Learning to be.docx

Learning to be.docx

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Learningtobe

Educationforthetwenty-firstcentury:

 issuesandprospects

ISBN 92-3-103447-2

Paris,UNESCOPublishing,1998

ContributionstotheworkoftheInternationalCommissiononEducationfortheTwenty-firstCentury,chairedbyJacquesDelors

PreparedduringtheworkoftheCommission（whosereport,Learning:

theTreasureWithin,waspublishedin1996）,thepapersthatmakeupthisvolumewereintendedtocomplementexistingliterature,torespondtoquestionsthataroseinthecourseoftheCommission’swork,andtoilluminatespecificissuesthatcrossdisciplines.Theyareasampling,aseriesofinsightsintoissuesandproblemsasseenbysomeoutstandingcontemporarythinkersoneducation.

Thetextsshowthatthereisagreatdealofhopefulnessinthecapacityofindividualinstitutionsandentiresystemstomeetthechallengesofthefuture.Thedesireonthepartofeducatorstorespondtothechallengesthattheyface,botholdandnew,isoneofthemostencouragingmessagesthatemergesfromthem. 

Education,likesociety,isfullofcontradictionsandparadoxes.Itiscalledupontoreconciledivergentaimsandtrends,toembodybothcontinuityandrenewal,toencourageconformityandinnovationatthesametime.Furthermore,likemuchhumanendeavour,thepracticeofeducationisalwaysablendbetweenalong-rangevisionandtheurgencyofday-to-daypractice.Neithercanbesacrificed,neithercanbeentirelysatisfied,atanytime.Thisvolumebearswitnesstosomeoftheseparadoxes.

Learningtobe*

Atitsveryfirstmeeting,theCommissionpowerfullyre-assertedafundamentalprinciple:

educationshouldcontributetoeveryperson'scompletedevelopment-mindandbody,intelligence,sensitivity,aestheticappreciationandspirituality.Allpeopleshouldreceiveintheirchildhoodandyouthaneducationthatequipsthemtodeveloptheirownindependent,criticalwayofthinkingandjudgementsothattheycanmakeuptheirownmindsonthebestcoursesofactioninthedifferentcircumstancesintheirlives.

Inthisrespect,theCommissionembracesoneofthebasicassumptionsstatedinthereportLearningtoBe:

.theaimofdevelopmentisthecompletefulfilmentofman,inalltherichnessofhispersonality,thecomplexityofhisformsofexpressionandhisvariouscommitments-asindividual,memberofafamilyandofacommunity,citizenandproducer,inventoroftechniquesandcreativedreamer'.

Thishumandevelopment,whichbeginsatbirthandcontinuesallthroughaperson'slife,isadialecticprocesswhichisbasedbothonself-knowledgeandonrelationshipswithotherpeople.Italsopresupposessuccessfulpersonalexperience.Asameansofpersonalitytraining,educationshouldbeahighlyindividualizedprocessandatthesametimeaninteractivesocialexperience.

InitsPreamble,thereportLearningtoBe（1972）expressedthefearofdehumanizationoftheworld,associatedwithtechnicalprogressandoneofitsmainmessageswasthateducationshouldenableeachperson>tobeabletosolvehisownproblems,makehisowndecisionsandshoulderhisownresponsibilities.'Sincethen,allprogressindifferentsocieties,particularlythestaggeringincreaseinmediapower,hasintensifiedthosefearsandmadetheimperativethattheyunderpinevenmorelegitimate.Thisdehumanizationmayincreaseinthetwenty-firstcentury.Ratherthaneducatingchildrenforagivensociety,thechallengewillbetoensurethateveryonealwayshasthepersonalresourcesandintellectualtoolsneededtounderstandtheworldandbehaveasafair-minded,responsiblehumanbeing.Morethaneverbefore,theessentialtaskofeducationseemstobetomakesurethatallpeopleenjoythefreedomofthought,judgement,feelingandimaginationtodeveloptheirtalentsandkeepcontrolofasmuchoftheirlivesastheycan.

Thisisnotsimplyacryforindividualism.Recentexperiencehasshownthatwhatcouldappearmerelyasapersonaldefencemechanismagainstanalienatingsystemorasystemperceivedtobehostile,alsoofferedthebestopportunityformakingsocialprogress.Personalitydifferences,independenceandpersonalinitiativeorevenataskforupsettingtheestablishedorderarethebestguaranteesofcreativityandinnovation.Therejectionofimportedhigh-techmodels,theharnessingoftraditionalimpliedformsofknowledgeandempowermentareeffectivefactorsinendogenousdevelopment.Newmethodshaveevolvedfromexperimentsatlocalcommunitylevel.Theireffectivenessinreducingviolenceorcombatingvarioussocialproblemsiswidelyrecognized.

Inahighlyunstableworldwhereoneofthemaindrivingforcesseemstobeeconomicandsocialinnovation,imaginationandcreativitymustundoubtedlybeaccordedaspecialplace.Astheclearestexpressionsofhumanfreedom,theymaybethreatenedbytheestablishmentofacertaindegreeofuniformityinindividualbehaviour.Thetwenty-firstcenturywillneedavariedrangeoftalentsandpersonalitiesevenmorethanexceptionallygiftedindividuals,whoareequallyessentialinanysociety.Bothchildrenandyoungpersonsshouldbeofferedeveryopportunityforaesthetic,artistic,scientific,culturalandsocialdiscoveryandexperimentation,whichwillcompletetheattractivepresentationoftheachievementsofpreviousgenerationsortheircontemporariesinthesefields.Atschool,artandpoetryshouldtakeamuchmoreimportantplacethantheyaregiveninmanycountriesbyaneducationthathasbecomemoreutilitarianthancultural.Concernwithdevelopingtheimaginationandcreativityshouldalsorestorethevalueoforalcultureandknowledgedrawnfromchildren'soradults'experiences.

Learningtolivetogether*

Violencealltoooftendominateslifeinthecontemporaryworld,formingadepressingcontrastwiththehopewhichsomepeoplehavebeenabletoplaceinhumanprogress.Humanhistoryhasconstantlybeenscarredbyconflicts,buttheriskisheightenedbytwonewelements.Firstly,thereistheextraordinarypotentialforself-destructioncreatedbyhumansinthetwentiethcentury.Then,wehavetheabilityofthenewmediatoprovidetheentireworldwithinformationandunverifiablereportsonongoingconflicts.Publicopinionbecomesahelplessobserverorevenahostageofthosewhoinitiateorkeepuptheconflicts.Untilnoweducationhasbeenunabletodomuchtomitigatethissituation.Canwedobetter?

Canweeducateourselvestoavoidconflictorpeacefullyresolveit?

Whiletheideaofteachingnon-violenceinschoolsiscertainlypraiseworthy,itseemsquiteinadequateifwelookatwhatisreallyinvolved.Thechallengeisadifficultonesincepeoplehaveanaturaltendencytooverestimatetheirownabilitiesorthoseofthegrouptowhichtheybelongandtoentertainprejudicesagainstotherpeople.Moreover,thegeneralclimateofcompetitionthatprevailsinbothdomesticandinternationaleconomiestendstoturncompetitivenessandpersonalsuccessintomodernvalues.Infact,thiscompetitivenessisnowadaystranslatedintoarelentlesseconomicwarandatensionbetweenrichandpoorthatbreaksapartnationsandtheworldandexacerbateshistoricrivalries.Regrettably,withitsincorrectinterpretationofwhatismeantbycompetition,educationsometimeshelpstosustainthisstateofaffairs.

Howcanwedobetter?

Experienceshowsthatitisnotenoughtosetupcontactsandcommunicationbetweenpeoplewhoareliabletocomeintoconflicttoreducethisrisk（forexample,ininter-racialorinter-denominationalschools）.Ifthedifferentgroupsarerivalsoriftheydonothavethesamestatusinthesamegeographicalarea,suchcontactmayhavetheoppositeeffecttothatdesired-itmaybringouthiddentensionsanddegenerateintoanopportunityforconflict.If,ontheotherhand,thiskindofcontactisorganizedinanegalitariansettingandcommonaimsandprojectsarepursued,theprejudicesandlatenthostilitymaygivewaytoamorerelaxedformofco-operation,orevenfriendship.

Theconclusionwouldseemtobethateducationshouldadopttwocomplementaryapproaches.Fromearlychildhood,itshouldfocusonthediscoveryofotherpeopleinthefirststageofeducation.Inthesecondstageofeducationandinlifelongeducation,itshouldencourageinvolvementincommonprojects.Thisseemstobeaneffectivewayofavoidingconflictorresolvinglatentconflicts.

Discoveringotherpeople*

Oneofeducation'stasksisbothtoteachpupilsandstudentsabouthumandiversityandtoinstilinthemanawarenessofthesimilaritiesandinterdependenceofallpeople.Fromearlychildhood,theschoolshouldseizeeveryopportunitytopursuethistwo-prongedapproach.Somesubjectslendthemselvestothis-humangeographyinbasiceducation,foreignlanguagesandliteraturelateron.

Moreover,whethereducationisprovidedbythefamily,thecommunityortheschool,childrenshouldbetaughttounderstandotherpeople'sreactionsbylookingatthingsfromtheirpointofview.Wherethisspiritofempathyisencouragedinschools,ithasapositiveeffectonyoungpersons'socialbehaviourfortherestoftheirlives.Forexample,teachingyoungsterstolookattheworldthroughtheeyesofotherethnicorreligiousgroupsisawayofavoidingsomeofthemisunderstandingsthatgiverisetohatredandviolenceamongadults.Thus,teachingthehistoryofreligionsorcustomscanprovideausefulreferencetoolformouldingfuturebehaviour.

Lastly,recognitionoftherightsofotherpeopleshouldnotbejeopardizedbythewaychildrenandyoungpeoplearetaught.Teacherswhoaresodogmaticthattheystiflecuriosityorhealthycriticisminsteadofteachingtheirpupilshowtoengageinlivelydebatecandomoreharmthangood.Forgettingthattheyar