Work

The Geneticization of Education and Its Bioethical Implications

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: The day has arrived that genetic tests for educational outcomes are available to the public. Today parents and students alike can send off a sample of blood or saliva and receive a 'genetic report' for a range of characteristics relevant to education, including intelligence, math ability, reading ability, and educational attainment. DTC availability is compounded by a growing "precision education" initiative, which proposes the application of DNA tests in schools to tailor educational curricula to children's genomic profiles. Here I argue that these happenings are a strong signal of the geneticization of education; the process by which educational abilities and outcomes come to be examined, understood, explained, and treated as primarily genetic characteristics. I clarify what it means to geneticize education, highlight the nature and limitations of the underlying science, explore both real and potential downstream bioethical implications, and make proposals for mitigating negative impacts.

Source: Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics

DOI: 10.1017/s096318012400046x

Author: Lucas J. Matthews

Institutions: Hastings Center, Columbia University

Language: English

Topic: Neuroethics, Human Enhancement, Biomedical Innovations

Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Quality education

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,450