The debate on the purpose of education has never stopped. According to John Dewey, education prepares people for a job. Robert Hutchins maintains that education prepares people for life. The clarity of both positions depends on how society views education.
Our beliefs and principles have an impact on society on a scale we cannot imagine. Likewise, they are instrumental in forming our values. The values we earn are dictated by the forces of the society we live in. We tend to adopt what society dictates. Be it negative or positive, these values become the basis of our behavior. And how we behave within the society presents consequences in our life. And how we face these consequences will be based solely on the kind of education we receive. Our life then depends on the education imparted to us.
As teachers, how we view education molds our teaching styles. A teacher who believes in the precepts espoused by Dewey has that tendency to impart among the pupils that without education, one cannot have a good job in the future. The Dewey advocates focuses on the importance of education as a vehicle to landing a job. On the other hand, if a teacher believes in Hutchins’ theory, he develops that tendency to educate the pupil in preparation for life after school. He conceives that live can be better if one is educated. He stands by the principle that education does not only give someone an opportunity for a better job, but also an avenue to have a better life.
The development of ideas in education is an important factor on our work as teachers. We become the molders of the pupils’ beliefs which mold their values as individuals. And as teachers, it is always important that we know that our beliefs are based on truth because this will impact much on the lives of our pupils. The ideas we impart on our pupils give them an opportunity to grow as individuals. And how we inject these ideas on the young minds of our pupils can be a potent force in molding their future; whether they will prepare for a job or they will prepare for their future.
Therefore, while Dewey’s position on education becomes the purpose of our lifetime career, Hutchins’ belief can be considered as a parameter of how our lives are changed by education.
By: Alvin R. Medina | Teacher II | Gugo Elementary School | Samal, Bataan
