Areas of Learning and Experience.

What is the Purpose of Education?

Education purpose.org (2019) describes education in general terms as 'the process of acquiring data and knowledge, along with learning various forms of behaviour and competency in a specific field. The purpose of education is to cultivate human minds with valves and principles that help distinguish between wrong and right'. (Education Purpose 2019).

Modern day education is very highly structured with strict demands and deadlines placed upon teachers and students. There is a big focus on 'acquiring data and knowledge' in particular numeracy and literacy. K.Thomas (1998) describes the structure and routine of modern day education. He states that to be educated effectively, children are put into schools at an early age, no later than 5 years old; five hours of so a day for 12 years. They are supported by a graded curriculum and structured framework which is followed by teachers who are expected to plan in detail how the lesson will be taught. Children are tested regularly to assure progress. (K.Thomas, 1998:1). However, rather than promoting a passion for learning and developing the mind, education is adhering to workforce demand augmenting the nation's economic power. (Anonymous 2015:36). In simpler terms education is acting as a workforce factory rather than a place for holistic development of all aspects of human activity. This may not be an effective educational system. 'We should use a curriculum designed to raise children, not test scores.' (S. Engle 2015:43).

With the growing influence of PISA and standardized testing, their is added pressure on students and teacher to hit certain standards and there has been a shift from what a student can achieve and to what targets the government want to be reached. (Blower 2013). Focus on numeracy and literacy to score well on PISA tests can narrow the development of a child, sacrificing the role of creativity and independent thinking. or even exclusion of arts and humanities. (Meyer and Benavot 2013:9, Donaldson 2015:7). All to increase the reputation of that country worldwide, blind to the added pressure this gives to teachers and students. ( H. Meyer 2014:2). Many countries such as UK and USA have sizable segments of professionals and education practitioners that believe PISA is misguiding their countries reform. (H. Meyer 2014:7). The purpose of education is becoming meeting targets and gaining qualifications; gaining a degree rather than being educated. where as it should be about holistic development and a place to expand experience, opportunity and educational discourse. (S. Engle 2015).

 Learning and teaching nowadays needs to enthuse children in ways that include structure and discipline, balanced with the learning of facts and knowledge as well as the development of skills that will help them in the future. ( Donaldson 2015:6). '..meet the needs of today and the challenges of tomorrow.' ( Donaldson 2015:6). This may mean a complete change of curricula and a reduction of the focus on the learning of facts and knowledge. The expectation that every student should learn the same information may be outdated and should be discarded. (S. Engle 2015:96).

Although controversial, Steiner schooling can offer a good insight into some of the mistakes mainstream education may take. The teaching of facts and knowledge or a focus on numeracy and literacy can be seen as a reductionist way of teaching; ignoring physical, emotional and spiritual development. Education should holistically develop children in all areas not just academic. Children should have intrinsic motivation and engagement in tasks they enjoy and children will end up with more expertise in that area than tasks that have been set by a teacher, which they have no attachment to. ( S. Engle 2015:100, Uhrmacher 1995:381). 'Self discipline is a better predictor of achievement than standardized test scores.' (S. Engle 2015:100).

References

Education Purpose (2019). What is the purpose of education? http://www.educationpurpose.org/. Accessed (09/02/19).

Thomas, K. (1998). Educating Children at Home. London: Bloomsbury LTD.

Anonymous. (2015). Purpose of Education: Journal of Developmental Education. 38(2). pp. 36

 Engle, S. (2015). The end of a rainbow: how educating for happiness- not money - would transform our schools. New York: The New Press.

Blower, C. (2013). National Union of Teachers Annual Conference, Liverpool.  April, 2013.

 Meyer, H. D., & Benavot, A. (Eds.). (2013). PISA, power, and policy: The emergence of global educational governance. Symposium Books Ltd.
Donaldson, G. (2015). Successful Futures: Independent review of curriculum and assessment arrangements in Wales. (1) pp. 1-10
Meyer, H. D. (2014). Imagining PISA's Policy Futures: a postscript and some extensions to the Open Letter to Andreas Schleicher. Policy Futures in Education. 12(7), pp. 883-892.
Uhrmacher, P. B. (1995): ‘Uncommon Schooling: A Historical Look at Rudolf Steiner, Anthroposophy, and Waldorf Education’, Curriculum Inquiry 25(4), pp. 381-406

















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