Beshara News
Transforming School Ethos
Transforming Learning Values and Citizenship In Education.
A talk by Professor B J McGettrick (Glasgow), given at the University of Bristol
Graduate School of Education; April 2002.
Extract:
In the charter for the establishing of Glasgow University written by Pope Nicholas v it says - “Amongst the other blessings which God gives it is to be reckoned not least that by assiduous study man may win the pearl of knowledge. This shows him the way to live well and happily and its preciousness opens the door for him to understand the mysteries of the universe. It helps and raises to distinction those that were born in the lowest places.”
I suspect this was among the first written statements of what is now thought of as “social inclusion.” We could say that there are three main areas which we need to consider above all others:
TRUTH : REASON : ENTERPRISE
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
CREATIVITY AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE.
These form the basis of educational system.
Education is not a remote formal system of involvement in classrooms and in the curriculum. It is a conversation from generation to generation. It takes place with different people in different places.
Qualities for Education as Citizens
Children have memories.
To encourage and feed dreams.
To rid society of the pain of the fearful heart.
I believe that increasingly education will be seen as a means of transforming societies by means of a “learning culture”.
Must include learning how to be and learning how to become.
One of the besetting sins of education in our time has been to see the means by which we educate to become the ends of education. The purposes of education are to raise the dignity of each child, to bring to distinction all children, and indeed all people. The curriculum is the means, but the essential purposes lie beyond the curriculum.
The central need in education for young people, and older people too, is to be exposed to the feelings of love, beauty, compassion, goodness, care and the other positive human emotions.
The vision of Citizenship is based on service and on the development of attitudes and ways of thinking concerned with peace and the care of self and others.
This requires an orientation to peace; a sensitivity to the culture of care and sensitivity to the environment, the economy and to human growth and dignity.
By our vocation in education and by our very humanity we are called upon to love one’s neighbour. To love one’s neighbour is to promote the gifts and talents, the beliefs and values, the ways of living of all peoples.
Ways of promoting and forming citizens should be concerned not only with the content and skills of education, but with the human dispostions of dignity, humility, liberty and freedom in a world which does not always promote these as vital to the human condition. This may mean putting dignity before price, and humanity before economy. These are some of the marks of global citizenship.
Bart McGettrick is Professor of Education at Glasgow University.
The full talk is at:
www.becal.net/lc/vision/bartmcgettrick.htm