The Purpose of School: an Investment in Human Capital

In order for large numbers of humans to coexist, culture and agreed upon societal norms must develop. For the successful perpetuation of a set of societal standards and practices, we must share this knowledge with children so that they will mature in the manner we generally prefer and will be able to participate in our society. Education, therefore, is indoctrination. The purpose of schools is redefined by different peoples at different times, depending on what that culture sees as its needs. In the beginning of the twenty-first century, we largely see schools as serving both individuals and society: the individual is equipped for future productivity, and that productivity is seen as beneficial to the social order.
Shepherding young people into participation in the ongoing experiment that is American society requires agreement and a system. Though this is a pluralistic society, necessitating a diversity of educational approaches overall, we can agree on enough to formulate coherent curricula and standards. While it could easily be called un-American to treat children (or any citizens) as cogs in a wheel, cooperation and consensus are undeniably important and helpful. This view of the purpose of schooling has been described as human capital, creating “economic benefits for the society as a whole through greater productivity and for individuals through greater earnings” (Tyack, 1976). It is noteworthy that

“…Economic growth closely depends on the synergies between new knowledge and human capital, which is why large increases in education and training have accompanied major advances in technological knowledge in all countries that have achieved significant economic growth.” (Becker, 2002)

It is not necessarily only formal schooling that contributes to human capital; informal or on-the-job training, and even medical care are also seen by economists as investments in this resource (Becker, 2002). Education, though, is by far the greatest of these predictors of future economic success of the individual.
In addition to the benefit of education to individuals, “the wealth of a nation is embodied in its people and…only an educated people can adopt new technologies” (Goldin, 2008). After all, the whole is roughly the sum of its parts; if a nation’s people are its parts, individual enhancement benefits the group similarly. These benefits are not necessarily only economic, but the more esoteric advantages probably correlate to economic measurements. Satisfaction, contentment, and perception of heightened quality of life surely increase with increased education for most people. In some cases this is purely because of the increased comfort provided by higher economic status, but personal fulfillment can be measurably beneficial to the individual and therefore to group stability and productivity. A stronger nation made up of educated citizens is a worthy purpose for modern schooling, for reasons relating to both economics and personal satisfaction.
References:
Tyack, D. (1976). Ways of seeing: an essay on the history of compulsory schooling. Harvard Educational Review, 46 (3), 355-389.
Becker, G. (2002). Human capital. Concise Encyclopedia of Economics, retrieved August 2, 2008 from http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/HumanCapital.html.
Goldin, C. (2008). The human capital century. Education Next, Hoover Institution, retrieved August 2, 2008 from http://www.hoover.org/publications/ednext/3355201.html.