Excellence In Education

Excellence In Education

The concept of excellence in education is one that, on the
surface, seems to be unquestionable. After all, who would
not accede that students within our schools should, in fact,
excel? Certainly teachers, parents, and administrators can
agree on excellence as an aim to shoot for. The
interpretation of the term "excellence" is, however, less
obvious. How do we regard excellence? Is it the college
bound student with a broad liberal arts education? Is it the
student who graduates high school trained in a specific
trade? Many in the field of education cannot come to an
agreement on how our schools can best achieve excellence
for and from our students.

One of the many authorities who have contributed a model
for what schools should be is Robert L. Ebel. According to
Ebel, knowledge is the single most significant and most
important goal in the education of children. In his article
"What are schools for?" Ebel answers "that schools are for
learning, and that what ought to be learned mostly is useful
knowledge" (3). He builds this declaration in answer to
trends in education that focus upon other aspects of
learning in schools. Ebel states in the beginning of his
article, that he does not assume schools should be social
research agencies, recreational facilities, adjustment
centers, or custodial institutions. (3). While he does not
deny that our nation is currently wrestling with a dreary
array of social ailments, he does argue that the answer to
such problems can or should lie within the jurisdiction of
our schools.