Some view intellectual freedom as a universal human right. Educational resources such as libraries and other educational resources provide the general public with free information that allows them to expand their knowledge. Libraries not only provide access to information, but also serve as forums for ideas. While libraries have limited space and cannot provide information on everything, they seek to provide diverse points of view. Materials are not removed for political reasons.
Everyone is provided with a free education in the primary and secondary schools. Parents who do not want to pay for their child's education must send the child to a public school based on where they live, or homeschool. Schools promote fundamental human rights and the principle of freedom. Public schools were originally developed when intellectuals such as John Dewey argued that students were not prepared for life in a modern and democratic society.
Public schools are expected to avoid promoting ideologies in the classroom, and educators can sometimes be fired for these activities. Schools are supposed to provide a neutral and objective view of the world, allowing students to form their own viewpoints. Private schools sometimes teach religious or political ideology to students.
Schools help students develop not only knowledge of a variety of disciplines, but also skills such as critical thinking skills, effective communication and ethical behavior. Courses are meant to not only teach the details of the subject, but the overarching goals of education. Primary and secondary education mostly focus on teaching students the basics, with some emphasis on specialization. Later post-secondary education focuses on more specific specializations, with students eventually specializing in a specific aspect of a subject. For example, a student majoring in literature eventually can specialize in the author Faulkner while pursuing a doctoral degree.
Education has traditionally treated students as if they are minds separated from their bodies. Less attention has been placed on other factors affecting the mind, including the body and emotions. For example, the senses affect which topics are easier to understand and which topics are not. Students understand ideas that they can see, touch, taste, smell and feel the most. Abstract ideas are more difficult to grasp. Incorporating more senses into an educational curriculum might help educators more effectively teach students.
The human brain experiences emotions, perceptions and ideas simultaneously. All of these factors influence how the brain responds to ideas. Even highly sophisticated thinking is inevitably shaped by emotions. For example, a student might refuse to accept the results of an experiment because the student feels frustrated that the experiment did not conform with the student's hypothesis.