Purpose of academics has changed

Iread in an article in the early in February that the Governor of Wisconsin in the United States tried to change the century-old mission of the University of Wisconsin system by proposing to remove words in the state code that command the university to “search for truth” and “improve the human condition” and replacing them with “meet the state’s workforce needs”. Walker backed off when the issue became public and sparked intense criticism from academics and others, but the issue remained a topic of debate.

According to Margaret Ammons, Associate Secretary of Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, a global nonprofit organisation for education: “[The purpose of education] has changed from that of producing a literate society to that of producing a learning society.”

While many may feel that the purpose of education is to produce workers. I feel that while that is the outcome of education, it is not the sole purpose of it. Yes when we send our children to school or college, we want to equip them with the skills they will need to earn an income and stand on their own feet. But I believe that education is more than that. If we just produce workers we would stagnate as a society. We need to foster a variety of skills, talents and creativity. The purpose of education is to educate all students and give everyone the opportunity a means to succeed in life through knowledge and skill. From Ms Sonal Tiwari Associate producer at a film production company based in Mumbai, India