Redefining education as inherent to human growth<\/p>\n
LSF Josephus, Teachers, Gandhi Memorial International School,
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
In a limited seminar on Education Research Design held by
\nPasacsarjana students of philosophy from the University of
\nIndonesia, I once stated that \"Education is not a matter of
\ntransferring knowledge! It's an ongoing formation in an ongoing
\nprocess.\" Many hands were raised, many questions were addressed,
\nbut all had me surprised.<\/p>\n
The questions were far from what I meant. They dealt with the
\nclass-room phenomenon while I myself stuck with the essence of
\neducation itself. An ongoing formation in an ongoing process
\nmeans that education, by and within itself cannot be separated
\nfrom the story of human species as homo educandum (Latin term for
\nhuman being as the only species capable of education) that
\nexplicitly denotes the existence of education.<\/p>\n
Education will only disappear from the shape of the world
\nwithin the end of the world. Three basic questions should be
\npointed out here! What is the essence of education? In what way
\nit is an ongoing formation? In what sense it is an on going
\nprocess?<\/p>\n
The old paradigm emphasized that the most important role is on
\nthe shoulders of the agents of education, teachers and parents at
\nhome. Children were merely recipients, not the agents of the
\neducation. Then it developed into, Roma locuta, causa finita!
\nWhat students have to do is to do what teachers and parents want
\nthem to do. No comments and no questions allowed! Causa finita!
\nWhat Paulo Freire discussed is mostly true throughout many of the
\nworld's schools. Children are being treated as deposit banks for
\nfacts and figures, not creative human beings.<\/p>\n
In the case of Locke's tabula rasa (empty tablet), the first
\nteachers at home assume that information on pure knowledge,
\napplied knowledge and science is what their children need to
\nreceive for seven or eight periods a day in classrooms are not
\nenough. They want more for their child. Tuition, private lessons
\nand courses should be added! They, then, make their own child
\ntheir slave. What will the child be in the future depends on what
\nthey write on an exam paper.<\/p>\n
This is what I call the dangerous aspects of education in
\npractice. Parents (I hope not the teachers) reduce their child
\nfrom the throne of humanity to an instrument of knowledge. They
\ntreat their own child as a mature person within a small body! They
\nrarely consider the capacity of their child, they determine the
\nfuture of their own child!<\/p>\n
One more thing that seems clear in our modern times is that
\neducation is understood only as the responsibility of schools or
\nteachers. Parents, who hand over their children to schools by
\npaying a certain amount of money, act powerful. They
\nspontaneously blame the teachers, when there is no progress, or
\nwhen their children fail exams.<\/p>\n
Punishment is aimed at teachers as they make the teachers
\nresponsible for their child. But this distributive unfairness
\nnever changes a teacher! Teachers are still teachers! They are
\nstill on their own post as heroes without honorable stars on
\ntheir shoulders.<\/p>\n
They do know what they are and what they should do in schools,
\nin the structure of the whole system into which they put
\nthemselves in. They do realize the shift of modern family values.
\n\"Children, have become children of maids at home\", as parents
\nhave no time for their children because of their busy schedule!<\/p>\n
The above concepts and comments lead me to a partial
\nconclusion that education, in our time, is limited as an
\nintellectual activity at schools and good manner and right
\nconduct at home. But, that is not education at all! That is only
\na phenomenon of the whole body of education.<\/p>\n
Too much reliance on the essence of education from a school's
\nintellectual or academic activities and good manners and right
\nconduct at home give children the opportunity to express
\nthemselves as they are in the time and place between school and
\nhome, and vice-versa. Pressuring them to do what they have to do
\nat school (You should do this or that!) and forbidding them from
\nthis or that at home trains them to be oppressive people.<\/p>\n
The almost daily brawls between students from different
\nschools signifies this quite clearly. They fight as a medium of
\nself-expression. They want to show that they are something, not
\nintellectually manipulated objects at schools or behaviorally
\nmanipulated objects at home. They are human beings that should be
\ntreated as human beings.<\/p>\n
So, what needs to be done?<\/p>\n
Reducing the essence of education as the only function of the
\nschool and home will lead the whole system of education to a
\nsorrowful calamity. The personality of the child as a human being
\nis broken into pieces. He or she is conditioned to behave well in
\nfront of the teachers as well as in front of his or her parents,
\nbut, that is not their true-self.<\/p>\n
In front of teachers, he or she will behave as a student of a
\nteacher as well as a son or a daughter of a pair of persons at
\nhome, his or her own parents, but he or she is something, he or
\nshe is his or her own self and that should be expressed! He or
\nshe, then, may do whatever he or she wants to do even if the
\nteachers and parents forbid him or her to do. This is the reason
\nwhy education should be redefined urgently!<\/p>\n
In redefining education, we have to deal with the concepts and
\nideas of 20th century educators and thinkers, such as John Dewey
\nand Ivan Illich. For John Dewey (1859-1952), education is, \"to
\ngive a chance to children to experience their life.\" Dewey has
\nblown a new aroma here. Education is a matter of creating a
\ncondition in a certain sphere in which the child may receive and
\nexpress himself as person in being with others.<\/p>\n
It is a collective responsibility (parents, teachers, students
\nand society) of what the student will be in the future rather
\nthan just a knowledgeable person! The same voice comes from the
\nradical philosopher and educator, Ivan Illich (1926-2002) within
\nhis concept of \"convivium\". Education is a matter of cum vivere
\n(living together).<\/p>\n
Like John Dewey, Illich declares education to be an experience
\nof a life as togetherness. Education is the responsibility of the
\nwhole society in which parents, teachers and students are the
\nmain components.<\/p>\n
Starting with the brilliant concepts of John Dewey and Ivan
\nIllich as the foundation, I come to my topic: Education should be
\nredefined! Concepts of education as an activity of transferring
\nknowledge since ancient times to our time, that gave important
\nrole to teachers at schools and parents at home, failed in
\nproducing integrated persons! Education is more than an activity
\nof transferring knowledge and skills.<\/p>\n
It is an inter-active communication, between parents,
\nteachers, students and environment or society. An interactive
\ncommunication that results in self-awareness and self-confidence.
\nSelf-awareness and self-confidence will produce awareness of one-
\nself and confidence in one-self, and finally, people geared to
\nface their society and environment. In being aware and trusting
\nothers, one will obtain his or her integrity.<\/p>\n
Finally, in interactive communication with togetherness, not
\nonly may a child learn to be a mature human being of integrity
\nbut will also fit into society as a whole. Teachers also will
\nlearn to be prototypes of truth, goodness and excellence, and
\nmore out-reaching to others. Therefore, education is an ongoing
\nformation in an ongoing process of a child's growth in the
\nconvivium or togetherness! That should be the education for
\ntoday!<\/p>\n
The writer is a Postgraduate Student of Philosophy, University
\nof Indonesia<\/p>",
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