John Dewey's Purpose Of Education

For many years educators believed that the statement made by John Dewey was reasonable, that the general purpose of education is to “transfer knowledge and prepare young people to participate in America’s democratic society.” I feel that far many of today’s youth are being educated on the streets and although they are participating in society, it’s not a productive participation that benefits the country. I prefer the view point of Margaret Ammons, Associate Secretary ASCD. She and the ASCD Committee of 1957 felt the main purpose of the American school is “to provide for the fullest possible development of each learner for living morally, creatively, and productively in a democratic society.” I feel the purpose of education today should

Some will say it’s purpose is to make good people/citizens and to encourage each student to be his or her personal best. Alexander Inglis believed the actual purpose of modern schooling is to control societies reaction to authority, create uniformity among people to make them more predictable, to determine social roles, to sort and train children to accept their roles in society and not strive for anything beyond their role or station. Ultimately the government has designed our education system to dumb us down and keep us consuming and compliant. He feels “its real purpose is to turn them into servants.” Gatto’s silver lining is the hope that parents will teach their children to think for themselves, be creative and accepting of solitude that will allow them to not succumb to boredom but channel their own creativity to design a more meaningful

He feels there is no one set path any individual should take but states there are an “infinite number of right paths.” Many have chased the rainbow of being an “educated person” as if it is one neatly designed creation that can fit into a specific “one size fits all” box when it will be many different things to many different people. James has a great appreciation for educational philosopher Alfred North Whitehead who likened the pursuit of education to the “poet of our dreams.” Whitehead felt each of us has the potential to create something amazing with our lives if we approach it with the creativity and imagery of a poet. He felt that our life could be transformed through education to create something beautiful and amazing and should be approached as if we will live a dream of which we