The goal of education should be to instruct a child on a wide range of disciplines so that they can decide what profession they want to practice and pursue in their life. This process will lead to a life full of higher satisfaction and pleasures brought by their achievements.
For best results, an approach tailored to a student’s needs is crucial, where a child can have a more rigorous education if they are up for it. Traditional subjects like science, math, and the humanities should be prioritized over the arts, but the arts should still be available to all who desire to learn them. These core subjects should continue to maintain their funding and the arts should remain as electives. This all allows a student to become a functioning member of society with knowledge of the workings of the world, in addition to leading a life full of higher pleasures where they have a chance to pursue their interests and earn achievements in those fields.
Keeping in mind the idea of higher pleasures, Ken Robinson’s approach to education contributes more significantly to our development and happiness. Gradgrind’s approach limits most kinds of pleasures, higher and lower, and dismisses them as unnecessary distractions. Robinson, on the other hand, lets students learn through fun, fostering social interaction among students. In addition, Robinson’s approach allows students to learn about what they are interested in, letting a child reach their full potential in what they are talented at. Progressing in one’s interests is a higher pleasure which isn’t present in Gradgrind’s education. However, a quality of a well-rounded adult that is present in Gradgrind’s approach is the learning of various historical events that helps a student turn into a compassionate individual, a key quality of a citizen in a utilitarian government. Overall, when choosing between the two extremes, Robinson’s approach to education should be prioritized as it maximizes higher pleasures and leads to a developed human life.
In utilitarianism, general happiness is prioritized when making decisions. To achieve the greatest general happiness in a school system, a number of different programs need to be put in place. This can be achieved through different schools that vary in difficulty. This method isn’t difficult to implement as it is already widespread in many countries, maximizing learning for all kinds of students worldwide. However, aside from the difficulty of education, all schools should teach students to think critically, presenting them with facts and letting them form their own opinions about them. The facts taught at school should provide a basic understanding of the world to the students, allowing them to be productive members of society. A student may be unhappy when learning this material, but ultimately they might regret not learning it earlier. Because of this, school has to be mandatory. Students, especially at a young age, should be exposed to a variety of social interactions. A good way to do this is nurture discussions in the classroom in addition to letting students sort a majority of their conflicts out by themselves. This is similar to Finnish education, where social interactions are also prized. Another purpose of school should be to give students an idea of what they want to learn in college. Students can learn who they want to be through the fact-based core classes in addition to the arts classes that they have. If a student would like to continue studying a certain subject, they can join an extracurricular course so that they won’t take time away from other students with separate interests.
However, this raises a question about STEM funding. STEM courses can be essential for certain occupations, but the knowledge of the rest of the core classes is essential too. As I mentioned earlier, compassion is one of the most important values for Mill, which is why history class is so important. Also, to achieve an educational system that gives students a taste of what professions they can have isn’t possible without the humanities. As critical thinking is a big part of that approach to education, writing essays like this one greatly develops this skill which is necessary to be successful. While non-STEM classes like history and literature should receive as much funding as the STEM classes, the arts should be available to those who wish to learn them. Not all people have a passion for things like theater, dance, music, etc. For this reason, from a utilitarian point of view, it would bring the most happiness to the greatest number of students if these classes were to be optional. This is not to say that they shouldn’t be offered at all. The arts should be readily available as electives and/or extracurricular activities that students can pursue in their own time.
In conclusion, a balanced educational approach is vital for maximizing student happiness and satisfaction while ensuring they become well-rounded members of society. Combining the best aspects of Gradgrind’s and Robinson’s approaches, we can prioritize core subjects while offering arts education as electives. By promoting critical thinking, social interaction, and self-discovery, we can create a fulfilling learning environment that meets each student’s needs and fosters a more compassionate and engaged society.
