The Purpose of Education

"There is one reason to learn, there is but one purpose to education, and it is not to memorize the state capitals alphabetically. It’s to become a capable person of good character. That’s what we have to be teaching them. That’s what we have to monitor. That’s what we have to model."

Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash

So this excerpt came across my inbox today from an excellent newsletter called Daily Dad. And while the above quote is specifically talking about raising children, I believe it's pertinence extends well beyond the parent/child relationship. 

Education's purpose, according to John Dewey, is not the transfer of knowledge but the sharing of social experience so that children become integrated into the democratic community. 

Might we also consider John Taylor Gatto's claim that modern schools (American schools, at least) are not ideal places for children to learn, develop, and flourish. He argues, rather, that schools are designed to suppress children; to dehumanize them and rob them of all imagination and creativity. 

What then is the function of education?

Well, this light shows us the bigger picture here: the parents, the family, and the community are absolutely essential to a child's development. All of us. We are all responsible for the young human being's education. School is the supplement. 

People learn from authentic experience. Period. And that culminates from well beyond the parent/child relationship. Especially this day & age of instantaneous knowledge and constant connection. If we want to make a better world, it starts with realizing that said change starts from the bottom up.