Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education

Here is a paper That Martin Luther King Jr. once wrote. I am going to paste it in it's entirety because I was having a hard time trying to decide which points to include.

As I engage in the so-called "bull sessions" around and about the school, I too often find that most college men have a misconception of the purpose of education. Most of the "brethren" think that education should equip them with the proper instruments of exploitation so that they can forever trample over the masses. Still others think that education should furnish them with noble ends rather than means to an end.
It seems to me that education has a two-fold function to perform in the life of man and in society: the one is utility and the other is culture. Education must enable a man to become more efficient, to achieve with increasing facility the ligitimate goals of his life.
Education must also train one for quick, resolute and effective thinking. To think incisively and to think for one's self is very difficult. We are prone to let our mental life become invaded by legions of half truths, prejudices, and propaganda. At this point, I often wonder whether or not education is fulfilling its purpose. A great majority of the so-called educated people do not think logically and scientifically. Even the press, the classroom, the platform, and the pulpit in many instances do not give us objective and unbiased truths. To save man from the morass of propaganda, in my opinion, is one of the chief aims of education. Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction.
The function of education, therefore, is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. But education which stops with efficiency may prove the greatest menace to society. The most dangerous criminal may be the man gifted with reason, but with no morals.
The late Eugene Talmadge, in my opinion, possessed one of the better minds of Georgia, or even America. Moreover, he wore the Phi Beta Kappa key. By all measuring rods, Mr. Talmadge could think critically and intensively; yet he contends that I am an inferior being. Are those the types of men we call educated?
We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education. The complete education gives one not only power of concentration, but worthy objectives upon which to concentrate. The broad education will, therefore, transmit to one not only the accumulated knowledge of the race but also the accumulated experience of social living.
If we are not careful, our colleges will produce a group of close-minded, unscientific, illogical propagandists, consumed with immoral acts. Be careful, "brethren!" Be careful, teachers!
PD. Maroon Tiger (January-February 1947): 10. Copy in GD.

Makes me think how sad he and some of the other great minds from history must be to see how our education system is working now and the students that it is turning out.

I tend to get on my soapbox on this issue and those close to me often get tired of me wanting to discuss it. But here I am free to talk at length, so if you get bored or irritated navigate elsewhere.
We as a country have different children emerging from our Public schools. There are the "Jack of all trades", those who have been taught via the philosophy that to expose children to every thing will make them more rounded. In the end they know alot about everything but nothing substantial enough about anything. A good analogy is that of a tree. The roots can go broad and cover a lot of area but at the first sign of trouble it will fall over. Versus the tree whose roots don't go nearly as broad but reach down deep, way deep beneath the surface level. The people who I really respect intellectually are those who are very passionate and knowledgeable about an area. Their knowledge runs so deep that they could spend days talking about it, and their passion usually runs just as deep so they often do. They are succesful at what they do, because they don't try to do everything. As I heard one mom say sometimes it is good to work with obsessions. Imagine the possibilities if we would let our children learn and work in compatibilitie with their passions and obsessions instead of being so concerned that "everything" is covered. Besides, as any educated person will tell you, there is not enough time in this life to cover everything anyways (which is an overwhelming thought in itself).
You also have those who are missing pieces. They have great intellect but no moral ground stabilizing them. They have trouble figuring out right from wrong or deciphering what may appear gray. Give them a question involving academics, they'll peg it. But as far as anything else.....well, I guesse we just hope they can make it through life on their knowledge.
There are so many things that fall through the cracks because parents don't have enough time to teach them when they are at school all day and assume the school will teach it, but the school doesn't have enough man power, time, or desire to teach them and wishes the parents would. Each side feels the other side will pick up the slack, you can see where this is going.
Thus, the child falls through the proverbial crack and is left with no idea of what he really learned anyways. Usually those subjects include responsibilitie, work-ethic, symathy, initiative, and others; not math, science, history and reading. We must decide which is more important. Or find a way for both to be taught. But I will guarantee this, it will not come from the Public Schools!