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Preface
AT A VERY GENERAL LEVEL, there appears to be considerable agreement in the
United States on what the nation's schools are for. Several large-scale surveys have
revealed that parents are unwilling to give up on any one of the four major domains of
traditional purpose: academic, social, vocational, and personal. They grow uneasy when
any one of these domains appears to be neglected in their children's schools. Yet in
national policy and local practice, the struggle over specifics is intense. The common
good seems always to be at risk of being overbalanced by the multitude and intensity of
private interests.
One area of agreement has so come to the fore that it has narrowed debate to matters of
implementation to the exclusion of all other views: the mission of the schools is to
prepare the young for work and for the enhancement of the economy. Hence,
presumably, both private and public purpose will be served. A busy populace is lulled
into believing that all else will be taken care of by the workplace and the Internet-an
updated, streamlined version of education through paideia, that is, the teaching of the
surrounding community. The tro ... read full excerpt from Developing Democratic Character in the Young ebook
