Thomas Jefferson and the Purposes of Education

The Formation of Character: A Necessary Goal for Success in Education

“…Jefferson, Webster, and Mann also identified development of character as the purpose of public education (Jewett 1997;Ornstein and Hunkins 1993). The philosophical argument for the formative power of education was best expressed, perhaps, in this century by Dewey (1963, 316), who argued, "Informed and intelligent action is the aim of all educational development."…”

The civic classroom in higher education: Contested terrain

“…Currently, the university's mission statement includes a specific reference to 'developing responsible citizen leaders and professionals' while the university's most recent strategic plan furthers this stated mission by proposing to pursue 'leadership development -notably, the preparation of imaginative, scientifically literate, globally educated, public-service-oriented future leaders -as a major institutional focus', with a set of corresponding goals. Interestingly, the university's founder had citizenship at the core of his understanding of the purposes and goals of education (Jewett 1997). The institution also has a strong commitment to liberal arts, but has recently created a School of Leadership and Public Policy to supplement the existing professional schools including law, business, nursing, architecture and medicine.…”