--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The reformers define the purpose of…" description: "\"“The reformers define the purpose of education as preparation for global competitiveness, higher education, or the workforce. They view students as “hu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/086/diane-ravitch-11245_education_the-reformers-define-the-purpose-of-educ_279149.jpg" --- # The reformers define the purpose of education as… ![“The reformers define the purpose of education as preparation for global competitiveness, higher education, or the workforce. They view students as “human capital” or “assets.” One seldom sees any reference in their literature or public declarations to the importance of developing full persons to…” quote by Diane Ravitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/086/diane-ravitch-11245_education_the-reformers-define-the-purpose-of-educ_279149.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/086/diane-ravitch-11245_education_the-reformers-define-the-purpose-of-educ_279149.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/086/diane-ravitch-11245_education_the-reformers-define-the-purpose-of-educ_279149.jpg) > ““The reformers define the purpose of education as preparation for global competitiveness, higher education, or the workforce. They view students as “human capital” or “assets.” One seldom sees any reference in their literature or public declarations to the importance of developing full persons to assume the responsibilities of citizenship.”” [Diane Ravitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ravitch/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Education is often framed as a tool for economic competition, overlooking its role in cultivating responsible citizens. **In simple terms:** Education focuses too much on jobs, not citizenship. Key Takeaway Balance skill training with civic development. Themes education economics civic responsibility human capital policy Mood critical thoughtful concerned Type policy analysis educational philosophy When to use this quote - curriculum design - policy reform - teacher training Key Concepts human capital citizenship education social equity Questions to Reflect On - What would a citizen-focused curriculum look like? - How can schools nurture both skills and values? A Different Perspective Economic focus can marginalize holistic growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Higher Ed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/higher-ed/) [Higher education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/higher-education/) [Purpose of education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose-of-education/) [Reformers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reformers/) ## Related quotes > [The tax which will be paid for the purpose of education is not more than the thousandth part of what will be paid to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-tax-which-will-be-paid-for-the-purpose-of-education-is-not-more/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“I would suggest that developing in every student the positive potential that can benefit the world has to be the primary purpose of education,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/i-would-suggest-that-developing-in-every-student-the-positive/) [Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/) > [We've bought into the idea that education is about training and "success," defined monetarily, rather than learning to think critically and challenge. We should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/we-ve-bought-into-the-idea-that-education-is-about-training-and/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [Most people are mirrors, reflecting the moods and emotions of the times; few are windows, bringing light to bear on the dark corners where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/most-people-are-mirrors-reflecting-the-moods-and-emotions-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The true purpose of education is to teach a man to carry himself triumphant to the sunset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liberty-hyde-bailey/the-true-purpose-of-education-is-to-teach-a-man-to-carry-himself/) [Liberty Hyde Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liberty-hyde-bailey/) > [There is no purpose of education; if your heart cannot be lightened by it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asif-z-warsi/there-is-no-purpose-of-education-if-your-heart-cannot-be-lightened-by/) [Asif Z Warsi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asif-z-warsi/) > [The purpose of education is to free the student from the tyranny of the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/the-purpose-of-education-is-to-free-the-student-from-the-tyranny-of/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [It must be remembered that the purpose of education is not to fill the minds of students with facts... it is to teach them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-must-be-remembered-that-the-purpose-of-education-is-not-to-fill/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The real purpose of education in a person's life should be able to make him transform his envy into admiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/the-real-purpose-of-education-in-a-person-s-life-should-be-able-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [The only purpose of education is freedom; the only method is experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/the-only-purpose-of-education-is-freedom-the-only-method-is-experience/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [There is a myth that the purpose of education is to give one the means for upward mobility and success. The plain truth is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-orr/there-is-a-myth-that-the-purpose-of-education-is-to-give-one-the/) [David W. Orr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-orr/) > [The true purpose of education is to prepare young men and women for effective citizenship in a free form of government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/the-true-purpose-of-education-is-to-prepare-young-men-and-women-for/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [Without an integrated understanding of life, our individual and collective problems will only deepen and extend. The purpose of education isn't to produce mere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/without-an-integrated-understanding-of-life-our-individual-and/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [The purpose of education is not to fill a vessel but to kindle a flame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/the-purpose-of-education-is-not-to-fill-a-vessel-but-to-kindle-a-flame/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [The purpose of education is not to validate ignorance but to overcome it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-purpose-of-education-is-not-to-validate-ignorance-but-to-overcome/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Diane Ravitch > [“Our schools will not improve if we continue to focus only on reading and mathematics while ignoring the other studies that are essential elements…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ravitch/our-schools-will-not-improve-if-we-continue-to-focus-only-on-reading/) [Diane Ravitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ravitch/) > [We will continue to chase rainbows unless we recognize that they are rainbows and there is no pot of gold at the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ravitch/we-will-continue-to-chase-rainbows-unless-we-recognize-that-they-are/) [Diane Ravitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ravitch/) > [When you succeed at keeping almost everyone in school, you must figure out ways to educate everyone you keep in school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ravitch/when-you-succeed-at-keeping-almost-everyone-in-school-you-must-figure/) [Diane Ravitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ravitch/) > [“The history of education is a seemingly endless parade of “new ideas” that are actually old ideas renamed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ravitch/the-history-of-education-is-a-seemingly-endless-parade-of-new-ideas/) [Diane Ravitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ravitch/) > [We should totally ban for-profit charters. For-profit's first obligation is to its stockholders, not to its children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ravitch/we-should-totally-ban-for-profit-charters-for-profit-s-first/) [Diane Ravitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ravitch/) > [“By picking a few winners, the Race to the Top competition abandoned the traditional idea of equality of educational opportunity, where federal aid favored…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ravitch/by-picking-a-few-winners-the-race-to-the-top-competition-abandoned/) [Diane Ravitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ravitch/) > [“While I have never been a member of any union, I was a friend of Albert Shanker, president of the American Federation of Teachers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ravitch/while-i-have-never-been-a-member-of-any-union-i-was-a-friend-of/) [Diane Ravitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ravitch/) > [In DC, policymakers think that if we can only have high enough standards, tough enough tests, and hold people accountable, we can close the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ravitch/in-dc-policymakers-think-that-if-we-can-only-have-high-enough/) [Diane Ravitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ravitch/) > [“The corporate reform movement has co-opted progressive themes and language in the service of radical purposes. Advocating the privatization of public education is deeply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ravitch/the-corporate-reform-movement-has-co-opted-progressive-themes-and/) [Diane Ravitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ravitch/) > [American Education has a long history of infatuation with fads and ill-considered ideas. The current obsession with making our schools work like a business…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ravitch/american-education-has-a-long-history-of-infatuation-with-fads-and/) [Diane Ravitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ravitch/) > [An attack on public education is an attack on democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ravitch/an-attack-on-public-education-is-an-attack-on-democracy/) [Diane Ravitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ravitch/) > [The greatest obstacle to those who hope to reform American education is complacency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ravitch/the-greatest-obstacle-to-those-who-hope-to-reform-american-education/) [Diane Ravitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ravitch/) > [“Social scientists generally agree that students’ families (especially family income, which determines advantages and opportunity) have an even bigger impact on student performance than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ravitch/social-scientists-generally-agree-that-students-families-especially/) [Diane Ravitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ravitch/) > [The ladder was there, from the gutter to the university, and for those stalwart enough to ascend it, the schools were a boon and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ravitch/the-ladder-was-there-from-the-gutter-to-the-university-and-for-those/) [Diane Ravitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ravitch/) > [“Thus, those who now sharply criticize the public schools speak fondly of an era when most schools were racially segregated; when public schools were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ravitch/thus-those-who-now-sharply-criticize-the-public-schools-speak-fondly/) [Diane Ravitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ravitch/) [Explore all 61 Diane Ravitch quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ravitch/) ## More Education quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [“In school you are taught to obey and not to think straight for your own good. Otherwise the world would be full of millionaires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/in-school-you-are-taught-to-obey-and-not-to-think-straight-for-your/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“What's the best thing about being in college? Good teachers. They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-s-the-best-thing-about-being-in-college-good-teachers-they/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“If one has not a head of steel it will burst; if he has not within it a brain of liquid quicksilver, he will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioannes-amos-commenius/if-one-has-not-a-head-of-steel-it-will-burst-if-he-has-not-within-it/) Ioannes Amos Commenius > [“let us not teach / what we have learned badly / and not profited by”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-hilda-doolittle/let-us-not-teach-what-we-have-learned-badly-and-not-profited-by/) H.D. (Hilda Doolittle > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [According to Plato, we don't learn anything. Our soul has lived so many lives that we know everything. Teachers and education can only remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/according-to-plato-we-don-t-learn-anything-our-soul-has-lived-so-many/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“I only began to enjoy studying after I got through the educational system and became a so-called member of society. If something interested me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-only-began-to-enjoy-studying-after-i-got-through-the-educational/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you had made the acquiring of ignorance the study of your life, you could not have graduated with higher honor than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-you-had-made-the-acquiring-of-ignorance-the-study-of-your-life-you/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/how-wonderful-it-would-be-i-thought-if-only-we-could-practice-the/) [Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/) > [English teachers tend to put more thought in the books than the author did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/english-teachers-tend-to-put-more-thought-in-the-books-than-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) [Browse all 37,666 Education quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The reformers define the purpose of education as preparation for global competitiveness, higher education, or the workforce. 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