Philosophy of Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Philosophy of Education - Essay Example Philosophical reflection informs the manner of instructive practices as well as the point to which instruction should do so. In the republic, Plato termed education as a practice which stands exclusively necessitating direction from the most embracing as well as refined metaphysics (Blake, Smith & Standish 2006). All past and current human societies have had a vested concentration on education and most of the people have claimed that most educational activities or teaching are the second oldest occupation. Almost every society allocates adequate resources in support of educational institutions and activities as they are very important. Learning institutions are one of the agents of socialization in most societies because all children are born innumerate and illiterate. They are also normally ignorant of the cultural achievements and norms of their society or community of which they are part of. However, with the assistance of teachers, the rest of the society and educational resources, they learn to read, write, and act in ways that are culturally appropriate. Most of the people learn these skills with more education facilities than other people. Education equips people with substantive knowledge and skills that enable them to identify and pursue their own aspirations and take part in their community life as independent and full-fledged citizens. In his educational philosophy, Plato argued that a person is served best when he or she is subordinated to a just society. Plato promoted the notion that children should be removed from the care of their mothers and raised as state wards with a lot of care being taken to t ell apart children suitable to the different castes, the highest attaining most education, to ensure that they act as city guardians and care for the less fortunate (Rozema 1998). Plato further argued that education would be holistic including physical discipline, skills, facts, art and music which he took as the utmost form of undertaking. He believed that talents were not distributed genetically and thus they had to be found in any social class. There have been other philosophies of education after Plato. Freire (2002) attacked the ‘banking concept of education’. In this concept, students are viewed like an empty account that should be filled by the teachers. Freire suggested that a deep reciprocity should be inserted into people’s idea of student and teacher. He rejected the teacher –student dichotomy and encouraged the role of participants in the classroom as the student teacher (a student who teaches) and teacher student (a teacher who learns). Freire (2002) kind of classroom was at times criticized because it can disguise the authority of the teacher rather than overcome it. Freirian education philosophy has been extremely important in academic debates over participatory development and overall development. Dewey (1916) argued that the basic ineluctable birth and death facts of every member of a social group make education a necessity because in spite of this genetic inescapability, the community has to continue. The immense societal significance of education is highlighted by the fact that when people are taken aback by a predicament, it is regularly viewed as a sign of fail and teachers and the system of education become scapegoats. On the other McLaren argued that education should bring about social and self empowerment. He criticized the conventional American tradition in which schools try to establish and develop an egalitarian and democratic society, with the conventional humanities curricula informing learners about the ethical standards and human values. McLaren saw modern schools as doing precious little to encourage the Western humanist traditionist. Schools produce economic and social which has to be weighed against a real record of serving the affluent interests. This condition by McLaren has been in latest conservative developments where the curriculum and aims are geared to the worldwide economic

High Speed Rail Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

High Speed Rail - Research Paper Example This type of rail system is preferable for passenger travel although it is also used for freight services in some countries. (Cox and Vranich) The purpose of this research paper is to give an overview of development of high speed rail transport, its benefits i.e. economically and environmentally, operation and maintenance and success or failure of such projects. Many policy makers in developed countries have backed the idea of a high speed rail transport. For instance, the Obama administration in the USA pledged to inject an $8 billion dollar fund to support high speed rail project as part of its economic stimulus program. This plan involved around 8500 rout-miles of high speed trains connecting about 33 states in 2009 and all the states connected by 2014. Â  (Vock, 2014) High speed rail is rapidly expanding across the world. Currently, more than 20 countries have a high speed rail transport with other 10 countries having such a system under construction. High speed rail transport has been operational in Japan for over 50 years with zero fatalities. Some policy makers argue that high speed rail train is expensive and only serve the elite in society. For instance, in the USA it is argued that the geography is unsuitable for such a system since its cities are less dense and far apart. (OToole) However, there are advantages and disadvantages associated with high speed rail transport in terms of sustainability, economically and environmentally. High speed trains can deliver passengers at a fraction of a second and costs and in all weather. It also provides convenient service to other forms of transport e.g. fast transport to airports hence allowing residents from lower societal level to benefit from a relatively cheap form of long-distance travel. Also, a single rail track and high speed train can carry many people at ago as compared to highways and this is not only convenient, but also saves time and cost. (Pettinger) With the adoption and running of a