What is the Purpose of Education in Today's World?

Are schools teaching students the right skills for success? What is one thing that students should learn in school that is not in the curriculum? How should education evolve to meet the needs of future generations?

Institute for Humane Education

• While “preparing students for global competition” has been a buzzphrase for decades now, does it surprise you that this is the actual mission of the U.S. Department of Education? 
• Is this goal worthy of our children? 
  • In a globalized world in which our actions and choices impact other people, animals, and ecosystems across the globe; on a planet that’s warming catastrophically because of systems we’ve created and have the capacity to transform; within societies that are mired in disinformation and misinformation, with citizens endlessly at odds with one another, arguing rather than solving problems, isn’t it time to reconsider whether preparing students for global competitiveness is the best we can do for them?
• Many educators like to use the phrase, “Teach with the end in mind.” Is global competitiveness what we see as the highest end for our children and our planet? What if the end–the mission of education–were instead to build a future where all life can thrive? 
• Without the appropriate mission and goal for education, we will continue to teach using curricula often based on outdated concepts and approaches for today’s–and tomorrow’s–world. 

Stanford Center for Education Policy Analysis

• Each year, thousands of students graduate high school academically unprepared for college. As a result, approximately one-third of entering postsecondary students require remedial or developmental work before entering college-level courses. 
• However, little is known about the causal impact of remediation on student outcomes. 
  • At an annual cost of over $1 billion at public colleges alone, there is a growing debate about its effectiveness. Who should be placed in remediation, and how does it affect their educational progress?

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

• When adults reflect back on their high school experiences, one common complaint is that they never learned anything practical. They often recall facts like “the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell” or that Shakespeare uses iambic pentameter in his plays, but for the most part, they do not acquire critical financial skills.
• It is time that educators return to the purpose of education, which is to provide students with both hard and soft skills that will help them excel in their academic, professional and personal lives. A good portion of high school syllabi do empower students through training them in mathematical, critical and creative thinking, but more needs to be done in high schools to teach students important financial skills.
• Let’s first start with taxes. Because most people are never taught how to pay these important bills, Americans remain quite confused about it. 
  • According to a 2017 nerdwallet article, 46 percent of Americans, for instance, do not know what tax bracket they are in. Likewise, many are mistaken about key tax terms: 56 percent of Americans assume that a tax extension gives them extra time to pay Uncle Sam even though that is not accurate. Because of this lack of comprehension, about 90 percent of Americans pay a tax professional or use software to file taxes.