Issue 130 (revised)

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The speaker states that socialization of children determines the destiny of the future society while adults fail to educate them competent enough for establishing a better society. I generally oppose the assertion for the reason that firstly I believe education of children dominates the destiny of the society and socialization is just one part of education; secondly, we’ve got evidence to prove that we didn’t fail in every aspect of raising children..


According to The Four Pillars of Education , education concludes learning to know, learning to be, learning to learn and learning to live together. Socialization, in my opinion could only be reworded as “learning to live together” rather than “education”. In that case, I would not agree that only socialization of children determines the destiny of future society. What’s more, the opposite contention of the author’s declaration can be flabbergastedly found its counterparts in the following case. A 12-year-old American-born Chinese girl Adora Svitak has recently delivered her own speech at TED, declaring that “You (adults) must lend an ear today because we (children) are the leaders of tomorrow.” This young female writer appeal to adults that they should give children more trust and even learn from children in a reciprocal way. She endeavored to point out the prejudice upon children as well as the irresponsible and irrational thinking maintaining in current education. This instance perfectly manifests that a child, embodying the group of adolescence, has both the capability and courage to confront teachers and parents, who symbolize the collection of authority. It seems like a paradox in dual ways: on one hand, education does possess its own weak points such as limiting boundaries by authoritative standards; on the other hand, children like Adora Svitak with critical thinking and independent minds are the merits to education. For that matter, when we confess that children’s socialization dominates the future society, simultaneously we should also acknowledge that we have already taken a great step over raising the next generation.


I disapprove of the latter part of the statement mainly upon the following two aspects. Firstly, raising children is a process of learning, that is to say, educators need to fulfill, cultivate and nurture themselves all along the way as well. Perfection lies in nowhere. No one point out the shortcoming doesn’t mean perfection exists; flaws exposed aren’t equal to the end of the world.


Secondly, building a better world is the extra reward of raising children rather that the goal. Just like many outstanding people in various fields, they derived accomplishments not always in utilitarian and intentional way. Look at these people: Mrs. Marie Curie， Elbert Einstein, Beethoven, Vincent van Gogh, Percy Bysshe Shelley----none of them were intended to carve “They’ve helped bring about a better society” on their epitaph.


For that matter, education must be its own rewards. Several robots and flocks of push-button Neanderthals can apparently make the society an orderly state without educated minds and originate thinking. The nature of education should not be establishing an ideal society according to the educators’ minds. Educated ones should possess the awareness that their values and beliefs assume more depth, appreciation of arts and music become sharper, taste in life is accentuated, and enjoyment of activities is intensified. Moreover, education is far beyond just enjoying pleasure; it is under the burden of cultivating the next generation with the qualities of a world citizen which keenly demands the three passions, as Bertrand Russell had said, the longing for love, the search for knowledge and the unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind. Each child is born with a certain settled destiny， and education is to bring out the best of them. I firmly believe, under such education children couldn’t go too far away from establishing a well-constructed society.


In conclusion, the assertion reminds us of the importance of education but the more remarkable point in my opinion is to rediscover the true nature of education---- a stage to raise younger generation rather than a tool to serve the educators.