Education,Learning and Freedom

This paper takes as its starting point Kant's analysis of freedom in the Critique of Pure Reason. From this analysis, two different types of freedom are discerned, formative and instrumental freedom. The paper suggests that much of what passes for the pedagogy of learning in UK universities takes the form of an instrumental freedom. This, however, involves the neglect of formative freedom—the power to put learning to question. An emancipatory concept of education requires that formative freedom lies at the heart of the educative endeavour, to which learning must be seen as secondary. The proposal of the two types of freedom is based on a relatively detailed consideration of Kant's Critique—this is necessary in order to ensure that the concepts of instrumental and formative freedom have a credible philosophical basis.     

No Place for Girls? Gender,Ethnicity and Citizenship Education in the Lao People's Democratic Republic

Citizenship education in a national curriculum such as that provided in the Lao People's Democratic Republic is contradictory and problematic. The issue for the majority of Lao people is that the subject virtually excludes the rights or practice of ethnic minority cultures or languages, and assumes an equality for males and females without recognising the prevailing unequal and inequitable situation for girls. This paper discusses the implications for girls and minority groups' participation in the wider society, and asks some more general questions about the broader implications for gender and ethnicity education policy in education.     

Dark Watchers: Young Readers and their Fiction

It's as if I'm a sort of dark watcher, who is there at the scene, but none of the characters pays any attention to me. I'm like a power, as if everything is happening because I'm there. Claire, 3rd year, secondary modem