This week we discussed the purpose of education. I never thought about why I'm going through so many years of schooling. I just always thought it was something I needed to do. My parents had a huge influence on my schooling. They would be very disappointed if I decided not to go to college. It's something they just expected me to do. I couldn't imagine what they would do or say if I told them that I didn't want to go to college. For them, the purpose of education, is to get a job and be successful. When I told my dad that I wanted to be a teacher, he was somewhat shocked.He wondered why I didn't want to be a doctor or an acountant and make more money. For me personally, I would rather teach and be happy, than be miserable doing something that do not enjoy. Even if my parents were okay with me not going to college, I think I still would. College is a time for me to figure out where I want to go with my life. I can be an adult and live on my own and grow as a person. I found what I'm interested in and what type of job I would like to have later on in life. In today's society it's very important to have a college degree in order to get a job. Many places will not hire you without it. Therefore, in my opinoin, the more education you have, the easier it is to get a job. Companies want to hire the most qualified people: in order to be qualified, you have to have diplomas.
We also discused the possibility of leveling the playing field. I'm not sure that our society would be able to do that. I don't know how we would do that, especially because education does not seem to be a priority in our society. Areas like Ghana and Barbados are reforming their education systems, making scooling free for their children. Here are some articles that discuss their systems in more detail: education in Barbados and Ghana.
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5 comments:
Well, we certainly have the funds to level the playing field. I just think it wouldn't be in the best interest of large corporations for education to be free to everyone!
i agree with everything your saying. also, i think that it is basically more or less in the hands of our government to level the playing field. i cant think of any other solutions. i am not sure how any people like us can make a huge difference. our country as a whole would need to change and that would involve the government changing the way they look at our countrys education. i agree that it wouldnt be in the best interest of large corporations for education to be free for everything, but it would be in the best interest of so many other people. thee problem is that these large corporations hold all the money which in turn equals power. all the people that would benefit from equal education and leveling the playing field do not hold the power.
I think that so many parents instill the issue of going to school graduating and then going to college to get a good job. This is what they did so they know that it is safe. If there were more parents out there that let their children make their own decisions like taking some chances on things that they might not turn out so bad. Going to school graduating and then college is just what we have been taught is the right thing to do but there are many successful people out there that have not gone to collge and are more successful than those that have gone to college.
I agree with your statement that my parents played a huge role in my decision to further my education. For me, there was never a discussion of the possibility of going to college, it was a done deal. However, I believe my parents would have supported me if whatever decision I made (with some discouragement). I also found it interesting when we briefly discussed in class the possibility of free education provided by the government. I think it sounds like a great idea, that everyone no matter what economic background you come from would have the chance to become educated under the same circumstances as someone else, however I really wonder how that would change the entire make up of our "American" society. We love competition, therefore, I'm not sure this change would ever really take effect.
I definitly understand your comment about your decision to choose a career path that will make you happy, not rich. I have also decided that I would feel happier teaching, either speech pathology or special education. My father was not thrilled with the idea to say the least. But I completely agree with doing something that you love doing everyday and makes you feel like you have a purpose, rather than the choosing a career solely for financial reasons. Hopefully others will come to understand this concept of having a career you actually enjoy.
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