What is the role of the school relative to social progress?

According to Noddings (2007), critical theorists believe that, “…philosophy must be engaged with the great struggles and social movements of its time.” Schools and learning must be relevant to fully engage its students in learning and dialogue that is meaningful. School is a microcosm of the larger world of which we are all a part. Social progress can inform our work as we plan lessons for students.

I love what Martin Buber says of education. He puts relationship at the very heart of schools. He spoke about the need for each child to know that someone cares and will listen. He said, “Trust, trust in the world, because this human being exists—that is the most inward achievement of the relation in education.” He goes on to explain the need for adults (teachers) who can present the world effectively.

Within the school environment are many opportunities to learn about diversity and how we can be contributing members to a better world. To miss these opportunities would be tragic since many families have narrow perspectives on the world. The melting pot of cultures we find in schools today is perfect for inspiring understanding for social progress and higher consciousness—based on input from many cultures. It is essential that the staff of the school work on understanding these opportunities and where they stand on the steps of the Cultural Continuum so that they are able to facilitate the healthy development of students from diverse backgrounds. We must remain cognizant of the fact that all perspectives must be given while we allow students to be free thinkers, unencumbered by our own views.

Kant brought about a shift from the authority of the church to emphasis on the importance of the individual. The question now is: have we shifted too far toward the individual at the expense of the importance of the community? When everyone is looking out for number one, the community suffers. Some argue that societal transformation is possible within an Aristotelian framework, characteristic of a good society’s exemplars. Aristotle said that the person of virtue must know when and how to exercise each virtue. As school communities, I see value in establishing the virtues the community has in common. These common virtues can guide the actions and attitudes of all within the school and carry over to how we act in the larger world.

Dewey put great emphasis on the responsibility of individuals and institutions, of which schools are very important. Schools lay the foundation for how the community of students interacts with one another and what they focus on in their learning. As Noddings (2007) quotes John Rawls, “Equally if not more important is the role of education in enabling a person to enjoy the culture of his society and to take part in its affairs, and in this way to provide for each individual a secure sense of his own worth.”

Because the school is only a part of the community in which it is housed, there is great benefit that can be derived from developing meaningful partnerships with other organizations and businesses surrounding it. Mutually beneficial relationships with other members of the community provide resources, tutoring, and support. Children can benefit from knowing they are part of a bigger society that works together for the common good.

Businesses within the community are interested in schools raising young people who will be able to fill their needs as employees in the future. They can provide innovative ways to link students to the real world and provide incentives for raising attendance and student achievement. Seeing the school as a community partner, rather than living in isolation, can provide many mutual benefits.

To provide equity and justice via our schools, we must remain cognizant of the needs of all children. Noddings (2007 states, “Thus, if we are concerned with “really equal treatment,” as I think we must be, we must base a curriculum on a recognition of those differences that empower and depower our students in identifiable ways…we see the great error of supposing that inequality can be removed by forcing everyone to study the same curriculum.” I couldn’t agree more! Our desire to produce equal outcomes for all has led us to do the inequitable.

As Noddings (2007) shared about the views of Dewey, “We must ask what the consequences will be not only for the children now suffering deprivation but also for our own children and…for our democracy itself.”

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References
Noddings, Nel. (2007) Philosophy of Education, Second Edition. Boulder, Boulder,
Colorado: Westview Press.

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