The purpose of education is something I often ponder over. Rather than the ‘how’ of providing knowledge, the ‘why’ interests me something rotten.

Why do we share knowledge? Why do we set aside so much of our GDP to education? What is our motivation here? This may seem like a ridiculous question at a first glance, but when we consider the possible ‘why’s’ of providing education, such as

  • ‘to create fresh generations of non-questioning employees’
  • ‘to build a tolerant and creative society’
  • ‘to develop the skills that will continue to raise money in our country’
  • ‘to instil a strong moral dimension to our children’.

The possible reasons for ‘why’ we educate are huge, many of which are mutually exclusive (while others are compatible), and so for teachers, in home and online tutors, as well as students and pupils, this is an important question to consider- why are we doing what we’re doing, and to for what eventual purpose?

The following articles (and video) are fantastic starting points for considering this question. Please let me know what you think…