PA 704: Philosophy of Education

MONAWARA MALINDATO KASIM-SIMPAL

Discussant
-Democracy and education
-Dewey's vision of Education
-Why does democracy need Education
-The leading hypotheses for the promotion of democracy through
education
-What must education be to become democratic?
-Education For Democracy
-Dewey’s Assumptions
-Measurement of democratic society
 Education
• Education is a process of transmission of knowledge from one generation to
another to bring positive behavioral change.
• Education is the process of social adjustment and self –realization of the
individual.
 John Dewey
Philosopher
• John Dewey was an American philosopher, psychologist, Geologist, and educational
reformer whose ideas have been influential in education and social reform.
• Born: October 20, 1859, Burlington, Vermont, United States
• Died: June 1, 1952, New York City, New York, United States
• Education: University of Vermont (1879), Johns Hopkins University, University of Chicago
• Influenced by: William James, Jean-Jacques Rousseau,
Democracy
.A form of government in which people choose leaders by voting.
•An organization or situation in which everyone is treated equally and has
equal rights.
 CONCEPT OF DEMOCRACY
DEMOCRACY is derived from two Greek
words ‘DEMOS’ and ‘KRATIA’ which
means People and Power respectively.

DEMOCRACY – POWER OF THE PEOPLE

DEMOCRACY – the government of the People, by the
People and for the People.
 A method of group decision making characterized by a kind of equality among the
participants at an essential stage of the collective decision making.

Three aspects of this definition should be noted.

• First, democracy concerns collective decision making,.
• Second, this definition means to cover a lot of different kinds of groups that may be
called democratic. So there can be democracy in families, voluntary organizations,
economic firms, as well as states and transnational and global organizations.
• Third, the equality required by the definition of democracy may be more or less deep.
• Democracy” may refer to any of these political arrangements. It may
involve direct participation of the members of a society in deciding on the
laws and policies of the society
OR
• it may involve the participation of those members in selecting
representatives to make the decisions.

Democratic Education

The Institute for Democratic Education in America (IDEA) defines

democratic education as "learning that equips every human being to
participate fully in a healthy democracy.
 Democratic Education
For education to be democratic it must be an holistic education, not
prescriptive, and not limited to the four walls of the classroom. It must be
developmentally and culturally appropriate and it must be participatory. It
helps a child develop a love for learning and critical thinking. It must also
be equitable so that all have access to it."
Education is democratic when it is inclusive because it is acceptable to a wide
variety of people. It's democratic because it recognizes that students are not
passive beings but have to be engaged as critical thinkers. It's democratic because
parents need to be treated as active participants in the educational process and not
merely as consumers of it. And it's democratic because it has a sense of public
accountability and a commitment to addressing broader public and social goals.“

"Democratic education is where people listen to one another and where children are
the source of learning for teachers. There is a way to help children learn and at the
same time listen to them. Teachers do not feel diminished, and they construct with
the children and respect them, which is something important to learn."
Democracy and Education
In 1916 John Dewey wrote powerful book which was written within the
framework of how education was to fulfill the needs of society. The book
entitled Democracy and Education defined democracy as a way of
defining culture. Dewey viewed democracy as a way of government that
allows for the members of society to enjoy freedom in a well organized
civilization. He refers to the countries that do not use technology and mass
elections to govern themselves as "savage".
 Democracy And Education
• According to John Dewey, "the object and
reward of learning is continued capacity for
growth." However, in order that all people may
be allowed the opportunity to expand their
capacities for growth they would have to live
in a democratic society. Dewey believed that
mass education, at least in terms of this
definition of education, can take place only in
societies where there is mutuality, and where
there is: "adequate provision for the
reconstruction of social habits and
institutions by means of wide stimulation
arising from equitably distributed interests."
 Dewey's vision of Education
• Dewey's vision of education is thus directly connected with the
question of preparing people for active citizenship in a participatory
democracy.
 The Promotion Of Democracy
Through Education
Currently, the leading hypotheses for the promotion of
democracy through education are
• Education increases the benefits of political activity
because it increases human capital
• Education lowers the costs of political activity because the
citizens are better able to make decisions
• Socialization hypothesis- education affects socialization
equally, including its manifestation in politics.
 Why does democracy need education?
Education is a universal human right. It also is a means of achieving other
human rights and it is an empowering social and economic tool. Through the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the world's nations have agreed that
everyone has the right to education.
• Every society transmits its habits of mind, social norms, culture, and
ideals from one generation to the next. There is a direct connection
between education and democratic values: in democratic societies,
educational content and practice support habits of democratic
governance.
• This educational transmission process is vital in a democracy
because effective democracies are dynamic, evolving forms of
government that demand independent thinking by the citizenry. The
opportunity for positive social and political change rests in citizens'
hands.
• Governments should value and devote resources to education just as
they strive to defend their citizens.
• Literacy enables people to stay informed through newspapers and
books. Informed citizens are in a better position to improve their
democracy.
• Democracies encourage students to develop reasonable arguments
based on careful research and a clear understanding of history.
• Private and religious groups should be free to create schools or
parents may choose to teach their children at home.
• Government-run schooling must be equally accessible to all citizens
regardless of their ethnic or religious backgrounds, gender, or physical
disabilities.
• Democratic norms and practices should be taught in order for people
to understand and appreciate their opportunities and responsibilities
as free citizens.
• Education for democratic citizenship includes knowledge of national
and world history and of basic democratic principles.
• School curricula in democracies include history, geography,
economics, literature, philosophy, law, the arts, social studies,
mathematics, and science courses available to all students -- girls and
boys.
• Students should also be free to organize clubs and activities where
democratic norms can be put into practice. For example,
• Student government gives pupils experience in the democratic process.
• Mock elections teach students about citizen participation and
encourage in them lifelong voting habits.
• The researchers also find that established democracies are more likely
to survive if the population is more educated.
Dewey’s Assumptions
The John Dewey Project on Progressive Education grounds its work in Dewey’s assumption
that the aims of education should be oriented towards preparing young people to be full and
active participants in all aspects of democratic life.
• The skills and dispositions needed to actively participate in all aspects of democratic
life include:
• The ability to think critically, a sense of efficacy, a commitment to compassionate
action, and a desire to actively participate in political life by engaging in local decision-
making processes, voting, etc., as well as the basic need to be able to read, write and
do arithmetic.
 What must education be to become democratic?
• It must be accessible for everyone. It means every human being has access to quality
education and has their basic needs met. This means addressing social issues such as
poverty and others that affect people's ability to learn.
• For education to be democratic, every person must be valued, listened to, and participate
actively in their learning and in the decision making processes."

EDUCATION FOR DEMOCRACY

John Dewey formed the basis for the reform of the American educational system, which started
paying attention not only to the education of narrow technical skills but:

• To broaden the democratic consciousness of every student.

• With the goal of shaping a responsible demoratic public life.
 How we can measured democratic society?
A democratic society may be measured
• Firstly, by the extent to which the interests of a group are shared by
all its members, and
• Secondly, by the extent to which groups may freely interact with
each other.
 REFERENCES
 democracyandeducationpptayeshakiran-160104182744
 https://www.slideshare.net/tintojohnsvazhupadickal/education-and-democracy
 https://www.slideshare.net/MazharAli32/democracy-and-education-ppt-ayesha-
kiran
 and
Wassalam!
Ramadhan Mubarak