Education Essay -- History, Educational Needs, Curriculum

The reasons we educate our children have changed over time. However, some of the core values remain the same. One of the most important purposes of schooling is the transmission of a culture from one generation to the next. It is important to pass on our culture, values, and beliefs to our children so we continue to have a cohesive population. Schooling offers opportunity to our children by teaching them valuable skills that allow them to be self-sufficient and lead successful lives. Schooling also serves to decrease the social ills those without an education suffer from. A final purpose of education is to create people who are active in civic life. All societies have used formal education to pass on their culture. Schools have been used for centuries to pass on religion, values, and other culturally significant principles. Our culture and curriculum are fully intertwined. When the colonists came to America they brought with them their culture and the way they educated their children reflected that. The first colonists were very religious people and their curriculum was very faith-based. It complimented the instruction they received at church and home. As immigrants flooded into the country, life changed dramatically. As the population spread west, the typical family and social dynamics rapidly changed. People became widely dispersed, and the church’s authority and influence was no longer as important. People soon realized the way they were used to educating their children needed to adapt to their new way of life. Initially only wealthy male children were educated. People might teach their girls to read and write their name, but many believed girls and women lacked the mental capacity to learn much beyond that. In the seve... ...re being piloted at the early grades in a widespread manner† (Feldman, 2007, pg.4) This is a step in the right direction and hopefully with time, there will be an increased awareness and importance placed on civic education. The purpose of schooling can be highly subjective, but some core purposes have persisted through time. These core values are important and will continue to be the driving force of education. Unfortunately, many times the idealized purposes of education are vastly different from the reality. Our education system is not perfect but it is constantly improving. Despite its flaws, our current school system does teach our children many important skills, both socially and academically. School gives our children a chance to reach their full potential and succeed in life. As our culture changes, so will our purposes behind educating our children.