Need help on an essay

[martinko]

I have been asked to write about the proper purpose of school and I came up with these ideas:

1. raising obedient and disciplined individuals as to follow laws and rules in companies or society in general in the future
2. raising living standards
3. making a better world
4. producing literate individuals
5. teaching individuals to reflect and decide
5. teaching ethics and values to make the world a safer place
6. preparation for the future
7. simply creating relationships among individuals
8. merely as a way to make profits
9. competing with other schools
10. keeping children busy and watching over them as their parents work like in Hong Kong
11. providing guidance on matters of justice and fairness
12. teaching the importance of debate so individuals can defend themselves
13. merely delivering the actions of the government as in provincials

However, I don't seem to be able to develop these ideas fully and with concrete examples. Also, there will be many others doing the same topic as I am so how can i keep my essay interesting and different from others?

Any suggestions?

Sorry, I also have a question on this statement that I must take a position(agree, disagree, or modify) on:

"While school appears to be a place for learning, instead, it indoctrinates us in the special interests of business"

May I ask what does "special interests of business" mean?

[Gillnetter]

I have been asked to write about the proper purpose of school and I came up with these ideas:

1. raising obedient and disciplined individuals as to follow laws and rules in companies or society in general in the future
2. raising living standards
3. making a better world
4. producing literate individuals
5. teaching individuals to reflect and decide
5. teaching ethics and values to make the world a safer place
6. preparation for the future
7. simply creating relationships among individuals
8. merely as a way to make profits
9. competing with other schools
10. keeping children busy and watching over them as their parents work like in Hong Kong
11. providing guidance on matters of justice and fairness
12. teaching the importance of debate so individuals can defend themselves
13. merely delivering the actions of the government as in provincials

However, I don't seem to be able to develop these ideas fully and with concrete examples. Also, there will be many others doing the same topic as I am so how can i keep my essay interesting and different from others?

Any suggestions?

You have some very good ideas. Most people will tend to go with the first one on your list. Let's select number four - producing literate individuals. A literate person will have the ability to do most of the other items on your list: prepare for the future, make a better world, understand about justice and fairness, and others.

When you write your thesis statement make it clear that the true purpose of education should be to teach students how to become literate. Frame your introductory paragraph such that the literate person is seen as the best person for any society. In your following paragraphs mention some of the other items on your original list and cast these reasons as being somehow less than the literate person. Keep "punching" at this issue - schools are not designed to be place where parents can store their children, schools are not designed to be a place where the primary motive is profit.

[martinko]

Thank you for your advice and I see some connections between the ideas in my list now.

Also, can you tell me what it means by "special interests of businesses"?

[Gillnetter]

Thank you for your advice and I see some connections between the ideas in my list now.

Also, can you tell me what it means by "special interests of businesses"?

A special interest of business is something that will be of value to a business. Say a business produces certain medical pills. It would be in the interest of the business to make sure that the government approves their pills. This approval would allow the business to make more money from the sale of the pills. If a business wants to construct a building along a train track, it would be in the interest of the business to have the city approve the construction since the business could make more money by shipping their products on the train. A special interest of business, then, is anything that will be of value to the business. It was the practice of the US government in the 20th Century to limit competition in the interstate bus business. The bus companies would send representatives to the agency in charge of interstate buses to insure that the interests of the bus companies was protected - that new companies were not allowed to become competitors.