“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.”-Martin Luther King, Jr.

As you may have figured out from the quote, today’s topic is education. As a recent high school graduate and soon to be college freshman, this is a topic is very relevant to me right now.

I believe that education is a very important thing in life, considering that in short, education means to glean knowledge. Granted, some things taught within the walls of our local public school or college are iffy at best…false at worst (e.g. relativism and evolution). Nonetheless, I believe that much of what is taught in a classroom is good and helps prepare us for life. Imagine if we had never been taught to read or write, we would never be able to converse on the web or share our thoughts and opinions through blogging!

We wouldn’t be able to make purchases or organize our finances without a basic understanding of math; and without history and science, would never know our country’s history or the basics of how the world works. For these reasons, I believe that education is important, and in this post, I’m going to explain how I believe education works best.

1. Education works best when discussion is encouraged-As an extravert, I may be a tad biased here, but I’ve found that I learn best when allowed to discuss the topic at hand. Last year in my government and economics class, we often discussed current events and social issues, and we were allowed to give our thoughts and opinions. Through this, I feel that I got a better understanding of the complex nature of the issues and a firmer grasp of my own views/beliefs.
2. Education works best when it’s proactive-I always retain more when I’m allowed to think about the information and form my own opinions about the topic I’m studying.  I took an ethics class once where the book gave two different points of view on a hot topic (e.g. Capital punishment) and let us decide which view was more in line with our own (In case you’re wondering, I’m against capital punishment). Granted, this works best with subjects like psychology, ethics, and government, but I believe that when this concept can be applied, it should.
3. Education works best when focused on teaching values along with academics-As Martin Luther King said in the quote above, intelligence plus character is the goal of true education. Teachers should encourage morals such as honestly, integrity, and empathy. In addition to formal schooling, parents should also teach their children God’s word and help them to develop a strong faith and love for the Lord. Mark 8:36 says “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” I believe that this concept can be applied to academics. What good is it for someone to have a PH.D if they don’t know God and their heart isn’t in the right place?

To conclude, I believe that education is an important part of society and that it works best when it helps students learn to think critically and grow in character and faith. If a person knows how to do that and has a strong faith, I believe that they’ll go on to do great things.

In the words of Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”