ABSTRACT
Why should we have schools? What is the purpose of education? We live in a complex society so these questions are in fact not at all easy to answer in an entirely satisfactory way. Some information that is learned and how it is taught can be threatening to one cultural group while it can af rm another group’s beliefs or expectations. Chapter 3 looks at the role and purpose of education in the United States and music education’s relationship to those purposes. The overall premise, as noted in earlier chapters, is that music education cannot be viewed as an isolated subject within school curricula. Music education must clearly demonstrate, musically and nonmusically, how it contributes to the total education of each student.
