What Is Education For?

This paper is a speech given at King’s College, University of London, where Dr Tate asks us to review current rationales for teaching and learning in schools. He outlines his own view which states that it is a liberal humanist project in the tradition of Arnold through to Gramsci which seeks to bring civilisation and values to the population. His paper surveys how this answer plays out in other countries as well as what this means for educationalists and education policy makers. He ends by asking the government to look at the big picture and the big idea which education is.