Aims of Education - Short Essay

Ansley Simmons
April 29, 2013
EDCI 2030
Happiness and Education
The Aims of Education “Most of our “why” questions are answered within the prescribed system; that is, we explain why we are doing something in terms of other objectives or occasionally, in terms of goals.” This is a statement that I believe many teachers have unfortunately taken on as their main reasoning behind instruction, and I believe this statement greatly hinders all the value and worth education can do to enhance a student’s overall wellbeing. Education should not stop at simply achieving a goal or getting the perfect grade, it should go far beyond that in to prepare a student for any encounter they might face, whether it be inside or outside of the classroom. However, this is not often the case and many teachers only focus on what is relevant to a school’s core standards and curriculum, rather than all aspects of education. I feel that education should be an investment in people, specifically children in today’s schools and quality education can do many wonders whether it be to increase their access to opportunity, build their confidence, or foster creative and cognitive thinking skills; all traits necessary to being a functioning, helpful member of society, and when you hinder that education to strictly what is written in the syllabus, you are preventing far more than you think. Education should be universal, but at no means standardized because what might succeed at an affluent public school in a state such as Connecticut, may not succeed at a poverty-stricken school in a state such as Mississippi. What prepares one community’s students to succeed in their society may not do the same for another. I firmly believe that educational content should depend on local culture, values, and livelihoods in order to ensure it is relevant to their community, as to bring to light the statement that “our aim is to educate each student to a standard compatible with his or her abilities and purposes.” I feel that relevant education is best implemented through a collaborative process, otherwise referred to as indirect instruction; therefore, the student and the teacher both have the opportunity to present various ways that quality education can be established. With all of this being said, it is still hard to determine what exactly is relevant and irrelevant in a classroom. I believe relevance is an extremely subjective idea because even to this day, I feel as if I take classes that serve no purpose or enhancement of my academic success. Being an elementary education major, I do not understand the relevance of taking three semesters of biology or spending an entire lab devoted to geology. This may seem naïve and ungrateful for all the opportunities presented to me, but I do not speak for myself when I say students ultimately struggle more in classes they believe are not relevant. However, after reading this novel I began to see that this courses and learning in general all have various uses and functions. Some instances of learning are used for direct application, while others serve as building basic knowledge of all facets of education, which ultimately leads to direct application. All education can be considered relevant as long as it helps to shape the framework that will guide and filter necessary learning. I think relevant education is described best by “keep curiosity alive, foster true learning, and promote the growth of fully human beings,” and as long as we as future educators continue to do that we will have no problem providing our students with the quality education they deserve.