Democratic Education

Democratic Education 

Democratic education is an educational ideal in which democracy is both an objective and a method of teaching. It brings democratic values ​​to education and can include self-determination within a community of equals, as well as values ​​such as justice, respect and trust. Democratic education is often specifically empowering, with student voices being equal to the teacher. The history of democratic education spans at least the 1600s. Although associated with a number of people, there has been no central figure, establishment or nation that advocated l democratic education. In 1693 John Locke published some reflections on education. None of the things they have to learn, should never be a burden on them, or imposed on them as a task. Everything that is so proposed, is currently becoming painful; the mind takes an aversion to it, long before it was a thing of pleasure or indifference.

Leave a child, but be whipped his ordained at some point every day, whether he has a mind of his own or not; let him be there, but requir'd him as a duty, where he has to spend so many hours in the morning and in the afternoon, and see if he will soon be tired of any game at this rate. Jean-Jacques Rousseau educational counseling book, Émile, was published in 1762. Émile, the imaginary student he used as an illustration, was only to learn what he could also appreciate useful. He had to learn from his lessons, and learn to rely on his own judgment and experience. "The tutor should not establish precepts, they must be allowed to be discovered", writes Rousseau, and urged him not to learn science Emile, but let him discover it. He also said that we should not substitute books for personal experience because that does not teach us reason; it teaches us to use other people's reasoning; it teaches us to believe a lot, but never to know anything.

While Locke and Rousseau were only concerned with the education of the children of the wealthy, in the 19th century Léon Tolstoï set up a school for the children of peasants. It was on his own estate in Yasnaya Polyana, Russia, in the late 19th century. He told us that the school has evolved freely from the principles put in place by teachers and students; that, despite the predominant influence of the teacher, the student had always had the right not to come to school, or, come, not to listen to the teacher, and that the teacher had the right to did not admit a student, and was able to use all the influence he could gather to win the community, where the children were still in the majority. In 1912 Janusz Korczak founded Dom Sierot, the Jewish orphanage in Warsaw, which was executed on democratic lines until 1940, when he accompanied all his charges to the gas chambers of the Treblinka extermination camp.

The oldest democratic school that still exists is Summerhill in, Suffolk, England, founded in 1921. It has attendance at voluntary classes and a school meeting with broad powers. Sudbury Valley School, founded in Framingham, Massachusetts in 1968, has full democratic governance: The School Meeting manages all aspects of the school, including the recruitment of staff and facilities. A "Sudbury School" is now a general school class based on this original. The term democratic education comes from the Hadera democratic school, the first school in the world called a democratic school. It was founded in Israel in 1987 by Yaacov Hecht. It is a public school. The term has been adopted by alternative / open schools all over the world, mainly as a result of IDEC - the International Conference on Democratic Education, whichwas organized at the democratic school in Hadera.

Role of education in democracy

Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education

Education for democratic citizenship and human rights education are closely interlinked and complementary. They differ in direction and scope, rather than purpose and practical implementation. What is the purpose of education for democratic citizenship and human rights education (EDC / HRE)? The goal of education for democratic citizenship and human rights education is to provide people with knowledge, understanding and skills that will help them play an effective role in the community, both locally, nationally and internationally. Education for democratic citizenship and human rights education are not only provided in schools during citizenship lessons. They cover all stages of education: from children to young people studying in colleges and universities, and in the field of adult education - vocational training and on-the-job training. You can find signs of EDC / HRE in campaign groups and on child-friendly websites. The challenge is not just to teach children to vote. It is about how to learn practical things in life, for example: to understand family problems without resorting to violence, to learn to resolve game disputes in a fair and reasonable way; understand why neighbors come together to keep the environment clean and safe, and so on. Why do we need EDC / HRE?

Democratic citizenship is a skill, and skills need to be improved. Many schools have previously studied the principles of building government structures, but not many schools have taught their students to express their opinions in the society in which they live and explained why this is important. The word "democracy" comes from the Greek language and means "power of the people." But research shows that most people in Europe are becoming disenfranchised elements of their own political systems. They do not trust politicians, are biased towards political institutions and are skeptical of the value of the right to vote. How does it help young people? Due to their age, children and young people cannot participate in elections or attend court hearings as jurors, but they have rights and responsibilities, so they have the right to have their say. EDC / HRE provides them with the knowledge and skills necessary for school and future family and community life. What about adults? Many adults have lost interest in politics. People are skeptical of political parties and believe that political leaders are isolated from them and their life problems. At the same time, many people are in favor of improving local hospitals and schools, protecting the environment, or against animal cruelty.

EDC / HRE is designed to help these people see how they can gain the right to influence society. There are other obstacles for those who have the opportunity to express their opinions. Sometimes women are deprived of the opportunity to vote or participate in society because they come from families where men have historically dominated. People with disabilities and the elderly may have difficulty expressing themselves because their voices are harder to hear. EDC / HRE aim to give them confidence and improve their interaction with society. Why is the Council of Europe involved? The Council of Europe is the oldest and largest European intergovernmental organization. The 47 member states cover almost the whole of Europe. The Council of Europe takes care of the lives of more than 800 million people living in these countries. The Council of Europe is the "watchdog" of human rights for European citizens, as well as the "guardian" of democracy and the rule of law, ie the best structure for monitoring the implementation of EDC / HRE in Europe. "If freedom and equality, according to some people, can be found mainly in a democracy, they can be achieved sooner if all people participate equally in governing the state."

Aristotle (384 BC “Education is the most powerful weapon that can be used to change the world.” “You must embody the change you want to see in the world.” “To ensure democracy, people must have a keen sense of independence. self-esteem and their combination. "The spirit of democracy cannot be imposed from the outside. It must come from within. In a true democracy, every man and woman learns to think for themselves." "Voting is one of the few things where a boycott in protest is open. exacerbates the problem insteadits solution ". "The world is a dangerous place not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look at it and do nothing." "Responsibility lies not only with the leaders of our countries or those who have been appointed or elected to perform specific tasks. It lies separately on each of us. The world, for example, begins within each of us. If we have an inner world, we can be in peace with those around us. ” Democratic citizenship is not limited to the legal status of a citizen and the right to vote provided by that status. Itincludes all aspects of life in a democratic society. That is why democratic citizenship is associated with a wide range of issues, such as sustainable development, the participation of people with disabilities in public life, gender mainstreaming, the prevention of terrorism and more.