The Purpose of Public Education

            What is the purpose of public education?  Is the purpose of public education for students to understand, retain and recall content?  Is the purpose of public education for students to learn a skill? Or is the purpose of public education something else?

            If you believe the purpose of public education is for students to understand, retain and recall content, then there has to be a more effective way for students to be instructed that would rely less on rote memorization and recitation and more on open discussion.  Having open discussions would provide students the opportunity to develop theories and opinions and have those opinions challenged by peers and by the teacher in an informal debate process.  Instruction in this manner engages students to become a partner in the learning process, develops critical thinking skills and should allow them to understand, retain and recall content because of their partnership in the learning process.

            Additionally, if the purpose of public education is for students to understand and recall content, then why are schools using standardized testing as the sole means of evaluation understanding and recalling of content?  Why not give students oral and written exams to determine their understanding and recall of content?  Would this not be a more valid measure of evaluation?

            If you believe the purpose of public education is for students to learn a skill, how would this occur in a system where there are few opportunities for students to “learn by doing?”  With the exception of a hand full of schools that provide skills for a specific trade, a majority of students are not learning the skills that will help them compete in the global workforce. 

            There is great concern from higher education, corporations and parents about a “skills gap” in public education.  The claims about a skills gap in public education has gained more attention due to the perception a skills gap is one of the reasons for the poor economy.  Blaming the over emphasis of standardized testing in public education and the consequences tied to poor outcomes, instruction shifted to ensuring that enough students pass the standardized test.  Lost in the emphasis on testing was the instruction of skills.

            It is rare in public education today that students learn content in a project based learning model.  There was a time when public education utilized the “applied” method to instruction.  The applied method connected content to real world applications.  Subjects such as Applied Math, Applied Science, etc provided instruction that was hands on and provided a connection to the world of work.  It was this type of instruction where students learned skills as well as content.  However, the applied method was not considered “academically rigorous.”

            Finally, if you believe the purpose of public education is something else such as developing productive citizens, sending students to college, or to be critical thinkers, then you will begin to understand the perception of public education as a struggling entity.

            The purpose of public education is different from state to state, district to district, parent to parent and teacher to teacher.  If the adults cannot come up with a common purpose for public education, why do we believe students will?