Hannah, Student, TX

"I think the purpose of schooling is to provide equal opportunities for everyone because everyone has the same capacity to learn but not the same chance to succeed."

Imagine your child (or one you care deeply about) is now in their 30s--out of school and starting into adult life. What do you hope for them about their life? What would make it a 'good' life?

I want this child to have a good education, a strong sense of identity, the ability to formulate opinions about self and about others. I want them to have a direction in their life--a direction that they choose for themselves so that they are doing what they want to do and have passion.

What role do you think schooling should play in achieving that good life?

School should be able to give students the structure to find their own identity and skills to build their own opinions. School should help students find self identity and self worth within education rather than just being a place where people talk at you. Schools should be an environment that creates open mindedness and that values individual opinions.

Do you think schools are currently playing that role/doing what they should?

Not really. Well, using history as an example--history is often taught just historically wrong. It is taught as a series of events rather than a examination of context, and is framed by only one group. This is not responsible. We must teach all aspects of history and include all demographics. The US is half women and half of the conventional history that is taught does not focus on women. 

What do you think the purposes of school are more generally--for an individual or a society?

I think the purpose of schooling is to provide equal opportunities for everyone because everyone has the same capacity to learn but not the same chance to succeed. Not only does everyone has the same capacity to learn but also the ability to absorb information and to critically think but they are given such different learning environments and resources which completely hinders a child's schooling experience and outcome.