The Aim of Education…

In writing of the aim of education, Dr. David Starr Jordan said: “…more vital than all is the demand for character. The highest function of the university is the formation of character, the training of men and women, in purity and strength,…”

“Character development is the great,…aim of education.”

Education is more than technology. In its total effects it involves knowledge, methods, techniques; also actions, attitudes, character, indeed, the complete living of life. It is not only knowing, but using what we know⎯and using it constructively and righteously. “There is no real excellence in all this world which can be separated from right living,” and right living calls for character and character calls for conviction.

As there are hazards in having talent without character, there are hazards in having education without character, knowledge without character.

“The open door of education must be more than an open door. It must lead somewhere and to something worthwile.” Knowledge with character can be the salvation and strength of any person, of any people. “It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance,” but it is also impossible to be saved with misguided or irresponsible knowledge. No school, no community, no nation, no parent or teacher has done the task acceptably until there is offered to all a broad and adequate education which includes high qualities of character.

On this Ruskin wrote: “Education does not mean teaching people to know what they do not know; it means teaching them to behave as they do not behave.”

Philip Sidney summarized it in one short sentence: “The end of all knowledge should be in virtuous action.”