What is education for?
By Jiqiangzhao
@Jiqiangzhao (100)
China
April 8, 2009 12:15am CST
In China, compulsory education, adult education, and professional education have been established and carried out well. But what is education for? What is the purpose of education?
Is it to provide students with the true sense of life, a value system and a set of ideas?
Is it to equip students with the power of knowledge and skills for specific jobs?
Is it to guarantee each student a large income and high social position?
Is it to prepare students to glorify themselves and their families?
So, what is education for in your opinion? And what do you want to get from education?
3 people like this
17 responses
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
9 Apr 09
Here in the US I think it to "equip students with the power of knowledge and skills for specific jobs".
I'd like to go back and further my education but I cannot afford to do so, nor do I know what I'd like to do.... as I am not going to school again to waste time with a degree that has no future. Plus I"m a mom, so I'd have to find "free" childcare so I could attend and there is no such thing as "free" unless you have family who are able or are poor enough to qualify for assistance *sigh*
If I could go back I'd like to build a better quality of life for my family with my new found career and be able to say I did accomplish something.
1 person likes this
@Jiqiangzhao (100)
• China
9 Apr 09
I'm sure there is a big difference in the organization and purpose of education between China and USA. America is always a desirable place for many Chinese to seek a better education.
Nowadays it is impossible for you to find a good job without a diploma in China unless you become self-employed. All the enterprises have strict conditions on the candidates' degree. But I really feel that it's a great waste of time, money and energy spending so many years to receive schooling. A great deal of knowledge we have learnt in the school are really meaningless. We have wasted too much time and energy in learning something that is useless at all.
Time cannot go back and we could't go back either. I feel so lucky for having received a higher education although I'm not satisfied with the present schooling at all.
I sincerely hope that the schooling will be improved and perfected further as quickly as possible.
@sreejithsreenivas (10200)
• India
9 Apr 09
I think your government is doing the right thing for the bright future of your nation.The right education makes a human a social animal.Education is very important to both your personal and professional life, in a number of significant ways!Depending on the level of success you’re seeking to achieve, the level of education may be relative. English and language skills will help you to communicate your ideas more clearly. Communication skills are essential in any role – whether you’re dealing with co-workers, patients, customers, or supervisors, you will need to effectively convey your plans, ideas, goals, and such.Although calculators and computers are readily accessible, you still need to learn how to do basic computations and calculations on paper or in your head. If you are calculating dosages, counting surgical supplies, or tallying sales, math skills are imperative for a career, and for life. Cooking, shopping, driving, and many other everyday activities require math skills as well, regardless of your career choice.the word LEARN contains the word EARN? Perhaps that is because the higher level of education you achieve, the higher level of income you are likely to command as well. For example, consider the following health careers and the educational requirements as they relate to annual income
@Jiqiangzhao (100)
• China
9 Apr 09
"The higher level of education you achieve, the higher level of income you are likely to command as well." I like it.
@psyche49f (2502)
• Philippines
8 Apr 09
When I read at your choices, truly it is all of the above...education provides social, psychological, moral, economic, cultural satisfaction...that's why education is compulsory and mandated by the state. It's known to elevate people's social and economic position. Education liberates us; for some it is ticket to poverty alleviation.
@Jiqiangzhao (100)
• China
8 Apr 09
Oh, my dear friend, how could I say! I can't agree more with you!
Frankly speaking, the purpose of receiving education for me is to get a good job with large income and lead a happy life. And I strongly believe that it is a great contribution to our society and country to make your living on your own.
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
8 Apr 09
For individual, education is to build up critical thinking skill so that we can discern right and wrong.
As a country, the government has a much broader strategy for educating the whole population. All kinds of talents are needed in a country to make it strong and competitive.
I can't imagine any country becoming a world super power if all the people do not know how to read and write.
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
8 Apr 09
Are you doing your thesis on the value of education? If you are, focus on the big picture.
I already stated in my post, the value of education from the standpoint of the country is to build up the country.
You may like to elaborate from this main point, talking about the value of educating the young people for 15 years and the economic and social benefits to the country.
@Jiqiangzhao (100)
• China
8 Apr 09
Ok, thank you again! By the way, I am not doing any thesis on the value of education. But that is a question which keeps me thinking all the time. It is my duty and mission to seek the true essence of education. I will persist until I achieve my goal.
@Jiqiangzhao (100)
• China
8 Apr 09
Thank you for your post and everyone knows the importance of education.
But could anybody tell me the true value or the real sense of education?
@pauline08 (101)
• China
8 Apr 09
Ever, education was the best way to change the destiny for the poor in China. But now, something seems to have been chenged. The school expenses are more and more expensive, and there are more and more college students. When they graduate, they will find there isn't enough work chance for them.
Even though, I still think that education can help us find a job for living.
1 person likes this
@Jiqiangzhao (100)
• China
8 Apr 09
Education was ever the best way to change the destiny for the poor in China but now it is different. I can't agree more with you on this point.
And the tuition for schooling is becoming much more higher than before. We invest a lot of money, time, energy and hard work to education, but we won't get the guarantee that we will find a good job in the future. What we have invested will not be equal to what we will get. It is not worth the candle, isn't?
The people without receiving any education can also find a job for living even much better than the people who has got a lot of education. How shall we explain that?
@wxo200345 (101)
• China
8 Apr 09
i am a chinese, after graduated from the university, i found the knowledge i learned from the lecture was not sufficient to meet the job.so i have to study nearly from the beginning. if you ask what i have obtained from education, it is the ability which enable me to study and accept new technology as well as new ideas easily and quickly.
1 person likes this
@dany2391 (128)
• Romania
8 Apr 09
The education is to teach the students the information they need to be taught so they can have the general knowledge to manage in life,and later on to pursue a career.Not every student is a perfect one but weather they want to or not they learn information that is very useful in the near future.Also,in an environment with many people that interact students develop their communicating skills.Overall education is nothing but useful for those who embrace it.
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
8 Apr 09
Education is about passing on knowledge not about making money. Some people may be able to use the knowledge they have to gain money but that is not the purpose of education.
The way our society works you need money to be able to afford higher level education and you need higher level education to get high paying jobs. It is much easier for wealth to make more wealth than for a poor person to become wealthy.
The capitalists like to claim that anyone can become wealthy through hard work but it is really a myth. It is very rare for someone to make a great deal of money from nothing in a single lifetime. However, none of that has anything to do with the purpose of education. People do not need education to make money.
1 person likes this
@charlenmendoza (922)
• Philippines
8 Apr 09
Before that is also my idea to give us general information of life but in my country, i don't think it's true. Do you know that in the Philippines those rich people are under graduate, some are actually elementary graduate. I think the wheel to success is how much you want/badly want it. I see this training, you just think positive, know your goals, make action plan and do what is in your action plan. Then think about the values why you want to have it. is it because you love yourself, or you want to be powerful, trust that you can do it and being responsible about your life.
Another thing, here in the philippines, you will see a lot of professional working abroad as a caregiver or maids. I don't have anything against it but tell me, do you need to be a college graduate for you to be a responsible care giver or house maids. Actually those people are earning more than what the professional are earning here in the philippines
@airianne (50)
• Philippines
8 Apr 09
Education is one's tool to prosper in life, not to mention skills and abilities, a person with education will always be a plus. In Korea, children and adults alike spend almost the whole day in the academy learning new lessons, gaining more knowledge and interacting with science, to them is my Salute!
@Jiqiangzhao (100)
• China
9 Apr 09
Korea attaches much more attention to the national education. That is an intelligent decision for the Korean government. But I have no idea about the schooling mode in Korea.
@jcorrado2 (32)
• United States
8 Apr 09
education is for and is a lot of things those that you stated and so much more, i wish i payed more attention in school, my sister "my youngest one" is the smartest out of the bunch prolly cuz she learned what not to do but the 3 oldest of us kids i have 3 sisters so im the only son..but education teaches you a lot of stuff, with out education we wouldnt have what we have today or if we did it wouldnt be nearly as good like today could still be like the 60's if it wasnt for education..or even the 1920's..because education shapes ideals and ideals are what makes the person and the person is what makes the future happen.
@Jiqiangzhao (100)
• China
8 Apr 09
Thank you for your post, but I hesitate to say that please pay much more attention to your language.
@kasamb (29)
• Pakistan
8 Apr 09
the purpose of education is different in different situations:for a person it maybe to get good job, lead a good life and have respect in society. for nation it is to turn as many people in useful workers as she can, as it is essential for progress and without education it is not possible.
education not only ment for what we think going schools etc. if some person knows to stitch carpet it is aslo a education and must be praised. We should aslo develop such education and encourge people having this
@Jiqiangzhao (100)
• China
8 Apr 09
Education is important both for the country and every single one. And we want to achieve a lot of goals through education, but have we really fulfilled our objectives as we planned?
Everyone konws that education is vital, but how and what we should do to develop the functions and benefits of education in the highest degree?
The education we are taking now is not efficient. It is a great waste of time, money, energy and life. It is not satisfactory.
@anishnc (45)
• India
8 Apr 09
education is some thing inevitable today where societies have grown and diversified.
if you have to live in a society today ...the person has to be well educated.
now striving hard all your life to get the knowledge you require,,,its better to have it from some one who already has or has compiled it from others
so education is important......
and what you get from education is what you take from it,how you use it for yourself and the society.and how you pass it on
@eiki9999 (2)
• Singapore
8 Apr 09
education is just for personal understanding of knowledge.. in fact, the power of knowledge enable you to overcome the barriers in your real life.. Well, indeed, with higher education, it could have chance to earn higher salary.. well for me, education is just to ensure i hv better chance in order to get a job.. sometimes we need to face the reality.. it could be good or bad,, but that would be better than nothing..
@Jiqiangzhao (100)
• China
8 Apr 09
Your purpose of receiving education is to get a good job. That is practical and reasonable. And you are honest on this question.
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
8 Apr 09
The purpose of education is to pass on knowledge. Before we had formal education people passed on their knowledge to their children or to apprentices. This knowledge can be used to gain employment but not all of it is directly related to work.
Work is about practice and education is about theory as well as practice. The theory is needed just as much as the practice but some is simple enough to learn on the job and some is so complex that it may not even relate to practice. Higher level maths is like this and yet it is necessary for many practical studies like engineering adn science.
Education is certainly not about glory, income or social position. In fact teachers are often under appreciated and under paid. People may use the knowledge they gain to achieve those things but that is more a matter of the nature of the society they live in and how they use their knowledge. It is not the purpose of education.
