The Actual Meaning of Being Educated - Essay Example

 What Does it Mean to be Educated,and Who Decides? The following essay evaluates the question regarding the actual meaning of being educated. There has always been a debate on the topic regarding classification of people as educated and otherwise but such debates have not yielded a consensus yet. The most common perception regarding being educated is having knowledge of different subjects that are taught in schools, however in accordance with different philosophers, being educated is just not having knowledge of certain subjects but it has a greater meaning. Theories regarding education have been presented by a number of philosophers and the theories presented stretch over a vast lapse of time (Noddings, 1995). The ultimate goal of the educational philosophy is to get students interested in the subject and cause them be on familiar terms with it as well. To achieve it a teacher is to set several goals such as: to be persuasive, to make students respect the teacher, to know the subject well, to have friendly relations with students, to create a perfect learning environment, and to create a proper curriculum. “Education - like democracy, free markets, freedom of the press, and "universal human rights" - is one of those subjects whose virtue is considered self-evident” (Armitage 2007). Being educated makes it possible for a person to achieve career goals, to make a contribution. “A successful education process embraces the notion of proper curriculum.” Reece & Walker (2007) considers a Scheme of Work to be “a series of learning experiences, sequenced to achieve the course aims in the most effective way” (Reece & Walker, p. 245). Thus it is vital to set the course goals, the length and the system of total evaluation.   As soon as these essentials are defined, a potential education group report is necessary to match the course content with the group possibilities and needs. A teacher has to consider the course hours and decide whether students need to be given the main part of the material in lectures or it is better to leave some elements for individual learning. The goal of the course is to cover the whole amount of material provided. The hours for reading a lecture must be supplemented by the time needed to fix knowledge in student’s mind and to assess it. Finally, students must have enough time to construct knowledge and discuss it in the classroom. Another thing is that any curriculum is to be approved by the superior educational body, for it observes the curriculum to be performed in a proper way. Put simply, any curriculum must follow the standards set by the state for this kind of the learning process. One of the oldest philosophies of education was presented by Plato (Cahn, 1997). The philosophy of education by Plato can still be witnessed in the today’s education system. The philosophy presented by Plato was based on his vision of an ideal Republic. According to Plato, the State should take the responsibility of educating the children and they should be educated in such a manner that they serve the State afterwards. He suggested that the children should be educated in order to make them eligible for the right kind of service to the State (Lachs, 2008). The education provided should be in a specialized field and those students should serve the State in the field in which they specialize. The possible fields suggested by Plato were military services, city management and dialectic. On the other hand, Aristotle also presented his philosophy regarding educated and according to him the factors that should be considered in an education system are; human nature, habit and reason. According to him, repetition is the most important tool to cultivate habits in humans. This philosophy is still very apparent in the education systems all around the globe. The idea presented by Paulo Freire can also be related to the philosophy presented by Aristotle that includes the factor of reasoning and rationality. According to Friere, education process cannot be neutral when it comes to conformity with the system already in place and rationalization by the educated. Education either works as an instrument which encourages the integration of generations into the understanding the system already in place and bringing about acclimatization of the people with the system, or it becomes the ‘practice of freedom’ which means men and women think critically for the system and decide whether it is right or wrong themselves without being taught about it. Thus, it can be said that the ideas of Friere can be used in educational system in order to bring out the true meaning of education. It can also be seen that the ideas of Aristotle are still in place in the educational system. There are a number of activities that are done repeatedly in schools in order cultivate a habit among the students. Aristotle emphasized on both the theoretical and practical aspects of the subjects taught and it can be seen in today’s educational system that students are encouraged to learn the practical aspects of the subjects as well (Mayo, 1999). The purpose of education, in accordance with Aristotle, was to produce responsible and disciplined citizens. Thus, it can be inferred that philosophies regarding education have been presented by philosophers thousands of years ago. The overall system of education all around the globe has been developed on the basis of these philosophies and the current theories of education are also based on such philosophies. The ideas by James Loewen are also very convincing as they represent the very realistic flaws in the current education system. According to Loewen, the history textbooks being taught in the schools include an inaccurate representation of the historical figures events. The example provided by Loewen of one such event is that of Christopher Columbus and slavery. Another point raised by Loewen is regarding the simplistic and biased view of historical events presented in the history textbooks. According to Loewen, it is done in order to avoid controversy and to avoid questions that the students might raise. The idea proposed by Loewen is having an educational system which provides realistic knowledge which can be rationalized and reasoned by a human mind. According to Loewen, the way historical figures are presented in the history textbooks, they provide a perception that such heroic tasks could only be done in the past and they cannot be done now. This perception can be damaging to the overall education of the children. Therefore, Loewen proposes that history should not be taught as a myth but as a reality. Students should be able to evaluate whether an event is right or wrong on the basis of all the realistic information regarding that event, rather than being compelled to think that it was the greatest event in the history. Therefore, it can be concluded from the ideas presented by Fiere and Loewen that educational system should encourage rationalization, skepticism and realism. Students must be provided with realistic information which enables them to decide whether a thing is right or wrong. Students should not be taught history as a myth but it should be passed on as a reality and all the events, good or bad, should be taught in order to make the events look as real as they had been. Works Cited Cahn, Steven M. Classic and Contemporary Readings in the Philosophy of Education. 1997. New York: McGraw Hill. Print. Loewen, James W. Lies My Teacher Told Me. Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. 2007. Simon & Schuster. Print. Mayo, Peter. Gramsci, Freire, and Adult Education: Possibilities for Transformative Action. 1999. Macmillan. Print. Noddings, Nel. Philosophy of Education. 1995. Boulder: Westview Press. Print. Armitage E.. Teaching and Training in Post Compulsory Education. 3rd Edition 2007. McGraw Hill Education Maryer, R., & Massa, L. Three Facets of Visual and Verbal Learners: Cognitive Ability, Cognitive Style, and Learning Preference. 2003. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95(4), 833-846. Petty G. Teaching Today. (3rd edition) Nelson Thornes, 2004.Cheltenham UK Reece I & S Walker. Teaching, training and learning a practical guide. 6th edition revised, 2007, Business Education Publishers Read More