Rob’s Edublog

            Basically this article revolved around three goals for education in America.   They were Democratic Equality, Social Efficacy, and Social Mobility.  Democratic Equality was the goal that students were to be educated equally in a way that prepares them for taking on the responsibilities of a citizen of our country in a competent way.  So basically every student deserves an education, regardless of race, illness, sex, and economical standing, and that education should be at the very least enough for them to be competent in our society.  When I first read this I thought that this was basically in our Bill of Rights already so why is it a goal?  Then I thought about it some more and realized, while every student has the right to go to school, every school is not equal.  Some schools get much more funding, some get much less.  Some schools have horrendous teachers, others have amazing ones.  It is all a matter of who you are and where you are.  Social Efficacy was a goal that placed a strong emphasis on vocationalism, or the idea that you should only be educated in what you are going to use in your career.  A quote from the article was the “economic well being of the country depended on the ability to prepare the youngsters to carry out the economic roles.”  They way I see it; this is kind of a strong form of Democratic Equality.  Not only should students be trained to be competent in society, they should be trained only in what they are going to use.  I mean it’s hard for a middle or high school student to say what he or she wants to be for the rest of their life, but there are those who can, and there are definitely some benefits to the idea.  Why would a mechanic need calculus?  He wouldn’t, but some students who want to be a mechanic are taking calculus.  But at the same time, what if said mechanic wants to change careers, but all he has ever been taught is how to be a mechanic.  He is pretty much screwed.  Obviously this idea would propagate even more wealth division, because what rich kid is going to say “Hey I want to be a janitor.”  Not a single one.  The final goal in the paper was that of Social Mobility.  Basically schools should provide the ways and means for people to get ahead in society.  Basically every student is for himself and he should be looking out for himself.  I think this would be the best plan out of the three.  It rewards the self-motivated.  Those who want to change their surroundings.  Education is there in schools if you look for it.  Good education can be given anywhere, even if its something extra with a teacher after school.  If a student is doing the best they can for themsef, then they will change their surrounding, because there are lazy people who want everything done for them.