Uninibile asked:

"The aim of education should be to maximize the welfare of individuals." Discuss.

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You might start with the question "what is the welfare of an individual": In particular what is "welfare,"
what is "an individual", what is "welfare of an individual". Is that which is "welfare" for one individual
maybe something bad for another individual? (Example: Some Christians believe it is a bad thing to
teach evolution in school. Most people in the Western hemisphere think you'd deprive pupils if you did
not tell them about evolution in school. Which attitude maximises the welfare of the children?)

Another avenue: Could there be cases where there is a difference between the welfare of the
individual and that of the community/the state? — Another approach is to ask "what is education"?
Can the aim of education really be the welfare of individuals? Many societies aimed education at
producing "good citizens", "useful members of society", or teaching skills required in order that the
individual could earn its living. Is that the same as welfare of the individual or not? — Another
approach: Assume there is limited money and time for education: Which subjects should be taught to
individuals? What if you had to decide between music and maths? Between sports and a foreign
language and so on? What are the criteria you would use to make the decision? What choice should
the individual have in the matter? Does the individual know what is good for it?

Helene Dumitriu