Mitchell Hennings
ENG 110
Ronald Barnett and Martha Nussbaum Views on Education
Education in the United States prior to college and other routes of higher education are oppressive, crush creativity, and force the student to learn in ways they cannot. High schools across the country teach for the test and have no care for the students welfare, or if they actually understand the material being taught. Learning should be a process of enlightenment, opening the students eyes to different possibilities. Challenging the student to explore and search for answers even if there are none.
Barnett’s view on education is realistic and to the point, he believes that education is meant to be a challenge and to put you out of your comfort zone. Barnett has a darker look on education than Nussbaum, he believes that instead of babying students and allowing them to take easy classes and skate by, they should be pushed to the darkness of their comfort zone. The fog from the students eyes be lifted and the truth be shown of how things should be. The search for answers should be infinite, there are no answers only continuous learning and growing.
Barnett’s and Nussbaum’s views on education overlap, they both believe that education should be a mentally expansive experience. Barrett and Nussbaum both agree that education is “about challenging the mind to become active, competent, and thoughtfully critical experiences”(Nussbaum).
