Deschooling Society
Encyclopedia
Deschooling Society is a critical discourse on education as practised in modern economies. It is a book that brought Ivan Illich
to public attention. Full of detail on programs and concerns, the book gives examples of the ineffectual nature of institutionalized education. Illich posited self-directed education, supported by intentional social relations in fluid informal arrangements:
The last sentence makes clear what the title suggests -- that the institutionalization of education is considered to institutionalize society and conversely that ideas for de-institutionalizing education may be a starting point for a de-institutionalized society.
The book is more than a critique -- it contains suggestions for changes to learning in society and individual lifetimes. Particularly striking is his call (in 1971) for the use of advanced technology to support "learning webs."
Illich argued that the use of technology to create decentralized webs could support the goal of creating a good educational system:
Preventing formal institutions from holding a monopoly over school and other information flows could have more effect on society. Schools are not (as commonly perceived) a 'dependent variable' within society. They are "the reproductive organ of a consumer society" . As such, school has potential to change oppressive systems from within .
Ivan Illich
Ivan Illich was an Austrian philosopher, Roman Catholic priest, and "maverick social critic" of the institutions of contemporary western culture and their effects on the provenance and practice of education, medicine, work, energy use, transportation, and economic development.- Personal life...
to public attention. Full of detail on programs and concerns, the book gives examples of the ineffectual nature of institutionalized education. Illich posited self-directed education, supported by intentional social relations in fluid informal arrangements:
The last sentence makes clear what the title suggests -- that the institutionalization of education is considered to institutionalize society and conversely that ideas for de-institutionalizing education may be a starting point for a de-institutionalized society.
The book is more than a critique -- it contains suggestions for changes to learning in society and individual lifetimes. Particularly striking is his call (in 1971) for the use of advanced technology to support "learning webs."
Illich argued that the use of technology to create decentralized webs could support the goal of creating a good educational system:
Preventing formal institutions from holding a monopoly over school and other information flows could have more effect on society. Schools are not (as commonly perceived) a 'dependent variable' within society. They are "the reproductive organ of a consumer society" . As such, school has potential to change oppressive systems from within .
See also
- Deep Intelligence: Giving Our Young the Education they Really Need by Andrew Seaton, PhD
- Sugata MitraSugata MitraProf. Sugata Mitra is Professor of Educational Technology at the School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences at Newcastle University, UK. He is best known for his Hole in the Wall experiment, and widely cited in works on literacy and education...
on self-teaching kids.