The purpose of education a critical review PDF

THE PURPOSE OF EDUCATION; A CRITICAL REVIEW

Introduction
Thousands of studies, journals, books, Ted Talks, and television shows are now devoting
their attention to the nature and purpose of education. People have various notions about what
education comprises. It is common to hear phrases like "back in the day" or "education does
not prepare you for real life." On the other hand, education appears to have remained virtually
unchanged since a century ago. Despite the appearance that education has stayed static, the
world has evolved dramatically.
Furthermore, education appears to be failing to prepare students for a continuously changing
environment. To be sure, education appears to be doing its objective. Instead, it appears that
the objective of education has been misconstrued. Education, for example, has been wrongly
connected with the notion of schooling. Most people associate education with pupils
attending school and being taught a set curriculum. They take tests and formal assessments
before graduating with or without credentials, signifying that they have received an
education. This indicates that education is primarily a methodical approach to a corpus of
material that has been agreed upon by appropriate authorities and is then distributed equally
to eager and hesitant learners (Wood, 2011). This, on the other hand, appears to be a betrayal
of the purpose of education. This article seeks to question the purpose of education by
investigating the role of curriculum in accomplishing that goal. The grading system's
implementation and influence will also be explored.
Review of Literature
Several studies have examined the goal of education, yielding a diversity of perspectives on
what education stands for or should stand for. According to Ammons (1964), education aims
to develop a literate society. He argues, however, that the objective of education has altered
and that the goal of education is now to create a learning society. Given the period in which
the author established his viewpoint, it is apparent that the social era is crucial in determining
the purpose of education. As a result, it has been determined that the purpose of 21st-century
education is to give students the skills necessary to succeed in today's world (Driscoll, 2011).
According to Driscoll, education provides students with the confidence to apply what they
have learned. This position holds that education should teach students to be self-sufficient,
efficient, joyous, and productive.
In his book, education: the basics, Wood (2011) stated that education is one of the ways that
children learn about the society in which they live and its underlying beliefs. It can foster
social cohesion. It can contribute to the development of a society in which the vast majority
of people are at ease. Furthermore, education has been considered a method for young people
to advance in life, with some reaching more tremendous success than their parents. Finally,
and perhaps most importantly, it may create individual growth and social improvement
(Wood, 2011). Jobs are essential, but self-awareness and the ability to think critically are the
hallmarks of a civilised society, according to Wood.
According to Burgess (2004), education reduces and removes the problems of ignorance,
incapacity, and reliance. According to Burgess, every student should be given enough
information and skills to be self-sufficient and not a burden to himself or society. This means