The Purpose Of Education In Educated Guesses By Nigel Smith

Most people see education as the determinant to one’s success, but there is skepticism about what education represents. How educated should a person be to be seen as “successful?” Does success equate to knowledge or skills? What is education and why is it so important? Nigel Smith explores these questions in his article “Educated Guesses: What is the Purpose of Education?” Amidst tensions between policymakers in the debate of education’s purpose, Smith conveys a logical, moderate argument that defines education as the blend of knowledge and skill. Instead of explicitly stating his position in the debate, Smith helps his readers understand the basis of his argument by analyzing the extremist nature of the debate, and expanding on similar moderate stances. Despite some biases in his claim, Smith effectively informs his readers about the purpose and definition

While introducing the basis of his argument, Smith first focuses on helping his readers understand the question of: what is education’s purpose? Smith explains that there is a “tension” in education policy in regards to this question. Policymakers tend to express their opinions on this question dichotomously, or in extremes, rousing controversy and debate . Smith emphasizes the importance of this debate by citing the nature of this debate as the reason why the public should question the purpose of education. “The passion of [the debaters] demonstrated vividly that this question is seen to be critical for society to address” (Smith 32). To add further context, Smith describes how education and knowledge have expanded in the past century. As a university professor who had taught knowledge theory, Smith presents evidence well within the range of his