Purpose of Education by Hannah
Hannahof Stephenville's entry into Varsity Tutor's April 2015 scholarship contest
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Purpose of Education by Hannah - April 2015 Scholarship Essay
Today in America, education is a hot button topic synonymous with budget cuts, federal funding, and common core curriculum. It’s easy in the heat of the national debate to forget what the real purpose is. There are countless reasons education is important, but I have narrowed it down three.
The first is to promote progress. Without education, technology and modern medicine would not be where they are today. All the brilliant minds that have developed the technology we now use as second nature have all at one time sat in a kindergarten class, went to middle school, and walked across a stage to receive a high school diploma. This process was all to prepare them for higher education and their future endeavors. Doctors that are on the cusp of finding cures for cancers and deadly diseases once sat in a desk and took notes from a chalkboard. Education is a privilege and a common thread throughout this great nation that we all share. Progression makes us reflect on the past, particularly to where we were before the “progress”. This is another vital purpose of education, learning from the mistakes of the past. If we never had history class, how could we ensure that events such as the Holocaust, slavery, and segregation would be prevented in the future? If knowledge is power, educating young minds of society’s past mistakes is the best insurance for a better future.
My last purpose directly relates to this theory and might have the most importance. Education is essential for cultivating hope for the future. It has the power and authority to develop minds to their full potential. It raises the question of where would we be without the educators that have molded our minds along our scholastic journey? No one can answer this question, but it is astonishing to think who and where we would be lacking our education or even what our world would look like. As long as education is upheld as a priority, the future is filled with endless hope and opportunity.
