The End Goal of Education seeks to find the role education plays in the ongoing cultivation of culture and virtue. In essence, The End Goal proposes ‘education should inspire character, virtue, and development’ which is not achieved through superficial quoting. But as a seasoned educator and researcher, the author does want to answer how self-empowerment, ethical leadership, and resilience can be nurtured through education.
In conjunction with other essays addressing this particular concern, the book criticises the competitively defined ‘success’ achieved through the mindless memorisation of standardised tests, devoid of any critical thinking and grossly limited in scope within school education. Rather, policies of caring criticism which support meaningful work toward collective good and meaningful collaboration are advanced. The combination of Ubuntu and Stoicism with modern concepts like Sustainable Development allows the book to reach a wide audience which encompasses parents, educators, policy makers, and students.
The author uses the idea of character as a lens to show how education can truly serve people, rather than creating efficient, programmable individuals like machines. She calls for a shift from rigid, action-driven thinking to a more collaborative and thoughtful approach at the global level. Offering profoundly deep reasoning, this book optimistically but radically proposes immediate action expected to change the structures and underlying principles of education on all levels and the setting frameworks out of which all other levels of education are organised.
This serves as guidance for people who are passionate about reforms and want to change the values and equity in the education system.