Education and delors report

Report of Delors's Commission report is discussed .

1. The word ‘ Education ’ is derived from the following Latin Words as follows :- Etymological Meaning of Education

2. Human society is faced by many challenges. Education is the indispensable asset to attain the ideals of peace, freedom and social justice. Education plays the fundamental role in personal and social development. It can foster a deeper and more harmonious form of human development and thereby to reduce poverty, exclusion, ignorance, oppression and war. Need of Education

3. Historically, British imperialism supplanted the then prevailing system of indigenous education in India. While the educational system established by the British did make substantial progress in science and technology, it engendered alienation from the inner spiritual strength and development, which were the cherished aims of our ancient educational–cultural heritage. The Education Commission (1964 – 66) emphasized this imbalance between our outer world and our inner world. Continu …

4. The Education Commission (1964 – 66) sub-titled their report as ‘Education and National Development’. The vision of Indian society that the Education Commission had in mind and for which education was to function as the major instrument remains unfulfilled. Development has no doubt been achieved during these 35 years but it has been skewed rather than equity-based. Continu ….

5. Socio-economic disparities have widened, class conflicts have increased, our womenfolk are now more disadvantaged and discriminated against, and child labour continues during years that should have been spent in acquiring education. Worse still, in spite of our efforts to promote scientific temper, superstition re-surfaces periodically, sometimes even among the educated. Selective births and blind faith in the non-rational point to the lop-sided influence of our educational endeavor. Deriving sustenance and courage from our constitutional obligations, education should pledge itself afresh to work for a seamless cohesion of our society .

6. The international community began its efforts in 1990 to search for an educational philosophy for better international understanding and an educational system that can meet the challenges of 21 st century. The most important step was taken by the UNESCO by appointing an International commission on Education for the 21 st century (1993-96). International commission on Education for the 21 st century (1993-96)

7. Learning: The Treasure Within, a report submitted to UNESCO, Paris by an International Commission on Education for the twenty-first century under the chairmanship of  Jacques Delors of France. The members of this commission comprised of 14 members from different countries like China ,France ,Japan , Poland etc including  Dr. Karan Singh  from India. The report of this commission was published in 1996 by the name of ‘ Learning: The Treasure Within ’ The Delors Report (1996) ‘Learning – The Treasure Within”

8. The Delors Report (1996) ‘Learning – The Treasure Within” reaffirms the view of Education Commission (1964 – 66) when it visualizes learning as harnessing “the treasure within’. According to the Delors Report, learning constitutes “the heartbeat of society” while ‘learning to know’, ‘learning to do’, learning to live together’ and ‘learning to be’ constitute four pillars of education; mutual understanding, peaceful interchange and harmony can be taken as the social aims of education. The Delors Report (1996) ‘Learning – The Treasure Within”

9. Learning: The Treasure Within is the report submitted to UNESCO, Paris by an International Commission on Education for the twenty-first century headed by Jacques Delors . In the opening submission chapter by the chairman, education has been declared to be a necessary utopia . Education is declared to be "the principal means available to foster a deeper and more harmonious form of human development and thereby to reduce poverty, exclusion, ignorance, oppression and war." Delors Report- Indroduction

10. The last twenty five years gave rise to many breakthroughs and scientific discoveries. Many underdeveloped countries raised their states. Even though the humankind is aware of all the threats faced in the natural environment, resources need to prevent those threats are not allocated. Continu … Looking Ahead

11. We talk about the international co-operation but countries have to tide over the tensions between the nations and ethnic groups. Learning to live together in the global village its too tough because of existing democratic conditions. All these are the great challenges faced by the commission in their concern to contribute for the sustainable development, mutual understanding and renewal of practical democracy.

12. The commission identifies a few tensions that it regards will be central to the problems of the 21st century. They are: 1 ) the tension between the global and the local, i.e., local people need to become world citizens without losing their roots ; 2) while culture is steadily being globalised, this development being partial is creating tension between the universal and the individual Tensions to be overcome

13. 3) the third tension is pretty familiar to Indians the tension between tradition and modernity . Whereas for some the process of change is slow, for others it is not so, thereby creating problems of adaptation; 4 ) the need to balance between impatient cries for quick answers to peoples' problems and a patient, concerted, negotiated strategy of reform results in the problem/tension between long-term and short-term considerations

14. 5 ) tension arising out of human desire to compete and excel and the concern for equality of opportunity ; 6 ) the tension between the extraordinary expansion of knowledge and the capacity of human beings to assimilate it ; 7 ) lastly, another perennial factor the tension between the spiritual and the material .

15. It is the last tension which the commission thought was necessary to address. In the language of Delors ; "There is, therefore, every reason to place renewed emphasis on the moral and cultural dimensions of education, enabling each person to grasp the individuality of other people and to understand the world's erratic progression towards a certain unity; but this process must begin with self-understanding through an inner voyage where milestones are knowledge, meditation and the practice of self- criticism"

16. Commission stressed the need of educating young children and youth which is an expression of affection. Education is an ongoing process of improving knowledge and skills and it is exceptional mean of bringing about personal development and building relationships among individuals ,groups and nations.

17. The members of the commission accepted that only through education we can hope for a world that is a better place to live in ; there will be mutual respect to the rights of men and women ;there will be mutual understanding and the knowledge will be used to foster human development.

18. Commission also noticed that it is a tedious task to overcome the obstacles presented by extraordinary diversity of situations in the world and to arrive in a commonly acceptable conclusions .

19. The reason why the commission titled its report Learning: The Treasure Within is taken from a line in one of the parables of La Fontaine (1668-1694), titled The Ploughman and his Children, which calls learning a treasure . But what placed it inside is not clear except that the spark within is divine. The chapter scheme in the report reflects the basic thinking already done by Delors and Co.   The recommendations consisted of 3 parts and 9 chapters. Design of the Report

20. Chapter 1 is titled “From the Local Community to a World Society,” Chapter 2 is “From Social Cohesion to Democratic Participation,” Chapter 3 is “From Economic Growth to Human Development,” Chapter 4 is “The Four Pillars of Education (partly new in ideas); Chapter 5 is “Learning Throughout Life” (Chapters 4 and 5 together constitute Part Two of the volume), and

21. Part Three starts with chapter 6 titled "From Basic Education to University" Chapter 7 is "Teachers in Search of New Perspectives" Chapter 8 is "Choices for Education: The Political Factor," Chapter 9 is titled "International Cooperation: Educating the Global Village," and the last is called " Epilogue. "

22. Education is declared to be "the principal means available to foster a deeper and more harmonious form of human development and thereby to reduce poverty, exclusion, ignorance, oppression and war.“ Delors regards "education as an ongoing process of improving knowledge and skills, it is also perhaps primarily an exceptional means of bringing about personal development and building relationships among individuals, groups and nations." Continu …. Major Pointers and Recommendations

23. The commission defines education, once again, as “a social experience through which children learn about themselves, develop interpersonal skills and acquire basic knowledge and skills’’. Delors repeats the concept of broadening international cooperation in the global village.

24. Education for conscious and active citizenship must begin at school. Democratic participation should be encouraged by instructions and practices adapted to a media and information society. It’s the role of education to provide children and adults with the cultural background that will enable them to understand the changes taking place.

25. Commission stress the need of improvement, general availability and strengthening of Basic Education -A requirement which is valid for all countries. The emphasis should be laid for primary education and its traditional basic programmes – reading, writing , arithmetic-but also on the ability to express oneself in a language that lends itself to dialogue and understanding.

26.   The commission acknowledges the existence of several types of institutions of higher learning, both private and public, and also vocational and non-vocational. The suggestions are laid for the universities to diversify what they offer, like - as scientific establishments and centers of learning from where students go on to theoretical or applied researcher teaching; - as establishments offering occupational qualifications and highly specialized training courses adapted to the need of economic and social life. About higher education.

27. - as meeting places for learning throughout life; - as leading partners in international cooperation;  - for the developing countries they must provide the vocational and technological training of future leaders; the higher and middle level education is additionally required to save them from grinding poverty and underdevelopment.  The strategies proposed are ( i ) seeking co-operation of the local community including parents, schools, teachers and others, (ii) public authorities, and (iii) the international communities. Continu …

28. The commission lays stress on life-long learning, a concept which the UNESCO has been propagating for over four decades with an added emphasis to rethink and broaden the notion.

29. The concept of life long education is different from the traditional distinction between initial and continuing education. The concept of ‘ Learning Society’ , in which every one affords an opportunity of learning and fulfilling one’s potential. It press the need of literacy work and basic education for adults . Continu ….

30. Teachers should be provided with the psychological and material situation by the society and their position should be recognized with suitable resources and necessary authority . Teachers should be also concern the need for imperative requirement to update the knowledge and skills; should accommodate the professional opportunities; should benefit from the economic ,social and cultural life experiences.

31. Commission stress the importance of exchanges of teachers and partnerships between institutions in countries . The administrative decentralization and autonomy of educational establishments are required for the developments . It also recommends for the reorganization of funding structures in the light of the principle that the learning should continue throughout individual’s lives.

32. The diversification and the improvement of distance education through use of technologies; greater use of technologies in adult education and in-service training of teachers; dissemination of such technologies throughout the society are also the commission recommendation. The need for international co-operation should be felt in the field of education. A policy for strong encouragement for the education of girls and women should be promoted at the level of international co-operation .

33. In the view of the commission, there will be four bases of education in the twenty first century: 1.  Learning to know   2.  Learning to do 3.  Learning to be   4.  Learning to live together .  Four Pillars of Education

34. In the opinion of Delor’s commission, to understand the rapid changes occurring due to scientific progress and social processes, and cultivate skill to work accordingly, the following will be necessitated in the twenty-first century- 1. Basic education should be expanded.   2. Specific education should follow basic education.  Learning to know 

35. Commission suggest that learning to know can be achieved by combining a sufficiently broad general knowledge with the opportunity to work in depth on a small number of subjects . In the view of the commission, the children should be trained in learning methods, especially in focusing concentration, memorizing and thinking, and this task should be started right from infancy. In the view of the commission, these are the methods of learning which can help learn lifelong .

36. 1. The provision for work experience and social service will have to be compulsorily made along with formal education. 2. Peoples should be given opportunities to learn life long . For life long learning, the societies have to be transformed into ‘ learning societies ’. By ‘learning societies’ the commission means such societies in which are given different opportunities for obtaining knowledge and skill in social, cultural and economic field, also with imparting of formal education. Taking part in real-time activities in these fields will help develop common sense, decision-making power and leadership skill . And the most important thing is that they will inculcate far-sight and insight.   Learning to Do  

37. The aptitude and latent talents of children and peoples can be brought out. Children’s personality can be fully developed. Physical abilities and mental abilities (memory, reasoning, and imagination) can be developed in children. Social skills and aesthetic sense and communication skills of children can be cultivated together with leadership ability. In the opinion of the commission, only such people will be able to guard themselves in the twenty-first century. Learning to Be

38. In the commission’s view, the first thing for this is to cultivate the ability to understand one another. Unless all people are able to understand others, they will not like to live together. Our modern needs have so expanded today that we are no more self-dependent even in our family, social and national matters, and leave alone international level. Learning to Live Together 

39. Education should train children to understand others. Children should be trained to cooperate with one another for the attainment of goals right from the beginning. The commission has explained that when people come nearer, some conflicts can arise among them. Therefore, education will have to train them in subsidizing conflicts, and they will have to be trained in eradicating conflicts on the bases of human values.

40. The commission has clarified that now all nations of the world will have to resolve their mutual differences, will have to sow the seeds of peace instead of that of war, and will have to solve one another’s problems in mutual cooperation. Therefore, it is essential that children be trained to live together right from the beginning and be taught a lesson of peace and harmony in place of conflict and struggle.  

41. Concept map

42. THANK YOU Presentation By Honey Babu , Asst. Professor in Education, GVM’s Dr. Dada Vaidya , College of Education,Goa .