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John
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| Fall 1999, v15-4 | ||||||
| School is
arguably the most pervasive formal institution to be encountered by youth.
From early childhood and into their teens, youth in most democratic societies
attend formal school on some regular basis from years 5 through 18--formidable
and formative years for each individual. The consequences of this early
education for the individual and society are awesome, and must be addressed
if a viable democratic society is to survive. As new waives of immigrants arrive upon the shores of the U.S. and Canada, new urgency exists. Many new arrivals are fleeing persecution from countries with shallow, if any, democratic roots. How should we invite them in and educate their children to participate in a democratic society? How do we avoid polarization, misunderstanding, and hatred? The answer for them is the same as for us. In Democracy and Education, John Dewey points out the weakness and superficiality of limiting the rationale, and thus purpose, to providing a literate electorate and guarding against arbitrary authority. Underlying this rationale is a deeper purpose. Democracy is more than a form of government, "... it is primarily a mode of associated living ... a way of life that leads to a society that provides for the participation of all it members on equal terms, ... secures flexible readjustment of its institutions ... [and provides] a type of education which gives individuals a personal interest in social relationships and control, and the habits of mind which secure social changes without introducing disorder." To be learned, democracy must be experienced. Learning must be structured to promote civic virtues and a democratic culture. Complex democratic cultures are diverse in ethnicity, race, and religious beliefs, and therefore the need to identify with and experience a common civic culture is essential. A common civic culture which acknowledges diversity as strength--e pluribus unum--bonds society and values the "habits of mind" needed to secure social changes without disorder. Democracy and habits of the mind are not genetic: they must be taught. Logically, this should be accomplished through formal schooling. But it must not be left to schools alone--community participation is imperative. Why? Because the community is the authentic experiential context for developing civic virtue and the necessary habits. Collaborations between schools and communities guarantee a richness that translates into a true educational resource: one that will improve the development of school, community, and students. This issue is rich with material that discusses such collaborations. Whether at the university level, as is the case with Brown University's bold experiment, through school and/or community-based service learning projects for teens , or as a result of research findings that address youths' "opportunities to learn" and teachers' "opportunities to teach," people are coming up with answers that are inspiring and promising for the here and now. We need to work today toward a formal school agenda that places the highest priority on preparing our youth to be society's future stewards. To achieve this goal, we need greater dialogue, to deepen and quicken our thinking and practice, and foster political action needed to advance the cause. You can view many of the articles in this issue electronically. See the Table of Contents and our Focus area for details. Our next print issue, V16-1, explores spirituality: don't miss it.  John P. Terry, Editor-in-Chief  |
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