Education’s timeless purpose
J.R.R. Tolkien once said of his colleague and friend, C.S. Lewis, “You’ll never get to the bottom of him.” By that he of course meant that the intellectual and creative capacity of Lewis’ mind was so deep, one could never fully exhaust it. Why was that? Two reasons: (1) because God gave him a great mind, and (2) because of the way he was educated. And how he was educated was rooted in the timeless and transcendent purpose of education.
As a classroom teacher, I would typically conduct the following ritual with my students on the first day of school. I would ask them what the purpose of school was. I would say to them, “tell me, in a nutshell, why do we have schools … why do you go to school?” After a variety of creative (and hilarious) answers, invariably, they would say, “To learn! We go to school to learn.” And I would say to them, “That’s right! (dramatic pause) But that is only half right!” Then I would write those two words on the board: T-O L-E-A-R-N. And without saying anything else (another dramatic pause), I would write two more words on the board: T-O T-H-I-N-K. And then I’d say, “That’s the other half.” Put those two together, and you have the purpose of education: to learn … to think. To learn from others, to think for oneself.
The focus of learning is on knowledge, the focus of thinking is on wisdom. To learn in reading is about learning how to read; to think in reading is about distinguishing what is worth reading. Learning in math means computation, thinking in math means application. In history, learning is about what happened, thinking is about who told you what happened. In science, learning is all about observation while thinking is all about experimentation.
But the kind of education that Lewis and his contemporaries received was never a one-dimensional proposition. Training the mind was the priority, but so was improving the heart. In the old school, teaching virtue was not just a good idea, it was very much at the core of what it meant to be educated, what it meant to be human. Because in the great historic tradition of both this country and Western Civilization, becoming more educated was part and parcel with becoming more human — you could not (and did not) separate the two.
And so, guarding a child’s heart from anything that could hurt it or poison it or confuse it or distract it was just as much a part of the classroom teacher’s essential work as stimulating a child’s mind. Yet while the social-emotional development of our students is part of “the heart work” needed in working with a child, we all know heart work is hard work. Developing kindness, patience or a spirit of forgiveness in a child that is by nature unkind, impatient or unforgiving is a lot to ask, especially of those who already have a very full plate. But it is part of the teacher’s calling and just as important (if not more) as teaching critical thought or cultural literacy.
Moreover, what goes on in the homes of our nation, and by extension, the schools, is at the foundation of everything else that happens in our country. Our 16th president was very aware of the inexorable link between our schools and our society, and his perspective on the matter has very much informed my own.
Lincoln said, “The philosophy of the schoolroom in one generation becomes the philosophy of government in the next.” Packed into that timeless piece of social prophecy is both a reminder and a warning. In that one succinct phrase, Lincoln was saying at least three things:
First, the schoolhouse is uniquely positioned between the home and society. As an extension of and support for the former, it is also an incubator for and bridge to the latter. Since the home is the cornerstone of society, and society is the structure of civilization, the role of the schoolhouse can’t be overstated because it serves both. When fulfilling its role, it strengthens both our homes and our society. When it does not, it weakens both.
Second, ideas have consequences, which means worldviews matter, which also means not all views are equally valid. The ability to discern must be nurtured in our homes, fostered in our schools and applied in society.
And third, by serving our schools, we are serving our country. So the role of our nation’s teachers is as critical and consequential as those in the military or public service. The work of a teacher, day after day after day, shapes the very future of our country because it shapes the very characters and perspectives of our young people.
So Mr. Lewis’ incredible mind points us to the purpose of education as it relates to our students, while Mr. Lincoln’s insightful words highlight the purpose of education as it relates to our schools. Though towering figures from the past, they still serve us well for the future. May we heed their legacy with equal conviction and wisdom.
