Deschooling

Deschooling is a term of critical educators and opponents of state schools. The term was coined by the work of Ivan Illich in his 1971 published book Deschooling Society.

The word " Deschooling " Ivan Illich coined as the first, can best translate it with " Deschooling ". Before him Paul Goodman criticized the established school system. In 1947, he raised the question about the relationship between man and the surrounding modern, urban, industrial environment.

In his book "Growing Up Absurd " he argued in 1960 that the young people fail to grow because they live in a society that is not suitable to grow in it. In his 1962 book " Compulsory Miseducation " he poses the question: " Ever since the compulsory school attendance, the school does not have to prove again and again that it is useful? "

In the course of the '68 movement in the U.S., but also in Germany and many other countries has been discussed over the existing school system. The best-known three American Entschulungs - authors were John Caldwell Holt, Everett Reimer and Ivan Illich.

John Holt published "How Children Fail" in 1964, "How Children Learn" in 1967 and "The Underachieving School " and " What Do I Do Monday? " 1970. John Holt was more of a school reformer. His point of view was more the perspective of the student. As the students really learn? He watched what was happening in the classrooms, and summed it up as follows: ". What happens in the classroom, is not what the teachers think "

Everett Reimer and Ivan Illich were more radical in their statements. This makes, for example, the book title of Everett Reimer clear: "Get out of school! Exemption from the learning machine ". Original title: " School is Dead: Alternatives in Education. An Indictment of the system and a Strategy of Revolution " (1971). The English subtitle already indicates the proximity to the "revolutionary" student unrest in 1967 /68 ( see 68 movement ).

Best known in Germany is Ivan Illich. He worked with Everett Reimer near Mexico - Cuernavaca - in an " institution" ( CIDOC = Centro de Documentación Intercultural ) together. At this " Institute " learned and taught 350 students at that time. Today Ivan Illich is more known for his books about health and medicine. Prior to his involvement as " Deschooler " he was a priest in New York.

In Germany Jürgen Zimmer and Hartmut von Hentig are the best known " Deschooler ". Hartmut von Hentig but pleads not for the abolition of school, but for a radical reform. Based on these authors argued Eugen Füner for a " very " different education concept. The French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu ( The illusion of equality, gay Academicus and others) criticized the school system similar.

The word " Deschooling " is also used by Unschoolern to describe the process whereby Unschooler (parents and children) to turn away from scholastic thinking.

Criticism of the established school system

Ian Lister summarizes in an article the arguments of the " Deschooler " together. He claims that the " Deschooler " no " theories of knowledge" have as a starting point, but rather the problem - the school as an institution - out. The " Deschooler " So are not humanists - "Holiday in teaching methods " ( Hilbert Meyer) - have beautiful educational goals and want to bring them with the help of a theory by the school to mankind, but they go by the inadequacy of the school, and then consider what do.

Basically it's the " Deschoolern " about breaking the monopoly of the school on the transfer of knowledge and to the award of titles and privileges. Indirectly criticizing the " Deschooler " the system that surrounds the school: capitalism.

However, Eugen Füner analyzes the basic structure of the school, as it has existed for Comenius. From the contradiction of this structure to the requirements of a modern, democratic, adaptable society, he concludes that the school has had its day.

The school has the opinion " Deschooler " the following function:

• Custodial care ( care management )
• Social role selection ( social selection )
• Indoctrination ( policy )
• And education / learning (education / learning)

Your definition of school is: "We define schools as institutions Which require full-time attendance of specific age groups in teacher - supervised classrooms for the study of graded curricula. "

Translated into German is the definition as: " We define schools as institutions that require the full-time presence of certain age groups supervised by teachers classrooms to study class -dependent stages curricula. "

The following are some of 31 criticisms of the " Deschooler " from Ian Lister articles are listed below:

• More schools did not mean necessarily more education.
• School prevents learning instead of promoting it. Schools are unworldly and did not experience the world. Take the underprivileged the opportunity to control, to shape their own learning.
• Schools failed to teach what they claim to teach.
• The errors of the school would be individualized and personalized it; here lies the error in the school system.
• If the school fails, they magnify themselves.
• School is a modern idea. In its present form it exists since the 18th or 19th century. Maybe the school is just a phenomenon in the history and disappear again in the future if conditions change.
• The school is a political actor. The school will explicitly from the written curriculum and implicitly of the " hidden curriculum " ( " hidden curriculum " ) to be used to educate politically - in each case within the meaning of the one who just has the power in the state, often as an example of this is the Third Reich. In addition, the elites would brought up to " lead ", while the majority will educated to be performed.
• The school as a teacher of economics. The great achievement of the 19th century it was to prepare the people on it to endure the suffering of hard, constantly repeating work until the day she died. The school educate to: punctuality, obedience, diligence, ... (see: Protestant Ethic )
• The conservative teachers.
• Childhood - a new creation.
• " School age " - a crazy concept.
• School as an institution. Paul Goodman and Ivan Illich had compared schools, prisons, hospitals, mental hospitals, barracks and the church. Each of these institutions had an overseer, facilitator and participation is mandatory. There was a difference between what they claim officially to do and what the employees do every day. Every institution

• Teaching and learning. It is an illusion to believe that what they have learned is a result of learning in school. James Herdton writes: "No one can learn in school, but middle-class children learn enough somewhere else and then pretend that the school has taught them anything. "
• → Main article: Secret curriculum

School admit teach before, how to learn how to deal with people - tolerance, teach ... But after Ivan Illich school mainly the " hidden curriculum " (the " hidden curriculum "). Hilbert Meyer meant by " hidden curriculum ": it is " the practice in hierarchical thinking in performance competition and compliance with standards. " Ivan Illich compares in this regard, today's school system with the Chinese civil service exam system. This was stable for centuries. Here knowledge is understood as exchange value and not for the participation of individuals in his culture - knowledge as a use value.

• Certificates as passport and credit card.
• School and equality: the elite and the poor. Worldwide, the school or the school did not manage to pick up the large inequalities.

Alternatives

The " Deschooler " strive for the ideal of the rule of, instrumental action, economic rationality and alienation liberated world. To achieve this, they aspire to an educated, enlightened, but entschulte society.

The " Deschooler " not content to just criticize the existing education system but also offer alternatives. In the following, only Ivan Illich is considered in more detail, who worked with Everett Reimer and thus hardly differed from him.

According to Ivan Illich, a good education system has three aspirations:

• Free access to educational institutions at any age
• Everyone is allowed to teach
• Allow freedom of expression and discussion.

Ivan Illich believed that 4 channels or "learning exchanges" can include all resources for real learning:

• Things, information
• People as a model for skills and values
• Peers, criticism
• Older.

• " The child grows up in a world of things,
• Surrounded by people who serve as models for skills and values ​​.
• Hey find peers who challenge him to argue, to compete, to cooperate, and to understand;
• And, if the child is lucky, he is exposed to confrontation or criticism by to experienced elder who really cares. "

On German about:

• The child grows up in a world of things,
• Surrounded by people who serve as an example of skills and values ​​.
• It finds companions who challenge it to argumentation, competition, cooperation and understanding;
• And if the child is lucky, it is exposed to confrontation and criticism of elders, which really means it's something.

These are four different ways that allow anyone to gain access to all sorts of educational resources, which in turn allow him to define his goals and achieve.

This will be achieved through an educational and communication network. This can be as follows.

Will be funded this by either a budget of a community, or the community are some of the members money so they make the network of learning activities. Elsewhere Ivan Illich speaks of a kind of " bank " in which you something " credited" to get when you turn in some of his abilities, or something gets deducted when one learns skills from others.