What is the purpose of public education in America?

Question

The structure of our public education system (K through High School) has not changed much since my grandparents' time, yet the world is very different. I'd like to hear from educators and others on what the goal(s) of public ed should be. Is it to instill values common to good citizenship? Is it to provide everyone with a minimum common knowledge level? Is it to provide everyone with the capability to earn a living and be economically productive?

It seems to me that unless we first decide what the purpose of education should be, other questions about curriculum and the role of teachers and parents in their children's education will be left as directionless issue-based fodder.

Answer 1

The purpose of any education is to prepare its students for unseen challenges.

You belong to the first generation in history where knowledge is attached to a machine. Teachers cannot compete with machines. However there is no such thing as a wise machine is there?

Bravo to you - I like what I see with you 'cause you are building your mind.

The Human Mind Guy

Answer 2

I happen to agree with you on this. America needs to focus on our schools a lot more than we have in the past few decades. Schools lay claim to our children's lives from 9-3:30 (or whatever) yet they want any responsiblity beyond keeping them on school grounds. Teachers have to avoid red tape whereever they turn and underfunding doens't help matters. Everyone is so worried about being politcally correct that they forget the importance of a strong foundation for our youth.

Answer 3

To filter or stream the young into their future roles.

Not much education goes on, but, the kids are ranked on the apparent abilities, then get offered opportunities (or NOT) based on these rankings.

would be better if kids were actually taught something, but, that is not my experience with public education.

Answer 4

Thomas Jefferson was one of the first Americans to propose education of the masses. He proposed that all children in Virginia receive 3 years of free education in reading, writing and arithmetic. The " boy of best genius" in each school would move on to one of the 20 grammar schools in the Commonwealth. After 1-2 years of grammar school "the best boy genius" would be selected for 4-5 years of education in Greek, Latin, geography, and higher branches of mathmatics." His plan was to ensure that 20 exceptional students would be educated at public expense. At the end of 6 years, 10 of those 20 would be dismissed while the remaining 10 would be sent on to William and Mary College to study science. Education beyond that of a few years could come at the expense of the parents of the wealthier part who could afford it at their own expense.

Horace Mann who is generally regarded as the father on the Common School Movement believed that every child had the absolute right to an education and that the state had the duty to tax everyone to privide that education. However, the free public education only went so far as grammar school. High school education was an option only for those who could afford it.

The idea for educating the masses beyond grammar school came from a need to address the needs of immigrants. Leading educators did not believe that all students needed or could even do the same education. They recommended a differentiated schooling based on such factors as a student's social and economic bacground, aptitude, needs and interests. Alfred Binet (of Stanford-Binet) was commissioned by the Frencd Government to design a set of tests to differentiate between lazy or indifferent students and those with mental deficiencies so they could remove the latter from the public schools. During W W I intelligence tests were administered to hundreds of thousands of servicement. They concluded that the mental age of most Americans was about 14. This gave the conclusion that most Americans were uneducable beyond high school.

Studies in the mid-60's and early 70's reinforced the opinion that differences in schooling had little or no effect on student achievement and that the determining factors were aptitude and environment.

Recent research has shown that not only do schools have a significant impact on student acheivement but that highly effective schools produce results that almost entirely overcome the effects of student backgrounds.

Proponents of NCLB say that it attempts to guarantee that every child, particularly poor and minority students, receives an education that leads to high levels of learning.

This is in sharp contrast to the earlier purposes of public education.

Therefore, given the history of public educaiton, you have proposed an excellent question. Do we continue to offer/demand a high level of learning to the masses regardless of ability or do we re-visit some of the philosophies of the past? Do we attempt to decide who should be given a "genius" level of education and who should be "dismissed" to learn a trade to best contribute to society and to enable them to support themselves?

As an educator, I am frustrated with the "one-size-fits-all" philosophy of NCLB. Students who are mentally retarded should not be expected to perform to the same standards as a person of normal intelligence. It is heart-wrenching to watch a student who simply does not have the ability try to succeed taking the test. I have seen them break down and cry from frustration.

I do believe that we must offer a program of the highest standards to the masses. But just as we must offer the highest level of education to those who are capable, we must be reasonable in our expectations of those with limited abilities. Instead of pretending they have the same abilities and opportunities as those of normal intellect, we should offer them programs that will allow them to contribute their most to society.

Answer 5

To indoctrinate our children into little socialistic communists. It's more important to teach a 2nd grader how to put a condom on a banana then it is to teach them to spell correctly. It's ok to have a Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Ramadan "celebration" but HEAVEN forbid should you mention the "C" word (Christmas).
Private school and home schooling is what is going to save our kids.

NEA is a puppet organization for the liberal left.

Answer 6

It used to be to teach history, mathematics and science and thus to teach kids how to think.
Now its indocrinate into evolution/global warming/ name your favorite disaster and to program them with democratic propaganda.

Answer 7

Is to prepare you for life.

Answer 8

Is this a communist or muslim question??? Where the hell are you from, Timbuctu ??