Educational Philosophies and Why They Matter

Abstract

Berner contends that education cannot be neutral and that the uniform system imposes its own ethical claims upon schools. A school’s atmosphere and priorities, its traditions, the management of student discipline, the curriculum and how it is taught, the way adults relate to one another—all of these guide students’ experience with the world. Intentionally or tacitly, school practices draw upon deeper commitments and assumptions about human beings and what a life well lived looks like. The USA’s uniform school system has habituated us against seeing schools for the meaning-making institutions that they are. Berner argues that because education is morally rich and educational philosophies diverse and important, it is inappropriate (and intellectually dishonest) to enforce a uniform design.