issue 118 求tx互拍

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118.It is often asserted that the purpose of education is to free the mind and spirit. In reality, however, formal education tends to restrain our minds and spirits rather that set them free.

A good teacher tell students the way of fishing so that they can have fish for their whole life, while a bad one give students fish for one day. Admittedly, the ultimate purpose of education is to free people’s mind and spirit, to a certain extent though. The role and function of formal education, which confines our thinking as asserted in the statement, however, may need further analysis under various circumstances.

Given the variety of education approaches today taking advantage of the modern technology, formal education, although still in the dominant place, is no longer a inevitable choice for children. I admit that formal education suffers from several deficiencies. Through decades’ reform and improvement, it has become a mature system, which also means staid and constraints. For example, in traditional classroom, students and teachers follow the established rules and perform daily routines in most of the time. Consequently, such formulization may not be adaptable to certain individuals, especially the talented ones, since the content and pace must be adjusted to the average level.
As a complimentary approach, informal education, which attracts increasing attention nowadays, shows high flexibility and adaptability. The learning time, method (reading, listening, speaking), medium (internet, video, TV, correspondence) can be all set by the learners, enabling students to maximize their efficiency. The effect of informal education is well illustrated by the genius like Einstein who was home-schooled and self-taught, as well as Bill Gates who quit Harvard. Obviously, talented people make the most of their potential without those orthodox at school.


As for the ultimate goal of education, I concede it is to stimulate people’s imagination and open their horizon. While the basic instruction tools may be textbooks, papers, videos, the result of education should be abstract and condensed ideas in people’s mind, on which innovation and creativity based. The power of education exactly resides in its ability to turn finite knowledge/experience into infinite possibilities. However, by saying “free the mind and spirit”, we do not mean absolute and unscrupulous freedom. We want beneficent crop but not rampant weed. We need Harry Porter nurtured under proper freedom but not Voldemort brewed in unqualified right. Fortunately, formal education serves as a border and thus constructs an appropriate education environment.
After long time practice and reform, formal education achieved a broad and comprehensive basic platform, on which higher specialist’s knowledge, or rather, our expected creativity from free mind, is built. It also ensures students’ healthy development in the right route, both physically and mentally. These constraints is established to prevent improper direction in learning. If education is all about absolute free mind, then the computer hackers’ virus can be justified as a talented production. We should always remember that the most significant purpose of education is to benefit human beings.

In conclusion, while formal education does have some adaptation problems, it is in general the best system at present at least for elementary education. However, for prodigies, informal education can be adopted under proper supervision.