Education is a process of obtaining knowledge, skills, values, and beliefs. Education gives opportunities for attaining knowledge and developing it into productivity. It is said to form the foundation of societies through the educational resources these people get. Also, individuals’ development relies on the educational processes to which these people are subjected. The involvement of the state in education is one of the key arguments presented by Hegel and Mill, where the two philosophers give their views on the levels of involvement of the state and the purpose which should drive the state. Hegel points to knowledge as fundamental in developing a civil society where the state should take the primary role in its execution. At the same time, Mill says that people should be free to get an education in their best interest without the state’s interference.
According to Hegel, the state is bound to be involved in building a productive society hence the need to engage in education. The educational process gives opportunities for acquiring skills, knowledge, and values that play a major role in creating a successful society (Swope 2021, n.p). Therefore, the state must be involved to ensure the process through which each of these skills and knowledge is acquired is right to build the society following the needs of the state (Hegel 2015, n.p). Developing personal skills and knowledge in a given field provides the chance to combine with people with skills from other areas to build a successful society (Ferro 2020, p.59). Hegel states that education is one of the most vital resources the state can provide its members (Hegel 2019, n.p). As a result, it has a huge role in ensuring alignment and providing the best ways to achieve the educational process in society.
Also, Hegel views the role of the state in education as twofold. Firstly, Hegel points out the responsibility held by the state to ensure everyone in society has access to education. According to Hegel, the state involvement in education should ensure it is available to everyone regardless of class or wealth endowment (Swope 2021, n.p). Besides, the state ought to provide free education to all society members unable to pay. Secondly, the state must be involved in providing education to ensure it is of high quality (Hegel 2015, n.p). The state is central in the collection of taxes. The taxes provide the primary funding source of education; thus, the state’s involvement in its provision is important. Funds are central to acquiring qualified professionals that can provide all students with the best skills, values, and knowledge (Ferro 2020, p.59). As a result, the state must collect taxes to provide high standards within the education sector (Hegel 2019, n.p). Additionally, the high standards in education should be guided by the curriculum development of the state. The curriculum development must have a formulated strategy to accord the higher standards required as the state is set to ensure relevancy and up-to-date information within the system.
Moreover, Hegel argues that the engagement of the state is key in the regulation of the education system. The education system is achieved through the establishment of institutions. The state must regulate the institutions to ensure they align with the rules and account for any misconduct (Hegel 2019, n.p). Also, it is known to inflict sanctions within institutions that go against the set regulations, thus the involvement that will ensure the system is featured with clarity (Hegel 2015, n.p). The rules and regulations set by the state can help limit and guide the actions of the teachers and students to uphold standards (Beiser 2021, p.277). Besides, the regulation is based on tailoring every learning area to align with the needs of everyone in society. The government’s regulation of the education system can be subject to availing similar educational opportunities that help build society.
Lastly, Hegel argues for the involvement of the state in promoting education. Some of the citizens may need to be made aware of the importance of education, hence the government’s role in making its value known to them. People from remote areas tend to have less exposure and limited knowledge of some of the important things in life, such as education (Hegel 2015, n.p). The state has the capacity to reach these people and ensure they are equipped with the highest standard of education, increasing their awareness of the mission of building a civilised society (Hegel 2019, n.p). The existence of a civilised society must have educated people with self and societal awareness. The steps taken by the state can help attain these goals and ensure every person comprehends the need to pursue quality education (Honneth 2021, n.p). People in society have educational goals, and the encouragement of the state and showing of its importance is a basic motivation through which people can easily attain the aims. The state can utilise its great power to create a learning culture and motivate all people to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills.
On the other hand, Mill’s views on state engagement in education and its purpose differ from the claims of Hegel. In Chapter 1, Mill points out the importance of individual freedom. According to Mill, education is linked with people’s freedom, and everyone should have the ability to enjoy their freedom without the government interfering with their choices (Macleod 2022, p.75). Mill argues for the need for states to have limited freedom in restricting education options for people and allowing them to make individual choices that serve their best interests. In Chapter 1, Mill identifies the need for the state to allow people to live according to their choices rather than interfering with their life paths (Schmidt et al. 2022, p.120). The primary power upheld by the state against the people of the nation is a situation where people are harming others. Contrary to the infliction of harm, the state should leave the issue of education and give people opportunities for everyone to choose what serves them in accordance with their interests.
Furthermore, Mill argues that the state has no right to control the education system since it would hinder some people from pursuing their interests. The regulation of education by governments is based on set rules and regulations. Therefore, some people’s choices may fail to align with the set strategies, limiting them from following their interests (Macleod 2022, p.75). As a result, it is important for the government to limit its involvement within the education system and focus on safeguarding people from any harm, as Mill shows. The control of education by the state shuns people’s educational goals and interests, and everyone bears the freedom to align with their goals (Inamura 2020, p.257). From the views in the first chapter, it is evident that the state’s involvement in education is only essential in safeguarding the people rather than limiting their preferences (Schmidt et al. 2022, p.120). Acts not causing harm to others, such as education, should not have state control rather than more opportunities to allow these people to get the things they want out of life.
Chapter 3 of Mill’s “On Liberty” elaborates the importance of personal choices and how they should be attained in society. Respect for personal interests is attained by the state’s involvement in situations that prevents them from injuries rather than situations that limit them from experiencing growth at a personal level (Schmidt et al. 2022, p.120). The elaboration on personal freedom shows that human beings should not be limited in how they expand their intellect (Inamura 2020, p.257). People should have the right to seek education and develop their views on the world without the government showing them the path to follow (Schmidt et al., 2022, p.120). The control of the state should be channelled into areas affecting people negatively and never on the areas where people choose to focus on their development and come up with their views on the world surrounding them. In this case, the intellectual development of every person should be left to their personal choices through which they can identify the intellectual path to follow and find fulfilment in life.
Mill argued for the excellence of education within private institutions rather than state involvement. According to Mill, the state has to leave private people and institutions, for example, universities and schools to provide the services since they are characterised by the right environment that provides opportunities for the people to develop in accordance with their interests and opinions (Inamura 2020, p.257). Here, Mill focuses on the importance of these governmental institutions leaving education to be guided by its rules and regulation. Education as a voluntary act should have everyone pursuing their choices without experiencing the external pressure that the government may impose. Providing opportunities for each person without limiting rules would allow them to embrace independence in their attained knowledge and build a life on the solid ground with a proper understanding of life and the things they believe in (Miller 2021, p.133). The private institutions are shown as the independent opportunities providers through which many would get chances rather than focusing on the state control of their level of awareness.
Furthermore, in Chapter 5, Mill points out the importance of the state stopping the imposition of its own values and beliefs on the people through their built education system. According to Mill, human beings have liberty and autonomy, which should not be interfered with by the state through the education system, which they may choose to control (Turner 2021, p.125). Mill shows the importance of people having the ability to make their own decisions rather than the government controlling them through the beliefs and values they may instil in them through the education system.
The government’s involvement in the education system is the basic way through which they begin undermining people’s independence in thinking. The state imposing its education with designed views confuses people into making decisions not in accordance with their feelings or conviction but rather with the state’s interests (Turner 2021, p.125). The values and beliefs the government teaches are meant to take away their power and ensure their experiences and beliefs do not apply in any area that needs decision-making.
The development of personal beliefs and values is one of the fundamental needs of everyone in society, and the government controls the education system and takes away all the power (Miller 2021, p.133). As a result, the development of personal autonomy is robbed, with the state utilising every chance to benefit itself (Niesen 2019, p.14). The cultivation of moral and intellectual capacities should be left in the hands of the people as the strength of the people is dependent on the autonomy they have and the level of independence they manage to build with time.
Mill claims everyone’s liberty in society is paramount, and the control of the systems by the state is meant to limit the ability of the people to enjoy the fruits of liberty. Therefore, everyone should have the freedom to exercise their liberty and handle life in a way that brings their best interest (Miller 2021, p.133). The allowance of the state to control education takes the most benefits to them, leaving the people to live with the tailored beliefs and values that are key to serving the government in the long term (Miller 2021, p.133). It is important to eliminate every chance of the state being involved in education so people to enjoy their liberty and build a life according to their dreams.
According to Mill, the state’s purpose should be limited to the provision of access to all, the provision of resources to support education, the protection of the rights of the students, and ensuring the education system is characterised by fairness and equity. Access to education is the basic factor in the state getting into the education rather than the need for tailored beliefs interfering with people’s decision-making skills. Also, the government has to uphold the provision of resources with a lot of keenness to ensure they build a society of independence instead of taking away people’s power in the ways they are taught to follow. The availability of resources ensures a progressive society is built, with people being provided with opportunities to follow their own intellectual interests without limiting the things they choose to pursue (Miller 2021, p.133). The interests of every person need to be respected through the available resources that help in attaining the goals of every person in these societies. After providing the resources, the government should keep off and let people align with their personal goals rather than the goals the state may impose on the citizens. Furthermore, the protection of the student’s rights is subject to ensuring they pursue their interests while the state keeps off interfering with their choices. Protection from harm is basic in attaining every goal and building a society of independent thinkers. Lastly, the state ensuring an equitable and fair society is shown as paramount in creating an existence where all people have enough opportunities to follow their intellectual interests.
In conclusion, education is a process through which they get knowledge, skills, and values which they utilise in life. It is identified as the foundation of societies hence the importance of the state being involved through the different purposes they may focus on. Hegel identified the state’s involvement in the education system as one of the most fundamental roles these states could play in building society. According to Hegel, the creation of civil society must rely on education, which the state should control to ensure the best outcome. Hegel shows that education leads to personal development, where the skills of people from different areas are combined to build a successful civil society. Hegel pointed out the responsibilities of the government to ensure education is available to all people. Also, he pointed out the provision of funds to ensure every set goal in the sector is achieved. The collected taxes ought to be channelled into the education system, ensuring the goals of the system are achieved. Besides, the government must regulate the system and maintain high standards. On the contrary, Mill showed that the state has no role in the engagement in education rather than providing resources to the people without interfering with their chosen path. Mill pointed out the importance of the government staying out of interference with people’s liberty and autonomy and allowing them to follow their intellectual interests.
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