Educate and Enlighten by Caitlin

Educate and Enlighten by Caitlin - April 2015 Scholarship Essay

From an early age, students are told an education is the key to success. The mantra “Study hard. Get good grades. Go to college.” is constantly being tossed at students. The conventional answer to “What is the purpose of an education?” is to acquire knowledge and learn facts. I believe education is more than memorizing facts and cultivating a specific skill set. Education has no single purpose; it has multiple objectives that go beyond the basic fundamentals taught in high school curriculum.

While the core curriculum taught in grade school provides a necessary foundation of basic knowledge for students to develop and become functioning citizens, an education should challenge and inspire students. It has practical and moral functions, and it should create independent and critical thinkers. Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Knowledge combined with a vision is where change starts. The epidemic of Common Core in primary schools throughout the United States is taking away from the creativity and originality in learning. Americans have a misconception about education; that it is a tool to equip the masses with the same knowledge. Education cannot be limited in scope. An education’s purpose is to encompass all aspects of the human experience through practical knowledge and real life experience.