- Nov 2017
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engagements2017-18.as.virginia.edu engagements2017-18.as.virginia.edu
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Some good men, and even of respectable information, consider the learned sciences as useless acquirements; some think that they do not better the condition of men; and others that education like private & individual concerns, should be left to private & individual effort; not reflecting that an establishment, embracing all the sciences which may be useful & even necessary in the various vocations of life, with the buildings & apparatus belonging to each, are far beyond the reach of individual means, & must either derive existence from public patronage or not exist at all.
Debates similar to this still continue today. Many people still question whether it is better to go to college or a trade school and whether it is better to go to private schools, public schools, or to be home schooled. The fact that this continues to be a topic of debate means that it is something that is complicated and most likely does not have a concrete answer. I having these differences in opinions means that there should be options of all types like we have now because different types of education will be better depending on the individuals.
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To understand his duties to his neighbours, & country, and to discharge with competence the functions confided to him by either.
Although UVA has gone through many changes throughout the past 200 years, like opening up the university to women and people of color, there are many ideas and goals that are still present at UVA. The community of trust and the Green Dot Program are both examples of how the object, "To understand his duties to his neighbours...," is still seen today. The fact that many of the objectives that Jefferson had for the university when he wrote this report shows how he was capable of creating an institution with values that remain relevant throughout time.
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- Oct 2017
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engagements2017-18.as.virginia.edu engagements2017-18.as.virginia.edu
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Some good men, and even of respectable information, consider the learned sciences as useless acquirements; some think that they do not better the condition of men; and others that education like private & individual concerns, should be left to private & individual effort; not reflecting that an establishment, embracing all the sciences which may be useful & even necessary in the various vocations of life, with the buildings & apparatus belonging to each, are far beyond the reach of individual means, & must either derive existence from public patronage or not exist at all. This would leave us then without those callings which depend on education, or send us to other countries, to seek the instruction they require
It is interesting how similar debates about education carry on today about whether private schools or homeschooling is better and about what subjects should be taught. The idea of students having experience in a variety of subjects and becoming well rounded is an idea from this report that also persists today. The fact that we are still trying to figure out the best forms of education shows how education is not just black and white and that there is no single form that will work for everyone.
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What, but education, has advanced us beyond the condition of our indigenous neighbours? and what chains them to their present state of barbarism & wretchedness, but a besotted veneration for the supposed supe[r]lative wisdom of their fathers and the preposterous idea that they are to look backward for better things and not forward, longing, as it should seem, to return to the days of eating acorns and roots rather than indulge in the degeneracies of civilization
One of the main goals for this institution is to teach the students morals and values. This quote shows how teaching things like morals and values can be problematic because of its subjectivity. Racist and discriminatory ideas that are shown in this quote show how the morals at this time were very different from morals at UVa today. The values and morals of the institution's administration can have great influence on the morals and values of the people in the institution.
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