The Aims of Education Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947)

The essay starts with Whiteheads idea that authentic learning comes from a blend of expert knowledge and cultural knowledge. Expert knowledge comes from the course contents and cultural knowledge comes from activity of thought which refers to students generating ideas of their own from their school experience or at least playing with the ideas presented to them in all ways possible to maximize learning. This leaves room for the student to discover for themselves what these ideas mean. The acquired understanding will not be complete without cultural knowledge such as the philosophies and arts which will allow the students to apply knowledge to life.

However, he goes on to caution that when too many things are being taught, ideas become disconnected and are rendered inert and useless. This idea I think totally agrees with the principle of Multum non Multa (Not many things, but much) which essentially is the same with the very familiar adage Less is More. As a teacher I was reminded that although I have a curriculum to follow, the students should be at the forefront of my priorities. Students must be allowed time to absorb, manipulate and critique knowledge (hands on learning), and reflect on their own conceptions. I believe that this is what he meant by the educational commandment What you teach, teach thoroughly. He also mentioned about getting the utmost information from the simplest apparatus. I am both happy to share the same belief that nothing can be too hard to learn if taught properly and sad to be also at a loss in making all complex ideas easier. Here, Whitehead emphasized the sense of style, I take this to mean (in the classroom) as the delivery and the conduct of the lesson so as to minimize, if not eliminate side issues and unnecessary interjections.

Furthermore, he stresses that education is the acquisition of the art of the utilization of knowledge and that the only use of a knowledge-of-the-past is to equip us for the present. Here, I am reminded that students find their learning to be meaningful and perhaps more lasting if it comes with a practical application. Teaching must therefore be integrative and our lessons should keep pragmatism in mind. I share the guilt of those who share the belief that the point of teaching children all topics in a subject as

Nov 20, 2010

part of a progression to sharpen their mind towards a meaningful goal. Here, I realized that the goal can be achieved each step of the way, I re learn that the journey is as important as the destination.

The challenge of teaching is vivid now more than ever. We have to consider the social dynamics of the times, the intellectual type of the pupils, their prospects in life, the opportunities offered by the immediate surroundings of the school and the community and even the genius of the teacher, made harder by the increasing volume of our class. There is in fact a need to revisit curriculum and make adjustments for the special circumstances in that fit our particular group of students. Once again, Whitehead advocates a developmental view of education, promoting a dynamic change in student instruction to fit their needs suggesting a specialized curriculum.

I have to say that the essay Aims of Education of Alfred Whitehead is an amazing read and I am more than impressed to add that the issues he addressed are very much the same today and the implications of his ideas are to a large extent applicable to education today.

Nov 20, 2010