从经济学角度重新审视美国教育的公共目的

Rediscovering Public Purposes of Education in the U.S.:An Economic View

教育是公共产品还是私人产品近年来受到广泛的讨论,本文从经济学的角度回顾了美国教育的目的。中小学教育的公共性主要体现在公民教育;高等教育的公共性主要体现在知识创造和文化传承;职业教育的公共性主要体现在培养合格的劳动者。教育应该重新强调其公共性。

The relationship between public and private interests in education has been a recurrent topic of debate in the U. S. and elsewhere. The paper reviews traditional economic arguments for public schooling, which identify the public benefit of primary and secondary schools is mainly preparation for citizenship. Higher education produces collective benefits from new ideas and cultural contributions. The public benefits of vocational education are less clear, but it preparing people to be ethical workers. The author hopes that refocusing on the civic purposes of education will promote more fruitful dialogue between those who admire free markets and those who value public education.