A democracy is a system of government that is governed by the people for the people. Everyone in a democracy has equal rights no matter what race, religion, rank, gender, ect. The purpose of public education is to teach kids from a young age how to be functioning members of a democratic society. Public education gives everyone equal footing to participate in democracy. Everyone gets an equal education. The idea that everyone is equal is one of the biggest cornerstones of our constitution.
     Another purpose of public education is to form well informed citizens. Democracy is built on the notion that everyone has a say in the government. To have a say though, a person has to be well educated in issues in their country and in the world. Public education prepares students to one day form an opinion on a matter and then to do something about it. This is important to a democracy because a democracy needs these well informed people to, when they are 18, vote on issues in this country using well formed opinions and evidence to back up their opinions. These well informed individuals will vote on leaders for this country that will benefit the country. Also, education creates individuals. One of the greatest achievements of a democracy is that everyone has the right to their own opinion. Schools in the United States create children who have their own thoughts and ideas, who can then go on and voice those opinions to better the their country.
      I also feel that public education gives the people of the United States autonomy. In school, people are taught about their rights in this country. When people know their rights, they know when they are being infringed upon. Educated individuals keep the government's power in check and keep the government from being able to take away people's rights. Without educated people created by public education, the government could essentially do whatever they wanted, making this country more like a dictatorship than a democracy.
     Being a student in the Milton Public Schools for 11 years, I feel like I have encountered some of these purposes. Ever since elementary school students are taught to form their own ideas and to act upon them. As early as first grade I can remember our class having to debate our ideas. I remember specifically one time my first grade class had to debate whether a girl who found a lost teddy bear should be able to keep it or if it should go back to the original owner. Even then our teachers made us take a stand on an issue and debate it using facts. This is what a democracy is all about. Forming an opinion on an issue and being able to share that opinion, whatever it may be.