MAJOR DEBATE I: Teachers in search of new perspectives
Mr Jacques Delors, Chairman of the International Commission of Education for the XXIst Century, moderated this discussion. We reproduce below some extracts from his introductory remarks.
Teachers confronted with change
'Just like other human beings, teachers have to overcome the stresses of the world as they occur, both in the present and in the world to come.'
'First, the tension between the global and local: globalization is advancing. This globalization frightens many people today who are asking themselves if they will not lose their identity and their souls in the anticipated global village. As a result, many people—most in fact—are attempting to find their roots, while others protest or strive to keep the world the way it was in the past. The teacher's job is both to conserve the identity of each nation and each people and, at the same time, to prepare children aged 6 to 10 who will in twenty years' time be faced with a quite different world, this global village.'
'The second tension is that between modernism and tradition: all developing countries are trying to blend a traditional culture with what we call modernism and, once again, if teachers believe in the values of humanism—of which there are several sorts—they should make it easier for society, and particularly for young people, to adapt without disowning or losing their roots.'
'The third tension is that between the indispensable competition which is typical of the global economy and the concern for equal opportunities. We should not confuse the market economy with the market society: society does not just consist of an economy and the latter must be placed in the service of society. In many countries, there is a controversy between businesses demanding that people should be better adapted to the world of work and of the professions, and those who think that the role of education is much more than simply preparing people for work.'
'And finally, the fourth tension is between technical progress and man's ability to assimilate it. Today, the age of data banks, computers and the information society, we cannot ask people to be both very intelligent and very knowledgeable. We should try to educate in order to discriminate, since the growth of knowledge is such that inevitably it will present problems in the information society, one of the greatest perturbations brought about by technical progress. And this is only the beginning of the perturbations. There are many groups now reflecting on how to place the information society in the service of education. I am not able to present to you the outcomes of their work because every day there are new changes. I would simply like to say that the computer can never replace the presence of the teacher among the pupils.'
The teacher in society
'Society asks much of the teacher, I might even say too much. But what does society do for the school? Teachers cannot by themselves provide all the answers to the enormous challenges that I have just mentioned. In the final analysis, everyone is concerned: the community surrounding the school. The school needs partnerships with other social movements, for if we just leave it alone and ask too much of it, we run the risk of demoralizing the school and the teachers. On the contrary, we should pay great attention to the teacher's social status. Of course, this request to mobilize all of society in favour of the school does not discharge teachers from their responsibilities.'
The teacher's duties
'The first duty is the teacher's own training. Teachers must learn throughout their lives and re-train themselves constantly. Perhaps the teachers of tomorrow will occupy different jobs, alternating among business, administration and social work in order to carry out their work in a better way.'
'The second duty is that teachers must work as a team.'
'The third duty is the vital relationship between teachers and learners. Teachers must encourage curiosity and interaction, and bring forth all the talents within each child and not, as is the case with so many elitist systems, to select the best students and to abandon the others.'
'And finally, the last duty of teachers is to assume responsibility for the four pillars of education that we have proposed should be dealt with together. There is not a single time for learning to know, there is no best moment for learning to do, there is not one time when we should be learning to be and, above all, there is not one time when we should be learning to live together. If we have recalled these four clichés in our report, Education: the treasure within, it is because teachers must constantly reconcile these four elements and this is the true challenge facing them. One of the main tasks in the future concerns the fourth element—learning to live together—which is linked with the culture of peace. Learning to live together is the mechanism enabling us to organize this planet Earth towards the global village that will be governed by the values endorsed by UNESCO since its creation.'
The debate
In their comments, delegates stated that schools cannot be held responsible for all the ills of society, no more then it would be useful to paralyse teachers by heaping them with criticism. Furthermore, many decisions about education are made on incomplete or wrong assumptions. In order for educational establishments and their personnel to respond to these types of challenges, more effort and resources need to go towards supporting research. The very long time-scales in education add a further tension to attitudes about the roles of teachers. Changes are slow to come, but financial decisions often need to be made on relatively short time-frames. Resolving this tension involves a clear recognition on the part of governments that education is a primary public service, and an important long-term investment in the future health of societies.
At a time when economic reasoning assumes increasing prominence, it is necessary to reinforce the role of culture, democracy and human values in general, since there is a need to take into account the vast differences among countries, regions and philosophies. In order to broaden the tasks of learning in accordance with the fourpillars, it is felt that ensuring co-operation from a variety of actors, and breaking down the strict difference between teacher and learner will provide promising avenues in the future.