The Molding of Minds
By: Allison Gee, Operations Editor
The purpose of education will always be a varying opinion among the general public. The internet describes education as the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, or as an enlightening experience. Whereas the founding fathers believed education should prepare citizens to participate in government. Education is a complex topic viewed differently by everyone. That said, to me, education is exposure. The purpose of education is not to simply provide knowledge to students, but to provide experience, engage critical thinking, and acquire application skills to improve character.
Growing up, my parents always said the biggest gift they could give us kids was experiences. At first thought, this meant nothing to me. However, as I have aged, I have felt the true beauty of this belief. I am 17 years old and I have been to France, Germany, Fiji, Canada, Mexico, and each destination taught me more than any schoolbook could. Participating in online school in my eighth year revealed to my eyes how immature my thinking really was, almost entirely due to my lack of exposure. In reality, it may have been smarter for me to put the time I spent traveling into textbooks and classes, but instead, I became a student of the world. I differ from the popular belief that school is the biggest form of education because while it is a building block, it is not the only material used for education. The world is always teaching us lessons, and sometimes we simply aren’t looking.
Photo by Aaron Burden, Unsplash
Despite this, school is an essential part of everyone's lives, primarily at a younger age. Research shows that foundational learning from the brain is most important before the age of 25. A traditional education, at least in America, gives children the ability to relate with the world around them, and themselves. Believe it or not, learning about cumulus clouds in third grade is still something I think about weekly, and this information has only enhanced my thinking ability. A school education builds critical thinking and allows our society to function at a higher level. Critical thinking is important throughout all of life and allows individuals to think for themselves with greater depth. On the other hand, a driving argument suggests that the purpose of education is to prepare students for their adult life; however, the school system has purposely been set up to prepare students to work a nine-to-five job, not to be complete and full humans. This is important to keep in mind because it begs the question if American school systems are catered around preparation or education.
The popular children's movie, Frozen, released in 2015 is a great example of someone having skills but not knowing how to apply them. Elsa, the main character, has unique magical powers but because of her lack of exposure and education, she does not know how to apply them and locks herself in her room for years. This shows that there is no point in having skills if they cannot be applied. School is a great gateway to show kids how to interact with each other, and shows them of their humanity. Social skills and soft skills are required to function properly and also be successful in today's society. Martin Luther King said it best when he argued that knowledge means nothing if one does not have good character. Good character comes from a combination of places but one of the most important being exposure to new ideas and habits. We naturally learn more about others and in turn ourselves by spending time with them.
The internet describes education as an enlightening experience, and at its core, that is exactly what it is. Education is not one abrupt moment but more of a song that needs time to find its rhythm. The purpose of education in its purest form is exposure to the world, the contents within it, and the people that fill it. The purpose of education is to continuously create a life worth living.