Social and Moral Imperatives for the Future of Our Schools

Seeing the "Connectedness" of Things
Social and Moral Imperatives
for the Future of Our Schools
ERNEST L BOYER
In Independent
Q A ^ E must not and cannot have
a value-neutral education. Communicating values is at the heart of
everything we do. But how are
these values to be defined? What
are the larger purposes of education
we should seek to accomplish? The
social and moral imperative of education is best fulfilled ay students
gain perspective, as we help them
see the connectedness of things, an
insight that touches the very foundation of morality, whether it be
personal, social, or religious.
I believe that all worthy values
we pursue in education are best
expressed in the imperative I call
connections. This is true whether
the connections relate us to the
past, through history; to the world
ot nature through science; to one
another, through the school community and social studies; or, ultimately, to the eternal. How can we
in schools help our students gain
this larger v.sion? Here are some
suggestions.
first, we teach connections
through the curriculum we choose.
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Foundation for the Advancement
or Teaching, we suggested a core of
r t
APRIL 1985
6
School
common learning for all students
to which two-thirds of the secondary school experience should be
devoted. This core should include
our shared use of symbols, our
sense of history, our membership in
groups or institutions, our relationship with nature, and our shared
activities of work and leisure. These
central themes are universal experiences that shape the life of every
individual,
While students should discover
that they are individuals, they
should also discover that they are
connected to a larger community
That is the centerpiece of formal
learning. The use of language provides an illustration. Is it possible in
our language courses not just to
teach vocabulary and syntax but
also perhaps the power of lancuace
which ultimately should lead to'
genuine understanding? Our shared
use of symbols connects us to one
another. Through our common education, students should be asked to
*••••••••••••••••
°yer " President, Carnegie Foundation for the Advance-
Ernest
L
B
0/
TeachinS>
Washington,
D.C. Condensed from Independem
School,XUV (October 1984) 9-14
learning for all students,
two-thirds of the seconol experience should be
Hiis core should include
*d use of symbols, our
story, our membership in
institutions, our relationnature, and our shared
>f work and leisure. These
smes are universal expert shape the life of every
tudents should discover
are individuals, they
3 discover that they are
to a larger community,
e centerpiece of formal
"he use of language prostration. Is it possible in
ge courses not just to
bulary and syntax but
s the power of language,
nately should lead to
lerstanding? Our shared
>ols connects us to one
rough our common edlents should be asked to
yer is President, Carrion /or the Advance aching,
Washington,
fed from Independent
' (October 1984), 9-14.
IMPERATIVES
FOR
SCHOOLS
15
consider the quality of the message
Students should move beyond
they send.
the narrow disciplines to see conAs we introduce our students to nections. Through a core of comthe natural world through science, mon learning, whether through the
they should learn to understand languages, the sciences, the social
that every form of life depends on sciences, or history and literature,
all other forms. They should come we should convey social and moral
to see the importance of the ecology imperatives to our students.
of the planet earth.
School Climate
Through history as part of the
learning core, students should learn
We also convey values to our stuthat while we have separate roots, dents by the climate we create in
we also have a common heritage. the school. Building connections
The study of history should include must begin within the school itself,
not only our own traditions but with a sense of community among
non-Western studies, too. This the administrators and the teachers
world view has been scandalously and the students. And this has less
neglected in the public schools. In to do with size than with compelour debate about quality in educa- ling vision.
tion, it is important that our vision
If education is to exercise a moral
be global, not just national. Failure
force in society, it must conduct its
to see connections that cross nawork in a moral context. Learning
tional lines is to educate for ignomust occur in an academic comrance in a dangerous and interdemunity that is held together not by
pendent world.
pressure or coercion but by shared
The study of history should in- purpose, by simple acts of kindness,
clude the study of religion. Students and by the respect group members
cannot know the history of art have for one another.
without discovering religious inIn the end, of course, teaching
spiration. They cannot know litera- matters most. This is another imture without knowing how religion perative in our search for the ethihas shaped great writers. They cal and moral perspectives of educacannot know music without grasp- tion.
ing the power of religion. At every
Good teachers have a message to
turn in sociology, psychology, theconvey. They communicate with
ology, and economics, one must
care. Above all, great teachers are
deal with the reality of religious
sensitive and self-revealing. Thinkfaith. The quest for common learning back on teachers who truly
ing is unimaginable without knowchanged my life, I had four. What
ing that the sense of the sacred, the
did they have in common? In addisearch for enduring values, have
tion to knowing their material and
been central threads in the fabric of
communicating clearly, they were
human experience.
able to reveal themselves to me.
APRIL 1985
16
THE
EDUCATION
DIGEST
They were confident enough to tell the work that needs to be done and
me that they were not two-dimen- the sense of drift so many young
sional but three-dimensional peo- people seem to feel? We have not
ple. They laughed, they cried, and found ways to relate the energies of
occasionally, they said, "I don't youth to the needs of people. A serknow."
vice program for all students would
Great teachers are believable as uniquely bind our youth together.
human beings. I have had teachers We could help them see connecwho were knowledgeable but de- tions between the campus and the
ceivingly closed about who they need of others—a social and moral
were. They did not cause me to be imperative for our schools.
moved authentically. Great teachers
For American education, reform
make connections between the curis the order of the day, and the most
riculum they teach and the convicessential issue is teaching values to
tions of a student.
our students. The question is,
"Which values?" and "Are we doing
A Youth Problem
it intentionally or not?" Through
We shape values by helping stu- common learnings, students should
dents see connections between what explore universal experiences that
they learn and how they live. Yet, it bind us all together. Through school
is possible for students to finish climate, they should learn what the
high school and never be asked to spirit of community is. Through
participate responsibly in life, to great teachers, they should see conspend time with older people who nections between school content
are lonely, to help a child who and their own convictions. And
hasn't learned to read, or even to through voluntary service, they
help clean up the streets. We have should learn to understand that, to
not just a school problem but a be truly human, one must serve.
youth problem, a generation of
Nearly 40 years ago, Mark Van
young adults who somehow feel
Doren wrote, "The connectedness
unconnected to the larger world.
of things is what the educator conThe Carnegie report proposes a templates to the limit of his capacservice requirement during high ity. No human capacity is great
school—volunteer work in or out of enough to permit a vision of the
school. Students could tutor younger world as simple, but if the educator
students in or out of school, work in does not aim at the vision no one
the library or cafeteria. They could else will, and the consequences are
volunteer at parks, hospitals, mu- dire when no one does. . . . The
seums, nursing homes, day care student who can begin early in his
centers, or synagogues or churches. life to think of things as connectIs it too much to hope that we ed . . . has begun the life of learnmight find a way to bridge the gap ing." This is the social and moral
between the young and old, between inipcrative of education.
•
APRIL 1985