Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
What is the purpose of education “Education is both a process and an end…
What is the purpose of education
“Education is both a process and an end product.” — Marshall (2017)
Education as Learning and Discovery
Involves asking questions, not just receiving answers.
Balances learning from history (“old stuff”) with discovering new knowledge and technologies (“new stuff”).
Encourages critical thinking and reflection, not rote learning.
Biesta (2009): education should focus on qualification, socialisation, and subjectification — not just content delivery.
Education is about learning about self, others, old/new ideas, questioning vs rote learning
Education as a Process vs. Product
Marshall (2017) argues education is both a process (learning journey) and an outcome (knowledge or skill acquired).
Links to theories of cognitive development (Piaget, Vygotsky) — humans have an innate drive to learn and make meaning.
Tension exists between intrinsic learning (learning for self-development) and extrinsic learning (learning for exams or jobs).
Should education be a right or commodity?
Raises the question: Should education be viewed as a basic human right or a commodity?
Supported by UNESCO (1948, Article 26) and UNCRC (1989) – education as a universal right.
Education vs. Schooling and Training
Marshall (2017) distinguishes between:
Education → broad, reflective, ethical, lifelong learning.
Schooling → structured, often government-mandated, formal learning.
Training → specific skill development for employment.
Modern tension: Teachers try to balance the ideal purposes of education with data-driven accountability imposed by government policy.
Ball (2003) calls this the rise of performativity — teaching to meet measurable outcomes, not deeper learning.
Education and Society
Education reflects the needs and values of society, but these change over time.
Durkheim (1922): schooling maintains social order and cohesion — a moral function.
Today, education also carries economic purposes, preparing a “flexible workforce” (Eke, 2010; Schultz, 1961).
Debate between education for economic growth (human capital theory) vs. education for personal growth and democracy (Dewey, 1916).
Raises questions:
Who does education serve — individuals, society, or government?
Are schools producing citizens or workers?
Education and Inequality
Persistent issues include social class, race, gender, disability, and mental health.
The neoliberal view of education as a
marketplace (choice, competition, performance tables) can deepen inequality.
Apple (2004) and Ball (2013) argue this turns education into a commodity, not a public good.
Example: Access to SEN provision or FE places — limited supply creates competition rather than equality.
Links to Bourdieu’s (1986) concept of cultural capital — middle-class students benefit more from the system’s values.
Education, Values, and Purpose
Education should promote ethical,
democratic, and social values.
Aristotle and Plato viewed education as moral and civic formation.
Little (2014, in Marshall): education aims to make people “proficient members of society.”
Raises the question:
Whose values are being taught?
Introduction of British Values (DfE, 2014) — intended for unity, but can risk division or exclusion.
In a future shaped by AI and automation, creative and moral skills (imagination, empathy, ethics) may become more valuable than routine academic skills.
Education as Lifelong and Evolving
Marshall (2017) asks if education is still “appropriate for today’s society.”
In 2025, the question remains relevant — education must adapt to:
Globalisation
Digital learning and AI
Mental health and wellbeing
Changing social and economic needs
Education is lifelong learning, not a race with a finish line — “we are standing still while others race past” (DfE, 2010) reflects a flawed metaphor.
Learning about oneself, others, and the world
.
Asking questions rather than simply accepting answers.
Balancing old and new knowledge (learning from history vs. developing new ideas).
Exploring ideas rather than rote learning
.
A two-way, dialogic process (not just adult → child).