Why do we go to school? While many people agree school is important, they interpret the primary purpose of school differently. Some people think the most important function of school is to teach students factual information so they can understand more about the world. They believe that all students should know facts, such as what happened in the Revolutionary War, how the food chain works, and what the distributive property is in mathematics. For these people, a well-educated student is one who knows a lot of information about a lot of topics.

Others believe the primary function of schooling is to prepare students with the skills they will need to join the workforce. These people are most concerned with students mastering skills they are most likely to need at work, such as reading, writing, and mathematics. They worry less about whether students have a broad knowledge base. They think the most important factor in judging the quality of schooling is whether students can get a good job after they finish.

Other people think the most important function schools play is to introduce a set of shared values, such as liberty and justice. These people also want students to know information, especially about topics such as the structure of our democracy and the role of each of the three branches of government. But they are more concerned that students understand how the three branches function together to protect individual freedom. From their perspective, if we want to protect our democracy and our individual freedoms, schools must pass along these shared values to each new generation of students.

Finally, some people think schools should teach students to critically analyze what they see, hear, and read. They want students to be able to think carefully about different perspectives, to respect and challenge other viewpoints, and to form their own opinions about issues that affect them. 

While many people believe that schools should serve more than one purpose, what counts as good school curriculum will change depending on what purpose is considered most important. What do you think is the most important function of school? Is it to provide students with factual information so they know a lot about the world? Is it to prepare students for the workforce? Is it to create shared values? Or is it to teach students to think critically? What do you consider the most important factors in providing a good education?