Anarchist Ethics as a Foundation for Educational Alternatives

In this article, the distinctions between anarchism as a political philosophy are outlined and contrasted with that of liberal democratic theory upon which much of educational philosophy is based. The principles upon which the social anarchist position rests are briefly outlined with respect to the state, authority, and human beings’ way of interacting with and relating to one another. Next, some of the anarchist critiques of state-controlled schooling are considered. Following the discussion of traditional anarchism, largely rooted in late 19th and early 20th century European workers’ movements, some of the foundational principles of contemporary anarchism, beginning in the 1960s and continuing up through the present, are considered. Finally, the article conceptualizes what it might look like to utilize anarchist principles as an organizing framework for education and how these principles might be put into action in a real-world educational context.     

Anarchist education and the paradox of pedagogical authority

This article interrogates a key feature of anarchist education; focusing on a problem with implications not only for anarchist conceptions of education, but for anarchist philosophy and practice more broadly. The problem is this: if anarchism consists in the principled opposition to all forms of coercive authority, then how is this to be reconciled with situations where justice demands the use of coercion in order to protect some particular good? It seems that anarchist educators are forced to deny coercive authority in principle, whilst at the same time affirming it in practice. This is the paradox of pedagogical authority in anarchist education. Coercive authority is simultaneously impossible and indispensable. Exploring this paradox through a reading of Jacques Derrida’s later work, and, in particular, his conception of justice as requiring openness to the singular situation, I argue that in exercising their authority anarchist educators encounter the aporetic moment in anarchism, experiencing what Derrida calls ‘the ordeal of the undecidable’. Understood this way, the paradox becomes less an indication of anarchism’s limitations than it does its value. For it is here that the problem of pedagogical authority is treated with the gravity that all questions of justice deserve.     

Imagining the Future: What Anarchism Brings to Education

The authors review Judith Suissa's provocative book , Anarchism and Education: A Philosophical Perspective, a text that demonstrates the central role of education in anarchist theory. Suissa compellingly argues against the charges that anarchism is overly idealistic and impractical, instead seeing its potential for innovative and liberatory educational change. The authors suggest, however, that an enhanced conversation among critical pedagogy, antiracist pedagogy and anarchist thinking on education can help to show both the continued relevance of radical and creative thinking, and that anarchist thought has been part of the development of oppositional, critical, collaborative, teaching and learning projects .     

Oh No,Not the “A” word! Proposing an “Anarchism” for Education

Anarchist theory has a long-standing history in political theory, sociology, and philosophy. As a radical discourse, anarchist theory pushes educators and researchers towards new conceptualizations of community, theory, and praxis. Early writers, like Joseph Proudhoun and Emma Goldman, to more contemporary anarchists, such as Noam Chomsky, have established anarchist theory as an important school of thought that sits outside the Marxist discourses that have dominated the radical academic scene. Today, anarchists have been responsible for staging effective protests (specifically, Seattle, 1999) and have influenced autonomous groups like the Animal Liberation Front in their organizational and guiding philosophies. Interestingly, anarchism is glaringly absent from the literature in educational theory and research. In this article, I highlight aspects of anarchist theory that are particularly applicable to education, and also establishes specific ways that anarchist theory can inform one's own educational praxis. Specifically, I employ the anarchist framework of direct action and micro-level strategies, such as sabotage, that challenge people to resist the oppressive practices found in institutions today.     

乌托邦精神：教育活动源动力

教育实践中很多鲜活的实例引起了社会对教育的诟病,与此同时,这些实例也表明实际教育活动的开展使教育式微。于是,我们有必要从教育的历史与现代教育的雏形中寻找本真教育的源动力。笔者认为,那就是乌托邦精神。乌托邦精神主要表现在对现在的＂批判性＂,对未来的＂完美性＂,以及实现从现在到未来的＂超越性＂。制度化教育在具体的教育活动中必须保持乌托邦精神,流动于＂思＂＂行＂之间,行走于＂有＂＂无＂之间,往来于＂圣＂＂俗＂之间。     

Students Take Control: the 1980 boycott of Coloured Education in the Cape Peninsula

The article focuses on the boycott of Coloured Education by students in South Africa's Cape Peninsula during 1980. It describes the way in which students seized control of their schooling, overthrew staff authority replacing it with democratic student control, introduced a counter‐curriculum, and involved themselves in supporting two working class campaigns which overlapped with their boycott. By means of a case study the article illustrates the possibility of communities, as part of a popular struggle for societal transformation, extending the degree of the control they exercise in the arena of schooling such that the schooling itself, and its effects within a wider social context, are in some real measure transformed. Issues are raised concerning the nature and determination of schooling and the potential for radical practice on educational terrain.     

论异步教学的教育本质观

本文从研究教育本质着手,在充分探讨各种教育本质观的前提下,提出了异步教学的教育本质观,认为“教育是引导人参与社会实践的复杂性活动”。     

Postmodernism and the Education of the Whole Person

In some recent discussions the implications of postmodernism for education have been wrongly conceived. An alternative approach is offered and this is used as a means for challenging any grand design in the provision of schooling and in the conception of education. Through this, ideas of the whole person implicit in much educational theory and practice (including personal and social education) are questioned. With some reference to the work of Stanley Cavell an attempt is made to show the sort of thinking which might inform education, avoiding both the relativistic and complacent excesses of postmodernism and the explicit systematic planning of the grand design.     

‘Students that just hate school wouldn’t go’: educationally disengaged and disadvantaged young people’s talk about university education

This paper contributes to a growing body of literature on widening university participation and brings a focus on the classed and embodied nature of young people’s imagination to existing discussions. We interviewed 250 young people living in disadvantaged communities across five Australian states who had experienced disengagement from compulsory primary and secondary schooling. We asked them about their education and their educational futures, specifically how they imagined universities and university participation. For these young people, universities were imagined as ‘big’, ‘massive’ alienating schools. The paper explores how the elements of schooling from which these young people disengaged became tangible barriers to imagining and pursuing participation in university education. The primary barrier they described was their relationships with school teachers. Our analysis shows how relationships with teachers can impact the imagined improbability/probability of university participation. We offer suggestions for how barriers to university created by poor relationships with teachers may be overcome.     

西部地区义务教育阶段校际均衡发展的制度建设--以贵阳市为例

当前,我国基础教育不仅存在区域差别和城乡差别,还存在同一区域内校际之间硬件条件和生源状况的差距以及教师待遇差距。义务教育学校之间办学水平的差距,直接导致学生所接受教育质量的差距和学生发展机会上的不平等。实现西部义务教育校际均衡发展,关键在于制度建设。贵阳市在这方面进行了一些尝试,主要措施包括:改造初中薄弱校;推进中小学标准化制度建设;推进小学升初中、初中升高中的招生方式改革;加强农村中小学和农民工子女学校建设;完善校长职级制度和教师聘用制度。     

城乡统筹发展背景下农村义务教育走出困境的策略

近年来,我国农村义务教育发展取得了巨大成就。但是,与城市相比,农村义务教育在教育经费、师资力量、办学条件和教师待遇等方面仍然面临诸多困境。在统筹城乡发展的时代背景下,必须采取以下策略,农村义务教育才能走出发展困境,实现城乡义务教育高水平的均衡发展。补偿农村义务教育,各种基础性教育资源向农村倾斜是根本;加大对农村义务教育公共财政扶持力度,确保农村教育充足办学经费是关键;提高农村义务教育学校教师待遇,增强农村教育吸引力是基础;严格执行教育法律法规,履行政府公共教育责任是保障。     

‘Everything is different here …’: mobilizing capabilities through inclusive education practices and relationships

There is some ambiguity and contention surrounding the role and potential of education and training measures beyond formal schooling. While labour market integration is generally the assumption underlining such projects and programmes, there is clearly another significant side to those measures that target educationally excluded youth; namely, its broader social inclusion dimension. An important aspect to this dimension is the consideration as to how social inclusion is articulated at a policy intervention level. This paper argues the importance of individual relationships, meaningful interactions and ‘everyday allegiances’ for authentic educational inclusion. Such social practices operate in ways to support the capabilities and personal resources required to compensate for the psychically and biographically damaging effects experienced through the institution of schooling. This paper details the contours of inclusive social practices and relationships surrounding a ‘second chance’ education and training intervention in Ireland known as Youthreach, which, it can be argued, bears some resemblances to what might be categorized as ‘positive welfare’.     

Everyone in school: The effects of compulsory schooling age on drop‐out and completion rates

This article analyses the effect of the Berlinguer reform that was introduced in Italy in 1999 and increased compulsory schooling from eight to nine years. Hence, students had to attend school until the age of 15 instead of 14 that was required at the time and therefore to attend at least one year of upper secondary school (for pupils with a regular career). Using data from the Labour Force Surveys (1993–2010) and applying counterfactual time series and segmented regressions, we evaluate the effect of the reform on attendance and graduation rates. The results show that prolonging compulsory education encouraged a larger share of 16‐year‐olds to stay in school, especially those who were judged more at risk with less educated parents and with parents with a low occupational status. However, at age 17, part of the effect had already vanished and no effect was found on graduation rates. The compulsory schooling policy may have been more effective in adjusting the legislation to already existing student behaviour than in producing relevant changes in educational decisions.     

Benefits of Collaborative Philosophical Inquiry in Schools

In the past decade well‐designed research studies have shown that the practice of collaborative philosophical inquiry in schools can have marked cognitive and social benefits. Student academic performance improves, and so too does the social dimension of schooling. These findings are timely, as many countries in Asia and the Pacific are now contemplating introducing Philosophy into their curricula. This paper gives a brief history of collaborative philosophical inquiry before surveying the evidence as to its effectiveness. The evidence is canvassed under two categories: schooling and thinking skills; and schooling, socialisation and values. In both categories there is clear evidence that even short‐term teaching of collaborative philosophical inquiry has marked positive effects on students. The paper concludes with suggestions for further research and a final claim that the presently‐available research evidence is strong enough to warrant implementing collaborative philosophical inquiry as part of a long‐term policy.     

新生代农民工城市融入的职业教育与培训体系建构

国家针对农民工子女义务教育出台了一系列政策,很大程度上解决了农民工子女义务教育的问题,提高了他们的个人素质和文化水平。现有的教育政策和制度在一定程度上造成了农民工子女后义务教育的"断裂",现有的政策在一定程度上强化了农民工融入城市社会自身条件的先天性不足。因此,注重农民工子女后义务教育公平和加快发展职业技术教育,是新生代农民工城市融入的路径选择。     

对20年来农村义务教育投入体制变化的回顾和思考

20年来,农村义务教育投入体制经过了多次变化,而且都一定程度上促进了农村义务教育的发展.但是现实的农村义务教育依然存在很大的问题,问题的核心在于投入不足、经费短缺.当前农村义务教育投入体制应该建立专项转移支付制度、降低义务教育就学成本.同时,应加强农村教育经费使用的管理与监督,以提高农村教育投入的绩效.     

县域义务教育均衡发展:政策与条件——以浙江省慈溪市为个案

慈溪是一个经济发达的县级市,基础教育发展水平一直走在宁波市乃至浙江省的前列,在推进义务教育均衡发展上制定了具有一定特色和力度的政策,包括经费保障、资源共享、师资交流、生源调配、扶贫济弱和监督评估六大方面的政策,不仅确保了"人人能上学、能读书",而且进一步接近了政府"人人上好学、读好书"的目标。制定这些政策的环境条件,主要是慈溪市政府所具有的科学的发展理念、因地制宜的个性化决策以及慈溪发达的经济、蓬勃的民办教育、尊师重教的文化传统、扶贫济困的慈善风气等。对这些政策和条件的分析能够为其他地区尤其是沿海发达地区县域义务教育的均衡发展提供借鉴。     

Education,Equality and Social Cohesion: A distributional approach

Promoting social cohesion through education has re-emerged as an important policy objective in many countries during the past decade. But there is little clarity in policy discussions about what social cohesion means and how education may affect it. In this article we distinguish between social capital and societal cohesion and argue that education acts in differential ways on each. Using comparative, cross-country analysis, we develop a 'distributional model' which shows the relationship between equality of educational outcomes and various measures of social cohesion. In the final part of the article we discuss theories explaining the cross-country trends and variations in educational inequality and social inheritance in education, and argue that education system characteristics, such as degrees of 'comprehensiveness' in secondary schooling, may be an important factor in both. We conclude by arguing that policies to increase social cohesion through education must pay more attention to the reduction of educational equality than they currently do.     

经济行为方式泛化与当前农村义务教育失范——以陕西省Z县为个案

目前有关农村义务教育的研究成果主要集中在教育财政经费等方面的考察,而义务教育问题不仅仅是个财政问题。为了对农村义务教育存在问题的展开更为全面的分析,本文试图从农村义务教育各利益相关主体的视角出发,在实证调研的基础上,对当前农村义务教育与经济行为泛化现象进行考察,并对二者之间的关联性予以探讨。     

英国义务教育学龄儿童"在家上学"现象述评

本文对英国义务教育学龄儿童“在家上学”现象产生的背景、法律依据、现状和问题进行了介绍和分析，并提出了其对今后义务教育发展可能的影响。