Statement By Commissioner Of Education Earl McGrath for Publication in the Journal of Higher Education, The Goals Of Higher Education
Images (16)
दस्तावेज़
| id |
id
73982539
|
|---|---|
| contentType |
contentType
document
|
| source |
source
import
|
Source image fields (6)
Extracted text
OCR Page 1 of 16THE GOALS OF HIGHER EDUCATION *
by
Earl J. McGrath
Universities have four primary functions: (1) to train the
members of the various professions and of other vocations which
require formal education beyond the high school; (2) to perform
certain service functions in the community at large; (3) to
encourage research and to prepare scholars to extend the frontiers
of knowledge; and (4) to educate youth to perform intelligently and
responsibly all the activities of life in a democratic society.
On the achievement of the first of these objectives) the
prosperity of a commonwealth and the well-being of its cititens
largely depend. Competence in the professions has increased, all
would agree, as their members have had the advantages of formal
education. The gains made during the past century in the diagnosis,
treatment, and prevention of disease, for example, have resulte
largely from the institutionalization of medical education and
research. Similar social benefits have come with the transfer of
the education of other occupational groups such as engineers, social
workers, and librarians, from practitioners to the universities.
Public recognition of the value of this type of education is
amply shown by the increase in the number and variety of professional
schools. To the early courses of study in medicine, law, and theology
have been added dentistry, pharmacy, engineering, agriculture, educa-
tion, business administration, and others, and these instructional
units are constantly being subdivided into more specialized branches.
The need for specialized education beyond the high school will in-
crease as vocations undergo greater differentiation. Universities,
especially state universities, established as they are to meet all
the varied educational needs of society, may be expected to increase
the number and to expand the offerings of their professional divisions.
In the achievement of this first objective of higher education-
training future members of the occupational groups requiring advanced
education-the American university has been signally successful.
A second function, espocially in publicly-controlled institu-
tions, is assuming increasing importance. This servico covers a
variety of act# ties including extension classes for adults, casual
lectures for caric organizations, occasional investigations for
industry, farming, and public agencies, and general advisory ser-
vices for public and private bodies. Schools of agriculture and
engineering have developed these informal servicos most fully, but
the work of other divisions is increasingly extended into the life
Condensed for publication in the Journal of Higher Education, April 1949.
Relations
belongs_to