Education.. Views ?

Hope this is the proper area.. A couple questions regarding peoples views on education..
1. What is the purpose of education ? To teach peaple what to think ? Or To teach people how to think ?
2. Is learning lifelong or does it stop when people finish school ?

reply to post by Expat888


i have been an educator for 15 years now, working primarily in special ed. enviornment.

despite the better efforts of some very excellent teachers and administration i have worked with,

i feel the subliminal purpose of the education 'system' is to get our youth indoctrined into a 'system'.

in other words.... up at 7am, done at 3pm. monday through friday.

get them used to learning in a rote fashion: dispense info: memorization: reiterate info.

get them used to sitting in large classes, and not receiving the amount of attention youth genuinely need to succeed.

get them used to a more passive role in the education process.

get the UNused to interacting with other age groups of society. instead the are sequestered with a whole host their peers, and a few adults. this creates a bizarre sequestered enviornment that is not natural.

get them used to PASS/FAIL judgements of superiors.

get some daycare for parents so they can be invested in the economic needs of their family, and NOT the educational needs.

get them used to thinking that LEARNING ends at 3pm...

when, in fact (and to answer your second question), the learning process never ever ends.

it is institutionalized learning that complicates the issue.



sorry if this comes off as rant-ish. i have been discussing this very topic will a fellow educator these past few months.


as of yet, we have very few solutions.

reply to post by mythos

Thank you and no worries on the rant . Find your reply quite interesting as well as you work as an educater it gives a better view of the system ( all views welcome it puts in better perspective when have views of people in the field for an overall picture hope makes sense my english is rusty ) its a shame that seems limited to just 7 am to 3 pm .. Would it be better if they did more to encourage students to think and be creative ? Or is it limited curriculum only ? True learning is lifelong .. even for what you describe it sounds quite rewarding teaching special needs classes ..

reply to post by Expat888


there are certainly a great deal of charter, private and alternative schools doing their darndest to make the education system a healthier way to educate our youth.

some succeed better then others.


and regardless of my gripes, children our profound and bizarre little creatures, which is why i tend to work with them. they crack me up, astound me and humble me on a day to day basis.


anyway, cheers.