Questioning the kind of education we want
“Education today is the subject of debate that is as intense as it is commonplace,” stated Dr. Denise Vaillant. However, according to the academic secretary of the Institute of Education, fundamental questions—such as “Why do we educate, and for what purpose?” or “What is the fundamental purpose of school?”—are rarely asked.
At the book launch for *What Is Education For? *—held on Wednesday, April 25, 2018, at the Crandon Institute—he noted that the five essays included are “inspiring texts that challenge us to consider the kind of education we want.”
According to Vaillant, the question of what the education system should look like is one of the most “controversial issues in contemporary societies.” In his view, the reason lies in the fact that—as the philosopher Fernando Savater puts it—“education is valuable, but it is also an act of courage.”
In closing, he congratulated the authors for having had “the courage and boldness to raise questions about an issue of fundamental importance to societies.”
Never stop dreaming
“For an educator, living without dreams is deadly, paralyzing, and negative. When there are no dreams, there is resignation,” said Carlos Varela, M.A., quoting the words of education expert José Ramón Urbieta.
Varela, who is a professor at the Institute of Education and serves as director of the Crandon Institute, is convinced of this: “We must hold onto the hope that things can be different.” This is one of the ideas outlined in *What Is Education For?*, a book that offers a theoretical analysis of education.
However, Ariel Fripp, a tutor at the Institute of Education, stated that “educators don’t have time to dream.”
During a roundtable discussion with the other four authors—and after Vaillant asked him about the creative process behind his work—Fripp explained that the idea of “sleep deprivation” served as the starting point. It prompted him to reflect on and write about the concept he developed in his essay “Educational Insomnia: An Opportunity to Consider the Purpose of Education,” which was included in the collection.
About the book
"What Is the Purpose of Education?" is one of the Crandon Institute's initiatives to promote pedagogical reflection.
This volume compiles the winning essays from the 2017 contest, which was held in conjunction with the theme of the 7th Crandon Education Congress.
The jury consisted of Prof. Carmen Lepre, Dr. Adriana Aristimuño, and Dr. María Inés Vázquez, a faculty member at the Institute of Education.
"What Is Education For?" is available at the Universidad ORT Uruguay library.