contact.
L *to provide a safe environment in which to learn
L *to build self-esteem in students through successful completion of
tasks.

TN – former school board member and stock broker
LN – former teacher who now subs
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Weeellll, with no rigorous reading or reflecting, I'd -- on the spur of the moment -- say that the purpose of school is to provide whatever it is that kids need in order to have success in their lives. Hopefully, the phrase, "lifelong learners" is somewhere there in the equation. The "whatever they need" (for success) is a fuzzy, moving target. What kids needed in the 50's was different than what they need in the 2000's. Yes, yes, yes they need lots of information, blah, blah, blah, but it comes down to the fact that they won't all need the exact same knowledge when they get older, so we're back to "lifelong learners." They must have the desire to learn and the ability to find what they want to learn, after they have left school. enough. gosh, hope it helps!

AH – Literacy Leader
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What is the purpose of school? Hmmm that is tough one!! I think it is a place for parents to get rid of their kids for 8 hrs a day!! Just kidding

Ok putting my thinking cap on....
I think school is a place for students to learn different things that will help mold them into being the best that they can be!! In the younger years it is helping to shape them into people that can get along with all types of people in all types of situations. It also is giving them the foundation to build upon so they will grow up to be successful individuals.
Schools teach so many things to kids they teach them academics but the teachers also teach many other things by being good role models for their students.

AN – Middle School Reading teacher and parent
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To improve our education and technology. So not every one is working in a fast food restaurant or a garbage truck driver. To go and help the world. To be a lawyer or a doctor that saves many peoples lives or to be a policeman who protects people. So we don’t go around the rest of our life with the mind of an ape. To be able to go somewhere with your life. To be a boss or owner of a large company or to become president. Education is so important with out it we wouldn’t have the technology and power that we have.

EF – 8th Grader
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The purpose of it is that we students, parents, etc, needs it because…

The students hold the future of not even yet created people in life they need this education because it would be pretty embarising if your chilled knew more than you did. Take me for instance I know a little more about things than my mother and father do and its embarising to me, and when I go up to them and ask them from help! They don’t know how to do it at all!!! And they both chose drugs over school ones in prision and the other one can’t have her kids.

And the other reson is that kids when there younger the say what they want to be and if they don’t choose to study then that won’t happen!!!

ALSH – 7th grade
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The purpose of education is so you can learn about lots of different things, and go to collage, get a good job and have a better life, also you can teach your kids about education.

DB – 8th grade
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I think the purpose of education is so you can succeed in life. The more education you have, usually the more successful your life turns out. Without education our country would probably not be too civilized. Education prepares you for many things you need for your future. You need it to get a good job, to get into a good college, and just to better yourself. That’s what I thing the purpose of education is.

MB – 8th grade
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I think the purpose of education is to make sure that the youth of today is ready for the hardships of tomorrow, to prepare them to find a job, to find a college, and to make sure that America continues to grow into a more successful country.

DS – 7th grade
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I think that the purpose of education is so that we can keep going to school and learning new things. Also that none of us should still be working at McDonalds when were 65 years old. That is really sad to see people that age still working there. We need good education so we can go to college and actually make something of ourselves. We all need to be able to have enough money to support our families. So that’s what I think about education.

DK – 8th grade
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Is going to school and learning how to do stuff you don’t now and revue things you now.

LB – 8th grade
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I think that education is used for every thing that we do in life. In jobs you have to know what to do. In every thing you have to learn how to do that subject. Like in sports you have to learn how to play the sport. Education is used for every thing that every body does.

JD – 8th grade
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Because for me I know if I didn’t have a school education I wouldn’t feel confident in life because I wouldn’t know what I’m doing because I only have school education till I was a freshman and dropped out. If you go to college and get a better and more advance education you can come back and get a better job (like an anesthesiologist compared to a McDonald employ) which one would you prefer someone who gets $5,000 per surgery or someone who gets $60 per week. I would pick the bigger number of money and in order to get that you haft to have an education. So the purpose of having a education is so it’ll be easier on you in life so you don’t have to worry about paying rent because you have a good job that you got from your college education and you know you’ll have enough money to pay next weeks rent. And you’ll feel more confident in your self as you go out there to tackle what life has to give you.

TM – 8th Grade

This has given me a great deal to think about. I look forward to processing it with my group.