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II. WHAT IS EDUCATION FOR?

At the beginning and end of the enquiry, informants were asked to say what they thought were the aims of education. Occasionally the question was paraphrased “What do you think education is for?”. Many more people were able to answer the question at the end of the interview than at the beginning. This was because during the whole interview, they were encouraged to talk freely about the various issues raised. The question at the end of the interview is therefore likely to give fuller expression to current views on the position of education, than the one at the beginning.

It is perhaps of interest to note the increase in the freedom with which people discussed the subject, as a result of the interview. The numbers of separate points made by informants when the question was put to them at the beginning of the interview are compared with the numbers of points made when the question was asked at the end in the table below.

It will be seen that the proportion of informants making two or three points in answer to the question increased from 26% when it was put at the beginning to 52% when it was put at the end of the interview. In view of the fact that the purpose of the interview was to make informants talk freely on the subject concerned, these figures are an indication of the success of the survey. The question asked at the end of the interview was worded “Would you like to say again what you consider are the aims of education?” The answers given in the first place were repeated in answer to this question and additional aims were mentioned.

The analyses which follow are based on the replies given to the question asked at the end, 66% of those with secondary or higher education made two or three answers compared with 48% of those with elementary education only. 57% of those in the higher income groups made two or three answers compared with 45% in the lower income groups. Thus if all the answers given are considered the higher income and education groups have their views more fully represented than the lower groups. If on the other hand only the first answers are considered all the people giving an answer (96% of the sample) have one of their views represented.

In the table below the percentages that different types of answer form of first, second and third answers and of all answers, are shown. The last column shows the percentages of the sample making each type of answer (irrespective of whether it was a first, second or third answer).

“Education helps in after life” is the type of answer given most frequently. Under this heading have been grouped such answers as:

“To train the mind to meet life”

“To help people so they can get all they can out of life”

“So that when you get older you know what you are talking about”

The aims mentioned by the next largest proportion have been grouped under the heading “to help in getting better job”. Here are included such answers as:-

“If you get a better education with appreciation of the better class things, you get the better job automatically”

“To equip them for the job they are going to do”.

The next largest group of answers are under the broad heading of:”to improve or develop the mind. Here are grouped such answers as:-

“To broaden the mind”

“To train and develop intelligence”

“To improve them” (children)

“Development of personality and character”.

Under the broad heading “to make good citizens” have been grouped such answers as:-

“to bring forward the future citizen who will clearly understand what the future probably means. To run his own home and life so well that he should be an asset to the outside world”

“to make a better world”

11% of all answers were vague. Amongst this number were the comments of informants who would only say that education was “a good thing”, or that the aim of education was “to learn”.

It was pointed out above that the upper income groups and those with a secondary or higher education were more prominent than other groups amongst those giving two or three answers, and it will be seen from the table above that such answers as “to teach independence” and “to make good citizens” are given relatively more frequently as second and third than as first answers. On the other hand, “to help in after life” was given relatively more frequently as a first than as a second or third answer.

The results given in the last two columns of the table above, are shown diagrammatically below.

DIAGRAM A

It will be seen that 27% of all the answers made (either as first, second or third answers) are under the broad heading “to help in after life” and that 47% of the sample mentioned this, 20% of all answers made are classified under “to help in getting a better job” and 34% of the sample mentioned this. 17% of the answers were under the broad heading “to make good citizens”, and 16% under “to improve or develop the mind”. 29% and 28% of the sample respectively mentioned these points. The majority of the aims mentioned fall into these four groups.

In Diagram B some of the answers shown separately in Diagram A have been grouped, 23% of all the aims mentioned are concerned with the effect of education on the economic aspect of life, getting a better job, having a higher standard of living, etc, A very much larger proportion of the answers given are concerned with the value of education in preparing children to meet the responsibilities of adult life, to become good citizens and to develop as individuals.

These figures do not support the belief that education is valued mainly as a means to improving economic circumstances. They show that the broader implications of an improved or developed educational system are understood. It follows from this that support for developments in the educational system will be forthcoming provided the general purpose of such developments, as training for adult life and responsibilities is brought out.

The Main Aim

Further, all informants were asked to say which of the aims they mentioned, was in their opinion, the “main aim”.

“ The main aim of Education “

In the table above the proportions saying that different aims were “the main aim” are compared with the proportions, different answers for, of all the aims mentioned.

32% were unable to say which was the main aim. It will be seen, however, that the order of frequency with which different aims were mentioned, is the same in both cases.

Analysis by different groups

In analysing this material, it was found useful to consider only the first answers given by informants, . These were analysed by all the social factors recorded at the time of the interview. Since 96% the sample made at least one answer, the views of practically all informants could be taken into account by this method.

There was little difference between the extent to which various answers were made by men and women. Both younger men and younger women said the aim of education was to help in getting a better job rather more frequently than the older men and women.

There were however, clear differences of opinion between the different economic groups.

It will be seen that answers putting emphasis on the effect of education on the child’s development, are made rather more by those in the upper income groups than by those in the lower income groups. The economic results of improved education, were mentioned rather more by those in the lower economic groups than by those in the higher economic groups. The same is true of the value of education as a general preparation for adult life. The value of education as training for citizenship, was mentioned more frequently by those in the higher income groups. These results suggest that the lower income groups, which are of course the larger proportion of the population, lay rather more emphasis on the value of education as a preparation for the individual’s efforts to win general security and to face up to immediate personal responsibilities, whereas, the upper income groups are more concerned with its value in developing individual personality and ability to face up to broad social responsibilities.

It may be said that those views on education must, to a large extent, reflect the positions of the various social groups in society. In so far as the lower economic groups have, perforce, been tied to immediate necessities in the past, their views on education are, to some extent, coloured by this.

Broad social responsibilities may be more widely spread in the future and this change may be reflected in a change of emphasis in the views held about education. The educational process itself, could, clearly, play a part in making such a change of opinion easier.

The differences of opinion in the upper and lower income groups are to a large extent reflected directly in the opinions of those with elementary and central education, and those with secondary and higher education. There was little difference between the opinions of married and single people, or between the opinions of parents and others.