Education for ...

Today we introduced the notion of the essay.

In groups we tried to define the essay. A jumble of words and phrases came back from the groups which all approached as good a definition as you can get:

Original meaning : ‘to try, to attempt’
Focused on a certain subject
Formal/informal. Will conform to a certain length and depth
An exhibition of knowledge
Has a purpose of analysing and describing a certain topic.
Opinion based.
An interpretation of subject. Wide variety of essays.
Written account of ideas and facts. Structured: intro, body, conclusion. Evidence-based.
Will include references. Can be emotional/informative. Investigation.
Written response to chosen subject. Develops ideas points – informs analyses and evaluates.


We’ve been writing essays since secondary school and you will continue to write them in your university careers and beyond.

Some people expressed concern about writing essays. Some people expressed a reluctance to plan and instead jump right in to writing it.

When asked to produce a focused, structured piece of complex writing which naturally flows from one point to the next and eventually leads to a conclusion of some sorts (another way of seeing an essay), it is crucial that we do some planning. This can’t be stressed too much. Without some sort of a plan, the essay-writing process can be tortuous and the final product will almost always be poor.

We started our first attempt at an essay. We took the very general question of “what is the purpose of education?” and discussed it in groups. Discussion (whether in groups or with yourself) is a vital part of the planning process. You need to get the abstract ideas and thoughts down on paper in some format. Then, and only then, can we start putting some shape to these concepts. I don’t care what your plan looks like – but there should be some evidence that you’ve thought through what you’re going to write before you write.

Our first goal is to write an essay in the region of 800 to 1000 words. However, this week I DO NOT WANT anyone to start writing the essay. I am trying to slow right down the process that many students rush: planning the essay. I know a lot of students just like to get started. This works for some students, but for many the resultant essay can be a bit of a mess in terms of coherent thought and argument.

I’ve talked to most people today about the approach they are taking to the essay and there are a range of different interpretations of the original, broad question – just let the overall idea of your essay and in particular your purpose float around your head for a week.

------ On a related point ...

You may know now about the controversy about Carol Ann Duffy's poem "Education for Leisure" being axed from the GCSE English curriculum in England. As an act of solidarity with Duffy, I intend to use the poem with my Higher English class.

Duffy's poem is, amongst other things, about education which fits in neatly with what we've been discussing today.

You can look at some of the links below to broaden your discussion.

Some links to do with the Duffy poem:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7594566.stm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/sep/04/english.knifecrime

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/sep/06/gcses.poetry.carol.ann.duffy


Some links about education in general ....

What do the main political parties think? (A number of students raised the issue of the government's role in education)

http://consult.libdems.org.uk/post16/index.php/consultation-paper/values-and-purpose-of-education-and-skills/

http://www.labour.org.uk/education

http://www.snp.org/node/9547

http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=people.opportunity.page