March 7, 2008

Why get an education?

 

So why do you send your child to school?  Why do you want them to get an education?  These fundamental questions are very important in the educational decisions parents make.

 

Society tells us that the reason to stay in school (read, "why get an education?") is so you can get a good job.  Neil Postman pointed out in his book The End of Education, that this reasoning means we do not have a culture anymore but only an economy.  If this is the reason to get an education then we are only preparing kids to be employees. 

 

Why isn’t the reason to stay in school so that individuals can go out and create work and develop an independent business?  Why only be a good employee?  My cynical side says our society only wants kids who can obey orders and not think creatively.  God forbid we would create creative thinking, independent human beings.  Adolf Hitler said, “Blessed is the leader whose people do not think!”

 

One reason I believe you should get an education is to develop ones ability to think--to think deeply and well about things.