In this essay I will analyze the purpose of education. There are some people in this world that have very little education at all and they are richer than people with numerous qualifications and years of study behind them. In this essay I will not conclude on the analysis, but will open up the discussion on the issue via my analysis.
The people that have money without an education
These people exist and are often rich through inheritance, fame or athletic achievement. A case that seems to stick in a lot of people’s throats is how the celebrity Snookie earns more per month than a person with two PhDs does. Still, this type of fame, inheritance or athletic achievement is something that is very difficult to come by. Much of it relies on luck, and the people that do not have the luxury of luck are going to need another method for getting rich and getting the things they want. Education may be the answer in this case.
To teach people how to learn
Education is not just about learning facts and dates. It is also about teaching a child how to learn in an efficient manner. If a person is not taught how to learn, then their own development and educational progress may be stunted indefinitely. Teach a person how to learn and how to direct their own learning is rather powerful.
To keep up with other countries
Education is supposed to teach a generation of people to help them become productive members of society. If you do not do this then other countries are going to start beating your country and the economy will fail as a result.
To prepare people for jobs
The point of education in the developed world seems to be to teach people the skills they need to either do a job or to start learning a job. A person with an education is also more likely to get a job, as there are few jobs that require uneducated people.
To prepare people for adult decisions
Part of education is learning how to think and how to learn. This is part of making adult decisions, and even though schools do not teach morality in a street-worthy manner, they do show children how to learn about morality and make correct decisions based on the mistakes of others.
To give people the opportunity to pursue their own path
If a person has an education, then they are better equipped to choose a path in life and travel it freely. They are able to pick their own career and maybe even make better life choices. They are certainly more likely to make a living wage when they grow older, which may keep people away from a life of crime.