| Abstract: | James Park, the director of Antidote, criticizes those who believe that the most important task of education is to develop cognitive abilities, without any particular regard for emotional development. He argues that such an approach leaves individuals ill equipped to engage with the challenges that life throws in their path. He feels that, in spite of the recognition in the new National Curriculum Guidance of the significance of emotional processes on learning, government policy as a whole does not always appear to acknowledge this. In his view, 'feeling and thinking, are engaged in a continuous dance. Individuals who can gracefully glide between the two modes bring energy to the task of learning and thinking'. He goes on to outline the key competencies that individuals require to achieve this, and suggests that these are most effectively achieved through dialogue 'talking together in ways that allow individuals to understand the thoughts, feelings and values of each other'. The paper concludes with an explanation of the work and aims of Antidote. |
