ABSTRACT
In this chapter the author explores the purpose of education in a democracy, and the need to find balance between three distinct domains of education purpose: preparing students to be qualified for jobs and positions after they leave school, preparing students to interact and live within the society that provided their education, and helping students understand themselves as unique individuals. He argues that this last domain is especially critical to democratic society, and that helping each student find their “self,” while also helping them understand that each of us needs to create space for others to do the same is a key component to an educational system that promotes the ongoing work of democracy.
