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Education: Challenges for political education
[Extract from: "Learning: The Treasure Within. UNESCO report on Education for the 21st Century"]
"We have to face up to the greatest tensions and, still better, overcome them. While these tensions are not new, they will be of core importance for the problems of the 21st century. These tensions concern the following issues:
 | The tensions between the 'global' and the
'local'. It's important that people become world citizens without losing their local roots. Indeed, it's important that
they make an active contribution to the life of their nations and local communities. |
| The tensions between the 'general' and the
'individual'. Culture is becoming increasingly globalized, but until now this has only occurred in parts. It's important that we ignore neither the possibilities nor the dangers of the
globalization process, not least the by no means insignificant danger of forgetting about the uniqueness of each and every individual. It's down to individuals to choose their own futures and to reach their full potential in the carefully preserved richness of their own traditions and cultures, which, if we are not careful, are in danger of being lost by modern developments. |
| The tensions between the traditional and the modern, which are part of the very same problem. Indeed, how is it possible to embrace change without turning your back on the past? How can autonomy be achieved at the same time as the unrestricted development of others? How can scientific advances be integrated? Here we have to face up to the challenges being presented
by the new information technologies. |
| The tensions between long and short-term thinking. While this is an area in which tensions have always existed, today they are
characterized and dominated by haste and immediacy. We are living in a world that is overflowing with short-lived news and emotions which serve in providing a permanent illustration of the current problems. Public pressure is for fast answers and ready-made solutions. Yet many problems demand a patient and thought-out reform strategy that meets with the approval of all sides. This is also very true for education policy. |
| The tensions between the necessity of competition and worries about equal opportunities. A classic problem, this issue
has been a difficult area for economic and socio-political decision makers and for education policy makers since the beginning of the century (20the). While a few solutions have been attempted, they have
never proved successful for long. Indeed, the Commission ventures to suggest that competitive pressure has led to many of those in positions of responsibility to lose sight of the actual task, namely that everyone should be empowered to reach their full potential. And it is for this reason that
- within the scope of our mandate - we took the decision to reconsider and redefine the term "life-long learning". Our aim was to bring three forces together: competition and the incentive it provides, cooperation and the strength it offers and solidarity with its power to unite. |
| The tensions between the incredible expansion of knowledge and the capacity of people to learn. The Commission decided it would be worthwhile to suggest new areas of learning
including self-knowledge, methods for ensuring physical and mental well-being
and methods for developing a better understanding of the natural environment and encouraging its preservation. Given that school curriculums are already being subjected to increasing pressure, it's essential that any reform strategy has to be sensible and include
options - while at the same time making sure that the decisive characteristics of basic education are retained. The idea is to enable children to learn how they can improve their lives through knowledge, through trying things out and through developing their own personal culture. |
| And finally - another repetitive factor - the tensions between the spiritual and the material. Without knowing it and often without being able to put it into
words, people are drawn towards an ideal and towards values. We have decided
to refer to this as 'morals'. This means that the main objective of education is to encourage everyone to take action in accordance with their traditions and
convictions, to respect pluralism fully and to reach the universal level with heart and mind and in so doing to
go some way towards surpassing themselves. The Commission is not exaggerating
when it says that the survival of mankind is at stake. |
People today are in a state of confusion and feel torn between
globalization, the effects of which they can see and sometimes are forced to bear, and the search for their roots, things onto which they can hold and a feeling of belonging. Political education must to rise to this challenge more than ever
before. What is more, it has to be done now because a world community is struggling to be
born. Education is at the core of personal development and the community. Its task is to make it possible for each and every one of us to develop our talents to the full and to reach our creative potential, which includes taking responsibility for our own lives and for the reaching of our own goals."
[Learning: The Treasure Within. UNESCO report for Education for the 21st Century, published by the German UNESCO Commission. Neuwied; Kriftel; Berlin: Luchterhand, 1997, p. 14-15]
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