Education in America Serves No Purpose Today

William E. White:

Americans have forgotten the reason why we educate children in America. As a result our children, schools, communities, and the nation are suffering.

It's the season of commencement speeches and interviews with beaming young graduates. High schools will graduate 2.7 million students this year, and colleges and universities will confer 3.4 million degrees. We are inundated with messages declaring that the purpose of education is to get a great job, make lots of money, and become personally independent. "Fulfill your dreams," is the oft-echoed refrain. Why aren't we exhorting graduates to be responsible citizens?

We have forgotten that there is only one purpose for an education system in a republic: to educate citizens. Anything that distracts us from that singular objective is destructive to our children and the nation. What passes for civic education (if our children actually get any civic education -- many don't) is an overview of process. Textbooks describe federalism and the differences between local, state, and national governments. Students read chapters about the checks and balances of the separate branches of government. "Process" is not responsible citizenship, nor is it exciting teaching.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at May 23, 2012 1:41 AM
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