Philosophy of Education
In modern age the main goals of schools are remained to be the same: to promote intelligence, to extend the opportunities for everyone to get access to education and to minimize the total number of the illiterate over the world. Still, the conception of school has undergone certain changes. Several years previously little were external powers as politics and funding that influenced schools. The view of the modern schools, however, shows the gap between the purposes of schooling and actual aims of schools.
intellectual purposes such as the development of mathematical and reading skills;
social purposes such as the development of social and moral responsibility;
political purposes such as the assimilation of immigrants;
economic purposes such as job preparation (DeMarrais&LeCompte, 1995).
Nowadays schools are also responsible for the political, social and economical upbringing of children. Nevertheless, schools are more interested in preparing diligent, responsible and skillful workers than citizens who think critically and can stand up for their ideas and principles. Today, it is a common practice that the current political course cuts curriculums according to changing needs. Schools lose their intellectual way, pursuing funding and high paid jobs for their graduates (Mintz, n.d.). Schools become more dependent on investors. Thus, the curriculum and the interpretation of the results are not any more as impartial as it is expected to be. Schools should be more preoccupied with first two pragmatic purposes since that is the core of the children’s upbringing and education.
In the light of the aforesaid teacher's role may seem to be redundant. However, the personality of a teacher is even more important. Teacher is responsible for the arrangement of learning process, the way it is conducted with the purpose to contribute to students’ versatile education. Teacher should make learning process feasible and adequate to the abilities of an average student. Due to positive psychological environment, which is ought to be created in a class or group, a teacher is able to monitor any difficulties a student can face. Furthermore, a teacher should be more careful with the power given to him or her. Intimidation and abuse of power are not singular cases, despite being allowed under no circumstances. Instead, a teacher should create all opportunities for success and show impartiality in interpreting results without taking into account student’s accomplishments in sport or other disciplines or previous brilliant achievements in studying. Also, restriction of permissiveness is a vital duty. The studying process is conducted in multinational groups, that is why a teacher should set an example of tolerance and democracy in a certain group or class and put on the control the stubborn and the idle because the discipline breakers and bullies are mostly those who come within these two groups.
In order to expect high achievements, the politics of an educational establishment should be open to students. It will enable them to stay in touch with the reality, to analyze future benefits, which they will be granted for their good progress. Students will be given a motivating force to study, conduct scientific researches and contribute to the development of the society. The aim of teaching as well as schooling is to open ways and directions for students' self development.
It has been mentioned above that school curriculum is in interdependence with the political changes. Let’s take modern languages education as the object under consideration. The education bodies vote for good knowledge of at least two languages on graduating school; and the requirements for students are sometimes overstated (Richards, 2015). It seems to be rational to adjust the requirements to students with different needs to give them light to strengthen their skills and enrich knowledge in other spheres. Never has it been effective to reduce all to the same level. However, in multinational classes language skills of non-native speakers must be emphasized. Many of the world’s English language learners require knowledge of English in order to enter the workforce in their countries (Richards, 2015). The challenge for teachers is to adjust programs to actual practical needs and not to cut down completely on theory. The outcomes are important, but the means are not the least.
A society focused on intellectuality will implement all necessary modifications to make the schooling process correspondent to the experiences that students of all ages and abilities require. The investors’ corporations are on the way to make a business out of schools, but it will result into declination in educational sphere. One of the suggestions to avoid the consequences is to “put learning back into the hands of learners” and support and stimulate them with the help of professionals (Mintz, n.d.).
References
DeMarrais, K. B., LeCompte, M. D. (1995). The way schools work: A sociological analysis of education (2nd ed.). White Plains, NY: Longman Publishers.
Mintz, J. Challenging the purpose of schools. Retrieved from http://www.educationrevolution.org/blog/challenging-the-purpose-of-schools/
Richards, J. (2015) Key issues in language teaching: influences on curriculum design http://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/2015/10/key-issues-language-teaching-1-influences-curriculum-design/
