This is a paper I wrote from my Education class. Thought it might be of intrest. The quote at front is from a song, but I can't remember the title or the preformer. It is about education, and how certain teachers and school systems can kill a students creativity.

I got an 'A' BTW.

MY PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

"There are so many colors in a rainbow, so many colors in the morning sun..."

What to teach? How to teach? Why bother? These are all very important questions, and each school of Educational Philosophy has its own answer.
For the question of "What to teach?" I borrow a little from the Realists school, that the skills needed to function in society are important. Schools should definitely teach students how to read, write, use computers, and do math (at least enough math skills to be able to write check, keep checkbooks balanced, and other such run of the mill uses).
But I don't believe that is all that people should learn in school. History is important, it is important that citizens know their own nation's history and how their national history fits into world history. Also, literature of the past is important. While I don't believe there is one set in stone list of "The Great Books" I do think studying literature from the past is important, for literature is the history of human thought, just as the 'history' taught in Social Studies classes is the history of human action.
As for "How to teach?" I am strongly opposed to the Pereniallist view, and lean more to the Progressive school championed by John Dewey. The rigid, stale, oppressive, and restrictive environment of Pereniallist classes don't encourage education but repetitive mimicry. You don't learn multiplication by repeating multiplication times tables, you only learn how to repeat multiplication times tables. Learning is a creative process, and each individual learns in his or her own way, and the Pereniallist system is far too rigid to allow for creativity or individuality. The progressive system, which shows respect for the students as people instead of cattle, creates a far more favorable environment for learning.
Now why should we bother teaching? Or, to phrase it better, "Why should we bother with schools instead of having parents do the teaching?" Well (aside from the fact most families today don't have time to do home teaching) there are several reasons. For one, students learn social skills, how to interact with there peers and superiors, at school. The so-called 'hidden curriculum' (planning when to do work, organization, etc) is also a necessity, these are skills people must have developed to get a job in the world today. Also, it is important that all people in a society have some knowledge in common, all Americans should have a working knowledge of American history (they should at least know who people like Washington, Franklin, Lewis and Clark, and Robert E. Lee. And why we had a Revolutionary and Civil War) because it is knowledge like that that draws a nation together.
Also, students learn to think for themselves in school, an important factor to any citizen on a democracy.
The importance of Education in a democracy can not be understated. In a nation were all people have a voice it is imperative that as many of those voices are educated as possible. A progressive education (which encourages individualism) turns out citizens that are far better adapted to living in a democratic society that the Pereniallist (which attempts to turn the students into robot like zombie drones).