This blog is dedicated to asking what purpose education should serve in a society, and whether or not our current society treats education with the importance and gravity it deserves. 

Two years ago, I started assistant teaching at a summer school for kids from low income families, many of whom faced housing insecurity. I was an assistant teacher, mainly focusing on English and math for those who were mostly fourth graders. Over the five weeks I taught there, I realized that, while I enjoyed the process of teaching and explaining concepts, what I truly valued was seeing the “light bulb” switch on in their brains—watching kids who once couldn't care less about learning change their perspective to really care about their education. I witnessed one of my students, Charlie, go from a kid who would almost barf at the sight of a homework packet to being able to complete all his work without rebellion. There was something about seeing the kids grow and change to care more about their education that brought me real fulfillment. Ultimately, it led me to reflect more deeply on the larger issues at stake with education in society.

As someone interested in philosophy, I found myself drawn to texts with theories about the mind and education. Plato I found particularly interesting because he believed that education was essential to cultivating virtuous citizens who contribute to society. His stance wasn't the standard, “it makes people smarter,” or "you'll need these skills one day.” For Plato, education meant more that it was crucial to have educated citizens in order for a society to function properly, or even function at all.

It feels like everyday I see something in the news about education being threatened—book bans, use of AI, and underfunding. People fail to see that education is not about politics and never should be. Education is about creating people who both can and want to contribute to society and have an impact on the world.