Wheels In the Head byJoel Spring Summary
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In the book, Wheels in the Head by Joel Spring, the author takes a look at the ideas or "wheels in the head" of many philosophers regarding the role of education in our society. Wheels in the head are the values or ideas that we choose to adopt to influence others. Each one of the five parts of his book explores an issue related to what is the purpose of education and the power and control of education.
In parts one and two the author, involves issues of the general organization of school systems and methods of instruction. Part one of Spring's book, expresses the wheels in the head about the historical and present day fact that education is used to maintain authoritarian and democratic governments. In the authoritarian state, education is used as a determinant of one's place in society and as a means to win allegiance. In the democratic state, the ideal system would inform rather than influence future political decisions. Part two, is an argument against government control of education and offers several alternatives. It argues that state education is a means for molding people to be like those in power. The alternative is that families educate their children and that individual authority is given to each person...