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This question has been asked for centuries, in various ways, by students, teachers, taxpayers, historians, bureaucrats, and nearly everyone else. It is no less prominent today than when Plato detailed the famous conversation in ancient times between Socrates and Meno on the subject. For when one sifts through all of the political footballing of public education that occurs in the twenty-first century United States, this question is the inevitable ending point to discussion and debate on educational processes. Compulsory attendance laws have existed in nearly all states since 1918 (Rippa, 1992). requiring that young people before a certain age - typically, sixteen years - attend some manner of formal schooling. The purpose that these young people find in schooling is often dictated by local customs and mores, leading to a variety of reasons for having children sit in the classroom each morning.
When considering the larger purpose, sub-questions that typically follow include: Is it the role of the public and private schools of America to produce good citizens through an inundation of civic training? Is it the role of schools to impart knowledge through rigorous training in time-honored subjects, such as the humanities? Is it the role of the schools to transmit the cultural heritage? Or, is it the schools' role to allow for the development of the child in ways that are relatively untested, yet natural to children's interests and desires? To be certain, much time and energy is used to discuss and debate the true consensus on the purpose of schooling in the United States (see Gaffield, 1994; Monk, 1994). Much of this discussion tends to be rhetorical, however, as individuals outside of the school system - such as townspeople and politicians - often offer the most input on the issue. The question of the purpose of schooling, therefore, is perhaps most importantly asked of pre-service teachers, who are on the verge of heading into the field as a career choice.
Review of the Relevant Literature
Understandably, there is much disagreement among scholars as to the direct purpose of public education. Some, such as Kdgar and his colleagues (2002) offer that the purpose of schooling should be determined through public deliberation within diverse communities, with many different voices taking part in the...