Goals of Education

Education, which refers to the transfer of indispensable skills and knowledge, is a vital aspect of the social-economic planning of a country as it generates a competitive workforce which contributes significantly to economic growth. Nevertheless, the jury is still out on whether the chief goal of education is to provide a ticket to a better life, hence improving the living standards of individuals. At first glance, it is tempting to buy into the claim that the ultimate purpose of education is to guarantee a high living standard as good academic qualification enables us to become high income earners. However, upon further dissection of the intricacy of the issue, we should look past the superficial value of such a claim and accept that essentially, education has other crucial functions in our society.

The main argument in favour of the myopic and flawed claim is that education enables us to acquire academic qualifications, improving our employment prospects. To put that in perspective, the current education model with a focus on academic pursuits enables students to acquire a repository of field-specific knowledge after graduating from universities or colleges. This academic achievement not only indicates one’s capability but more importantly, enables one to become a highly valued contributor to the economy. With real world experience gained from internships which are now widely available in many countries, one will certainly stand in good stead when applying for well-paid jobs. A corollary of this is a high level of income which enables one to satisfy his or her material needs, improving the standard of living immeasurably. The large influx of Muslims into Europe in the last two decades enabled more Muslim women to embrace the be...

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... on education in the technology-savvy world of today. Whatever the case may be, the chief goal of education is not to gain a competitive edge in this knowledge economy in order to achieve a better living standard. This school of thinking goes against the essential nature of education, which aims to combat inequalities, spur creativity and inculcate a sense of belonging in the society. In this respect, it can be argued that the current model of education does not serve its purpose as it coerces students to conform to academic pursuit. A more sustainable model will create a non-threatening environment that inspires students to become responsible, creative and passionate members of society. Education should fit into the broad scope of human endeavours in a way that allows diverse groups to flourish. This model of education will succeed beyond the dream of its prisoner.