Guest Blogger: Aaron B.
What is the true meaning of education? The dictionary definition is “The act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life.” This is exactly what education should be, and is what every school strives for. However, is that what is best for the people in our country? How much education should one person have? Bill Gates, the richest person in the world did not even go to college, while people who have a Ph. D and went to at least 12 years of college earn less than he does. That decision is in the eyes of the beholder and those eyes must choose the key that fits them the best.
Since this unit has just begun there is limited text support I can provide, but Prose and Emmerson offer a beginning. Prose gives insight into the decline of reading, she believes it is because of books that the schools are providing for education. Therefore, she is suggesting that freshmen and sophomores read James Joyce and other higher-level novels. If I were those students, I would read less than I do now (no offense). Emmerson’s view on education is different and I agree with it, I believe he wants the students to succeed in their own way. “It is not for you to choose what he shall know, what he shall do. It is chosen and foreordained, and he only holds the key to his own secret.” Education is not measured by the amount you attend school, but how the students uses what they have learned to succeed in life and as Emmerson says, “It is better to teach the child arithmetic and Latin grammar than rhetoric or moral philosophy.”
Give the student the basics and let them determine what they will do from then on, whether it will be more education or become billionaire like Bill Gates. Let us unlock our own doors!
posted by erdecker @ 9:13 AM
10 comments
10 Comments:
How can we risk such an important aspect of society on the whims of teenagers? letting them decide for themselves? what's to stop them from choosing to discontinue their education as soon as they're turned loose? how can we possibly hope to compete with countries like India and China without an increase in the rigorousness, the control, the precision of the current system?
Education, while generally thought of as schooling, is really just sufficent knowledge to complete a specific task. Therefore, saying someone is educated is quite vague and a misuse of the term.
The education systems of India and China are not better than ours. While they test fairly well, it comes at the price of the rural populations of each countries. For both countries, rural children have over a 50% chance of dropping out of primary/secondary school. In both countries, rural schools get pitiful funding. China funds education from the top down, meaning that while Key schools (prep schools) do well, rural schools usually get shafted out of some of the few resources aloted to them. In India, over half of public primary schools have no drinking water. So these countries, though testing on high world scales, do so at the expense of large parts of the general population. So would it be worth it for us to do the same?
As far as what Aaron said about some people going to school longer and making less money than some who went to school for a shorter period of time; money is not directly proportional to education. Though it may be unfair, there are certain jobs that make more money than others despite not requiring the person to go to school for 12 years. Wealth also has to do a lot with how you manage it (i.e. spending and saving habits). I agree with what Nate said about education in the US, China and India. It is not a fair comparison because like he said “For both countries, rural children have over a 50% chance of dropping out of primary/secondary school” which eliminates many of the lower scores for both China and India. It basically comes down to a quality of life issue. I am happy in my current position.
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Very good points Aaron B. I think it is impossible to directly relate schooling to education. It also has to do with morals. It is not necessarily how long a person goes to school but how much knowledge they need to succeed and to live happily. Whether or not you are happy with your career, you are still able to provide for yourself, with the knowledge you have, and can live with your job.
You make very good points and I agree with your statement about reading less if we were forced to focus only on books like the ones written by James Joyce. I can also see where Prose is coming from with giving us the tools to appreciate good works of literature. Things like the basics should be taught but maybe her ideas would be more appealing if she offered up books that are more easily relatable (unlike Joyce). I like your closing statment! :D
I agree with Aaron on agreeing with Emerson who states a good point. My own view of education is having that academical knowledge but also some street smarts. The more you know the more successful you will be in life- going to college provides more opportunities for you especially in the jobs department (even though there are people like bill gates who have made it big without going to college) in most jobs they are more likely to choose that individual who has gone to college compared to the high school dropout.
I completely agree with your comment on giving the students the basics and letting them determine what they will do from there on. Like Mr. Decker said earlier this semester he will give us the tools to succeed but it is up to us on how we use them. Students need to show more independence and be more prepared for the real world.
Students such as ourselves need guidance which is what education provides. Giving students a basic education and leaving the decision on how they will continue their life is a risky decision that society cannot make. By leaving the decision without any guidance in encouraging students to further their education will result in many uneducated students that will have little contribution in improving society. Yes some might end up like Bill Gates but without the encouragement and proper guidance many students will choose the easy way out and not further their education which will result in not unleashing their full potential. Our society has minumum requirements and guidelines on how we educate our students which gives them more than the "Basic" education and many students in our country choose to further their education because in today's society a higher education is heavily favored.
Ramon F Banzon
Ramon F Banzon
We need independence for the real world I agree. But only getting the basics might be light. Many students may be able to take it and succeed, but some might need a little more help along the way. I feel we need to find a happy middle.
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