Major Aims of Education - Essay Example

?Aims of Education Outline: I Introduction II Educational Aims III The Education Process IV Paulo Freire V Mary Louise Pratt VI Susan Griffin VII Richard Rodriguez VIII Role of Writing in Education and in the Aims of Education IX Conclusion X Annotated Bibliography Introduction There are many reasons why education has become an important process in the lives of many individuals around the world; in fact, to the majority of individuals, to the point that international organizations such as the United Nations require nations to adopt laws mandating rights of children to education. Technically, education is an experience that form or mold an individual to become a better person. Historically, educated started when man probably started thinking about his capability or abilities, and then started honing these capabilities. These capabilities, as can be proven on man’s achievements today, are endless. There are now a lot of bodies of knowledge that education has morphed to branch out to several expertise schools. Their aims have become as varied. This paper will set out to determine the aims of education by providing insights from various experts with differing views, and determine how writing fits in it. Educational Aims The twisting of the phrase has been seen to connote changes of points of view from the learners’ and teachers’ end. It was suggested by Winch that “the formulation of educational aims for a society is a political matter and must be worked out by the interest groups involved,” (635). Aims, for Winch, are compromised so that aside from children, parents, and teachers, the employers, unions, educators, and the government are also included to determine the aims. Decision is not limited to educators but will also lie on all stakeholders or interest groups. Specifically, Winch has proposed that “it is not the business of the schools to prepare children for jobs, but, in the 13-16 age phase, to orient children who are beginning to form an interest of what would be involved in it” (Winch 2, 107-108). There is a distinction between education and schooling so that education is concerned with educational values against schooling being to instrumental ones. Then, there is also the argument that preparation for paid employment can be part of an individual’s preparation for life as proposed earlier by Peters who insisted that a job requires the individual to prepare for it in school and motivates the individual to focus for his education. Training should be extensive to encompass understanding of principles for wider practicality and human concern, and should be given at the right time for the individual to determine his chances at life (Peters, 48). In the context of human life, aims of education had been assailed to be narrower than life aims (Clarke and Mearman, 251) so that universities must be providing dating services although both acknowledged the education on preparing the young to enter into relationships. Winch insist that in preparing young people for life through education, then, this necessitates education as preparation for all of aims in one’s life (636). Therefore, when an individual is preparing to become a teacher, he or she does not only get education to become a teacher but to prepare a life of a teacher, walking the talk and all. Winch clarified, too, that not all life aims are educational aims; such as the life aim of an individual to live in a big house may not be an educational aim to distinguish life aim and educational aim. Thus: The point of saying that the aim of education is to prepare one for life is to assert that it is to prepare one with respect to the general orientation of one’s life, particularly by equipping one with the knowledge, ability and understanding to follow that orientation (Winch, 636). Another specific example pointed out by Winch was about the aim to live an autonomous life of which with respect to education, is in preparing one to make rational and informed choices in pursuing wishes in life. This preparation will make the individual consider his vocation as well as values to adopt (Winch, 636). To validate the contention of Clarke and Mearman, Winch added that through education, individuals are equipped with social ability, self-knowledge, and virtues, skills, and understanding to execute them properly (Winch, 637). The Education Process In a speech by Whitehead, he proposed about producing men who had both culture and expert knowledge with direction so that there will be a defined beginning leading to deeper philosophy and higher art (1). Whitehead assailed inertia in education which has happened in many schools which succumbed to teachings generations with pedantry and routine like an infection. Here, he sets an example that “uneducated clever women, who have seen much of the world , are in middle life so much the most cultures part of the community,” (Whitehead, 1). He added that every intellectual revolution were passionate protests against inert ideas and usually resulted to greatness although he noted once again the prior role of inert ideas. Whitehead proceeded to determine the most effective manners of educating: introduction of only a few important ideas to a child but in various combinations. The child will them absorb them as his own with an understanding of their application as well as their practicality or usefulness in his own life. But it is also important to let the child “experience the joy of discovery” (Whitehead, 1). He emphasized the need to acknowledge the present for it is made of the past and the future. For him, ideas should not only be proven but put into use. Culture, a prerequisite of education, is more than just cricket, extent of knowledge, or left-banded bowling. “Education is the acquisition of the art of the utilization of knowledge” (Whitehead, 3) yet an art that is difficult to teach as there is a need to keep the knowledge alive and preventing inertia. This process is dependent on several factors: genius of the teacher, intellectual type of learners, prospects in life, opportunities given to them by their immediate environment, and others. This makes the uniformed external examination “so deadly” which means that standard accreditation by external bodies create inert schools although seen also to test stagnation (Whitehead, 3). Its disadvantage lies on the reality of examining human minds that consists of curiosity, judgment, power of mastering circumstances that are far from simple, use of theory as foresight for cases, thus reducing its practicality. The power that is strengthened in the pupil should be used here and now (Whitehead 3). However, many challenges are encountered by educators or teachers: “education is a patient mastery of details” so that generalization is never brilliant, and that the pupil should see the wood through the trees. This paper will proceed to discuss the various experts in education from Paulo Freire, Mary Louise Pratt, Susan Griffin, and Richard Rodriguez with the understanding that education’s aims cannot be embodied in a straight goal but of differing ways. Paulo Freire About Paulo Freire: Paulo Freire was born in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil in September 19, 1921 to a middle class family but soon orphaned by his father so that he had to move to a lower class village. Here, he was exposed to the plight of the poor whose education was hindered by their lack of resources (Stevens, P1). From then on, Freire has dedicated his life to help improve their condition, thus, his critical pedagogy with emphasis on the need for structural changes. He believes that dialogue and concrete interventions should be seriously undertaken to educate the masses (Stevens, 6). According to Paulo Freire, the education process is like an instrument that integrates generations into the logic of the present so that individuals treat reality in a critical manner and discover ways to participate in the evolution of the world (Mayo, 123). In his Pedagogy of the Oppressed written in 1970, Freire forwards the philosophy using Plato’s and Marxist’s approach of which natives or the colonized are provided with new and modern education foregoing the traditional. He believed that liberation should be the aim of educators so that there must be a continuing reexamination of the self. Education itself is a political act which should be fully integrated in pedagogy. It should make men and women become responsible for their own actions and should be aware of what they know and do not know (Freire, 15). Freire was focused on colonial education and focused in advocating the need to empower the oppressed in regaining their humanity as well as rise above their pitiful conditions. The learners should struggle to define their vision of themselves so that they will achieve their goals (Freire, 60). Freire did not believe in the concept of banking when it comes to education where the teacher fills up the empty student or students become mere recipients. This system, according to Freire, reduces or impedes the creative power of the student (77). This echoes Rousseau’s concept of the pupil as an active learner. In this manner, Freire laid the foundation for critical pedagogy of which there is reciprocal teaching and learning between teacher and student (Freire, 72). It is therefore necessary for the learner to be participatory in the process because Freire insists that silence suppresses the self-image and that a dominant culture is possibly enforced on the learner (Freire, 95) Freire’s aim of education, therefore, focuses on the liberation of individual from bondage or things that keep him from developing and improving his condition. He condemns the use of imperialism to retain the pitiful condition of those that a “higher race” or more powerful group find as weaker or people to subdue. Mary Louise Pratt About Mary Louise Pratt: Mary Louise Pratt is a professor of Spanish and Portuguese languages and literature at New York University whose contribution to education focuses on critical theory about the importance of written literature structured after oral narrative. She advocates intermingling of cultures as well as promotion of the use as well as continuing learning of native language of immigrants aside from English. Mary Louise Pratt promotes the need for multilingualism in order to address the misconceptions about language learning: rejection of immigrants of their heritage language, indifference of Americans on multilingualism, children’s limited leaning for second language, and insistence of language expertise for national security (Pratt, 2). Pratt drew on a personal experience about the need to address multilingualism among learners. In a wedding she attended where there were several cultures in attendant, Pratt wrote, I marveled yet again at the gorgeous, strenuous creativity of our transculturated young. At the same time I mourned the fact that the younger poet, a lover of literature who taught English at a community college, would probably never have a chance to study the elder's poetic tradition or that of his own Syrian parent,” (1). Therefore, Pratt argued that immigrant families often reject their first language when they are made to believe that bilingualism is a handicap even when loss was a painful experience for both young and old. There usually occurs a social and psychical interruption between generations especially the children and their grandparents when the time comes when interest for the children emerges. Parents, too, would prefer their children to be bilingual if given the opportunities (Pratt, 3). American antagonism to multilingualism rooted from a 1930s child-rearing manual that indicated bilingualism was harmful for psychological development. Ambivalence too was seen as culprit about learning other languages (Pratt, 4). For the third misconception that second language need to be learned at early childhood, Pratt believes that second language may be learned at teens or at twenties and opportunities should be present (Pratt, 6). Language expertise need has not only been limited for national security but also beyond as there is a need to develop other languages as well to conform to other non-English. While efforts have been made for Spanish, Chinese and Japanese, other languages such as Tagalog spoken by many nurses, lawyers, teachers, social workers, and tax preparers were not met (Pratt, 6). Pratt highlighted the need to reconsider the expertise of individuals about their other language because the US: …needs scholars, area experts, diplomats, negotiators, businesspeople, and public servants with the ability to communicate at an advanced level in the languages and cultures of the populations with whom they work. These are the people who, on many fronts, maintain ongoing relationships of all kinds across the world, whether or not the languages they speak are considered “critical” at the moment. Their work prevents “critical” situations from arising and provides deep, longterm knowledge when they do. (Pratt, 6). To counter the misconceptions, Pratt proposed for the need to emphasize that monolingualism is a handicap; engage local heritage communities; to advance competence in educational goal; and development of language pipelines (Pratt, 10). On the part of Pratt, there is the advocacy to promote education towards encouraging peoples or groups, as well as institutions to embrace the recommendation of experts like her: multilingualism. Multilingualism is seen as a link between an immigrant – second or third generation immigrants – to connect with their previous culture or tradition. It seemed that written and verbal words will be sufficient to provide social cohesion and identity for those who are perceived as uprooted due to migration to the United States of America. Susan Griffin About Susan Griffin: Susan Griffin is a multi-awarded American poet, essayist, playwright and screenwriter. She wrote the groundbreaking book Woman and Nature, as well as A Chorus of Stones, the Private Life of War and Wrestling with Angel of Democray that integrated history and memoir. She is also an advocate for nature preservation (Susan Griffin, P1). Susan Griffin acknowledges the uniqueness and diversity of individuals brought upon by differences in family, birthplace, community they belong to, among others (437). She has the propensity to forward the evaluative capacity of individuals so that her indirect ways of writing allows the individual flexibility to interpret the message based on their understanding. Griffin refers to child-rearing to draw on her argument. Each family or community have their own sets of ways in raising their children, such as the emphasis on morality of integrity. Unethical behavior is then associated to bad morals and that childhood experiences may influence how people conform to the larger community (Griffin, 348). In this manner, education is a liberating factor as well as a means to empower an individual to improve his condition not only as a person but also as a member of a community and a whole – one with his natural and built environment. There are many issues, problems, and challenges that today confront the individual, so that education should aim to provide a sense of responsibility to the individual to act as an individual or in a collective manner. They should determine their condition and define immediate actions that need to be undertaken. Richard Rodriguez About Richard Rodriguez: Rodriguez is a second generation Mexican immigrant in Sacramento California, born in 1944. He finished his MA in Columbia University and proceeding to doctorate for English Renaissance literature at University of California Berkeley and wrote several autobiographical essays in his books that include Hunger of Memory: the Education of Richard Rodriguez where he advocated mastery of English as immigrant, Mexico’s Children, Days of Obligation: An Argument With My Mexican Father, and Brown: the Last Discovery of America (London, P1-4). Richard Rodriguez is a critic of bilingual education and in his The Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez, published in 1982 book, he recalled his transformation from a socially disadvantaged child to a fully assimilated American (84). This is at the expense of giving up or separating from his family, culture, as well as his own past. Rodriguez suggested that supporters of bilingual education are misguided because in the US, Spanish-speaking families use the language to keep their privacy from the English speakers. Speaking from experience, the insistence of bilingual supporters for his family to teach him Spanish was prohibitive as it made his classroom experience worse. Classroom speech was public and found the use of Spanish in class as inappropriate (London, P 10). However, a deeper understanding of what Rodriguez was fighting, or trying to send was acceptance and the need to stop labeling people as minority, of lesser class, or even gay. US politics should not only be about black and white, or even brown. In this own words, I keep telling kids that, when filling out forms, they should put "yes" to everything — yes, I am Chinese; yes, I am African; yes, I am white; yes, I am a Pacific Islander; yes, yes, yes — just to befuddle the bureaucrats who think we live separately from one another (London, P 23). For Rodriguez, change is constant and that people, governments, and labeling could not stop it so that they should just accept change, such as assimilation which is not favored at or be against at but to accept as something that just happens. Rodriguez disdains bewilderment. For him, education is acceptance embodied in his advancement of affirmative action. Diversity is not about allowing other cultures sit or stand side by aside but allowing them to mix and let be as individuals melting together (London, 27). Rodriguez provides an almost rebellious insights as well as observations about modern society – the cosmopolitan. He promotes the adaptive individual so that in education, one becomes aware of everything and everybody, not as different entities but of equal footing. For Rodriguez, there is no better race, or even a majority or a minority. There are no genders but issues that should be resolved not through separation or even promotion of culture or tradition of distinct or popular groups, but through acceptance and assimilation. His attitude is to adopt that which could make society a better place if it is the option of the individual to adopt. He promotes mutual respect instead of having a “better race” or “better group” deciding what is to be done to another race. Role of Writing in Education and in the Aims of Education Throughout history, written works have served the Western civilization a rich, diverse, and infinite reference of his past and present, truth and fiction, scientific and otherwise. The importance of the written words cannot be determined if its practicality and usefulness should be considered. To make it useful, there are many ways that the written words were presented but nevertheless, its form and substance have helped determine its importance. Its form and substance have evolved, but in education, its role is unparalleled. It guides the learner and the teacher; it provides a wide array of thoughts for single topic, or diverse content for single issue. In this manner, the learner is opened up to several worlds of both fact and fiction. It narrates in several ways either chronological or artistic, provides identity to characters of history, logic to sciences, and awe for the arts. It should be noted, however, that education is not only through written or printed manner but words that have been orally passed down from one generation to another. In this manner, there should be also a ready understanding and acceptance of the words that have not been written specifically from African and Asian cultures where knowledge, facts, stories and narrations were recited, complete with facial and body emotions that made them not of lesser value nor content but practical and useful enough for its users. Conclusion There are many aims of education. Foremost is to develop an individual into a person that he ideally want or perceived to become. It prepares the person to become not only a productive member of society but as a human member of society, it not a leader. It empowers individuals to achieve more or precisely what they intend to be. There are, however, various understandings about these aims of education. For Winch, it is not only an exercise towards economic but also life’s goals. And to his detractors Clarke and Mearman, there is a distinction between education for life aims and education for economic aims. No matter, Winch provided a very acceptable understanding about the goals of education. For Paulo Freire, education was framed in a time when imperialism was of great social or global concern that he advocated liberation from the superior race. He required that education should be an instrument of freedom from the bondage of ignorance. For Maria Louise Pratt, education’s aims should be achievement of diverse culture in a single society whatever that society may encompass. She forwards the need to embrace promotion of the minority cultures as much as the more prevalent cultures that proliferate in the US communities. She requires multilingualism in order to advance the aims of education. For Susan Griffin, a sensitivity and individual activism should be realized through education. Individuals should not only start being accountable but active in the achievement of a better environment in harmony. On the other hand, Richard Rodriguez believes that education should promote acceptance, assimilation, and respect for the changes that are occurring on society. Among them, Rodriguez provides the most modern and radical observation about learning and education. His was from a minority view where oppression that Freire observed might have been applicable. His view derails from the “expert” observation about others, specifically, a supposedly superior race looking at a minority. Rodriguez erases the notion for “superior race” and places the question on class, and a never-ending distinction of peoples and individuals. He provides a very practical advice for people especially the young, to think and obey their own thirsts. There are various aims that have been presented by various education experts about the aims of education. These would be taken with open mind and understanding that each is an individual observation and that unique experiences have brought these suggestions forward through written words. Individual learners should proceed with freedom and wisdom. Annotated Bibliography Clarke, P., and Mearman, A. Comment on Christopher Winch’s ‘The Economic Aims of Education’, Journal of Philosophy of Education, 38.2, pp. 249–256. 2004. Clarke and Mearman contends the proposition of Winch (2004) that the aims of education may be similar with the aims of life as they enumerate specific differences drawing from personal or even physical needs and goals of men as against their institution/education-based goals. Freire, Paul. Pedagogy of Indignation. Boulder: Colorado, Paradigm. 2004. This book explores the need for leaders to consider the plight of their conquered subjects. Politically, it exhorts imperialists to rethink their ways in treating the so-called inferior race to become independent and develop in a more socially acceptable manner. Griffin, Susan.Bio. 2011. Accessed from http://www.susangriffin.com/Bio.html London, Scott. A View From the Melting Pot: An Interview with Richard Rodriguez. 2011. Accessed from http://www.scottlondon.com/interviews/rodriguez.html. This interview explores the rebellious side of doctorate Rodriguez. Many interesting facts and observations were presented by Rodriguez with the goal to influence open-mindedness and acceptance of an actual diverse as well as continually morphing society. Rodriguez argues that all are equal and that differences do not always require reaction from one unique person to another. Mayo, Peter. Gramsci, Freire and Adult Education: Possibilities for Transformative Action, by Peter Mayo, Macmillan, 1999. Peter Mayo explores on the proposition of Freire about the need to transform individuals and societies through critical education. Pratt, Mary Louise. Building a Public Idea about Language. Silver Dialogues. 2002. Pratt, in this essay, draws from personal experiences about the observed causes of the dampening of cultural growth of immigrants in the USA through language barriers. She proceeds to present possible solutions that include encouragement of the use of second or other native languages by immigrants as well as utilizing language expertise in a practical manner, for the good of the US home land. Stevens, C. Critical Pedagogy on the Web. 2002. Accessed from http://mingo.info-science.uiowa.edu/~stevens/critped/freire.htm. A forum for Critical Pedadgogy featuring the contributors to that school of thought. Whitehead, Alfred North. The Aims of Education. Presidential address to the Mathematical Association of England, 1916. In this speech, Whitehead points out the importance of idea as well as the deadly effect of inert, passive ideas that have been adopted by many institutions. He points out the relationship between quantitative data to the world in general highlighting the practical use of idea no matter how tedious they may be, such as mathematics. Winch, Christopher. Work, the Aims of Life and the Aims of Education. Journal of Philosophy of Education 38:4, 2004. In this article, Winch supports his earlier essay about the similarity and parallelism of education and life goals. He contends against Clarke and Mearn’s response to the earlier essay that the two authors were derailing his argument towards a philosophical yet narrower understanding. Read More