The word ‘Education’ is derived from the following Latin Words as follows :-

Etymological Meaning of Education

Educare • To raise• To bring up

Educere • To draw out• To lead out

Educatum • To train

Educo • ‘e’ meaning ‘out of ‘,and ‘duco’ meaning ‘to lead ‘,’to lead out’.

Human society is faced by many challenges. Education is the indispensable asset to attain the ideals of peace, freedom and social justice.

Education plays the fundamental role in personal and social development.

It can foster a deeper and more harmonious form of human development and thereby to reduce poverty, exclusion, ignorance, oppression and war.

Need of Education

Historically, British imperialism supplanted the then prevailing system

of indigenous education in India. While the educational system

established by the British did make substantial progress in science and

technology, it engendered alienation from the inner spiritual strength

and development, which were the cherished aims of our ancient

educational–cultural heritage. The Education Commission (1964 – 66)

emphasized this imbalance between our outer world and our inner

world.

Continu…

The Education Commission (1964 – 66) sub-titled their report

as ‘Education and National Development’. The vision of

Indian society that the Education Commission had in mind

and for which education was to function as the major

instrument remains unfulfilled. Development has no doubt

been achieved during these 35 years but it has been skewed

rather than equity-based.

Continu….

Socio-economic disparities have widened, class conflicts have increased,

our womenfolk are now more disadvantaged and discriminated against,

and child labour continues during years that should have been spent in

acquiring education. Worse still, in spite of our efforts to promote

scientific temper, superstition re-surfaces periodically, sometimes even

among the educated.

Selective births and blind faith in the non-rational point to the lop-sided

influence of our educational endeavor. Deriving sustenance and courage

from our constitutional obligations, education should pledge itself afresh

to work for a seamless cohesion of our society.

The international community began its efforts in 1990 to search for an educational philosophy for better international understanding and an educational system that can meet the challenges of 21st century.

The most important step was taken by the UNESCO by appointing an International commission on Education for the 21st century (1993-96).

International commission on Education for the 21st century (1993-96)

Learning: The Treasure Within, a report submitted to UNESCO, Paris by

an International Commission on Education for the twenty-first century

under the chairmanship of Jacques Delors of France.

The members of this commission comprised of 14 members from different

countries like China ,France ,Japan , Poland etc including Dr. Karan

Singh from India. The report of this commission was published in 1996 by

the name of ‘Learning: The Treasure Within’

The Delors Report (1996) ‘Learning – The Treasure Within”

The Delors Report (1996) ‘Learning – The Treasure Within”

reaffirms the view of Education Commission (1964 – 66) when

it visualizes learning as harnessing “the treasure within’.

According to the Delors Report, learning constitutes “the

heartbeat of society” while ‘learning to know’, ‘learning to do’,

learning to live together’ and ‘learning to be’ constitute four

pillars of education; mutual understanding, peaceful interchange

and harmony can be taken as the social aims of education.

The Delors Report (1996) ‘Learning – The Treasure Within”

Learning: The Treasure Within is the report submitted to

UNESCO, Paris by an International Commission on Education

for the twenty-first century headed by Jacques Delors. In the

opening submission chapter by the chairman, education has been

declared to be a necessary utopia. Education is declared to be

"the principal means available to foster a deeper and more

harmonious form of human development and thereby to reduce

poverty, exclusion, ignorance, oppression and war."

Delors Report- Indroduction

The last twenty five years gave rise to many

breakthroughs and scientific discoveries.

Many underdeveloped countries raised their states.

Even though the humankind is aware of all the threats

faced in the natural environment, resources need to

prevent those threats are not allocated.

Continu…

Looking Ahead

We talk about the international co-operation but countries have

to tide over the tensions between the nations and ethnic groups.

Learning to live together in the global village its too tough

because of existing democratic conditions. All these are the

great challenges faced by the commission in their concern to

contribute for the sustainable development, mutual

understanding and renewal of practical democracy.

The commission identifies a few tensions that it regards will be central to the problems of the 21st century. They are:

1) the tension between the global and the local, i.e., local people need to become world citizens without losing their roots;

2) while culture is steadily being globalised, this development being partial is creating tension between the universal and the individual

Tensions to be overcome

3) the third tension is pretty familiar to Indians the tension between tradition and modernity. Whereas for some the process of change is slow, for others it is not so, thereby creating problems of adaptation;

4) the need to balance between impatient cries for quick answers to peoples' problems and a patient, concerted, negotiated strategy of reform results in the problem/tension between long-term and short-term considerations

5) tension arising out of human desire to compete and excel and the concern for equality of opportunity;

6) the tension between the extraordinary expansion of knowledge and the capacity of human beings to assimilate it;

7) lastly, another perennial factor the tension between the spiritual and the material.

It is the last tension which the commission thought was

necessary to address. In the language of Delors; "There is,

therefore, every reason to place renewed emphasis on the

moral and cultural dimensions of education, enabling each

person to grasp the individuality of other people and to

understand the world's erratic progression towards a certain

unity; but this process must begin with self-understanding

through an inner voyage where milestones are knowledge,

meditation and the practice of self- criticism"

Commission stressed the need of educating young

children and youth which is an expression of

affection.

Education is an ongoing process of improving

knowledge and skills and it is exceptional mean of

bringing about personal development and building

relationships among individuals ,groups and nations.

The members of the commission accepted that only

through education we can hope for a world that is a

better place to live in; there will be mutual respect to

the rights of men and women ;there will be mutual

understanding and the knowledge will be used to

foster human development.

Commission also noticed that it is a tedious task to overcome the obstacles presented by extraordinary diversity of situations in the world and to arrive in a commonly acceptable conclusions.

The reason why the commission titled its report Learning: The Treasure

Within is taken from a line in one of the parables of La Fontaine (1668-

1694), titled The Ploughman and his Children, which calls learning a

treasure. But what placed it inside is not clear except that the spark within

is divine.

The chapter scheme in the report reflects the basic thinking already done

by Delors and Co.  The recommendations consisted of 3 parts and 9

chapters.

Design of the Report

Part one:- • Chapter -1,Chapter -2 ,and Chapter-3

Part two:-

• Chapter- 4 and Chapter -5

Part Three:-

• Chapter -6, Chapter -7,Chapter - 8 and Chapter-9

Chapter 1 is titled “From the Local Community to a World Society,”

Chapter 2 is “From Social Cohesion to Democratic Participation,”

Chapter 3 is “From Economic Growth to Human Development,”

Chapter 4 is “The Four Pillars of Education (partly new in ideas);

Chapter 5 is “Learning Throughout Life” (Chapters 4 and 5 together

constitute Part Two of the volume), and

Part Three starts with chapter 6 titled "From Basic

Education to University"

Chapter 7 is "Teachers in Search of New Perspectives"

Chapter 8 is "Choices for Education: The Political

Factor,"

Chapter 9 is titled "International Cooperation: Educating

the Global Village," and the last is called "Epilogue."

Education is declared to be "the principal means available to

foster a deeper and more harmonious form of human

development and thereby to reduce poverty, exclusion,

ignorance, oppression and war.“

Delors regards "education as an ongoing process of improving

knowledge and skills, it is also perhaps primarily an

exceptional means of bringing about personal development and

building relationships among individuals, groups and nations."

Continu….

Major Pointers and Recommendations

The commission defines education, once again, as “a

social experience through which children learn about

themselves, develop interpersonal skills and acquire

basic knowledge and skills’’.

Delors repeats the concept of broadening international

cooperation in the global village.

Education for conscious and active citizenship must

begin at school. Democratic participation should be

encouraged by instructions and practices adapted to a

media and information society.

It’s the role of education to provide children and adults

with the cultural background that will enable them to

understand the changes taking place.

Commission stress the need of improvement, general

availability and strengthening of Basic Education-A

requirement which is valid for all countries.

The emphasis should be laid for primary education

and its traditional basic programmes –reading,

writing , arithmetic-but also on the ability to express

oneself in a language that lends itself to dialogue and

understanding.

 The commission acknowledges the existence of several types of institutions

of higher learning, both private and public, and also vocational and non-

vocational. The suggestions are laid for the universities to diversify what

they offer, like

- as scientific establishments and centers of learning from where students

go on to theoretical or applied researcher teaching;

- as establishments offering occupational qualifications and highly

specialized training courses adapted to the need of economic and social

life.

About higher education.

- as meeting places for learning throughout life;

- as leading partners in international cooperation; 

- for the developing countries they must provide the vocational and

technological training of future leaders; the higher and middle level

education is additionally required to save them from grinding poverty

and underdevelopment. 

The strategies proposed are (i) seeking co-operation of the local

community including parents, schools, teachers and others, (ii) public

authorities, and (iii) the international communities.

Continu…

The commission lays stress on life-long learning, a concept which the UNESCO has been propagating for over four decades with an added emphasis to rethink and broaden the notion.

The concept of life long education is different from

the traditional distinction between initial and

continuing education.

The concept of ‘Learning Society’ , in which every

one affords an opportunity of learning and fulfilling

one’s potential.

It press the need of literacy work and basic

education for adults.

Continu….

Teachers should be provided with the psychological and material situation by the society and their position should be recognized with suitable resources and necessary authority .

Teachers should be also concern the need for imperative requirement to update the knowledge and skills; should accommodate the professional opportunities; should benefit from the economic ,social and cultural life experiences.

Commission stress the importance of exchanges of teachers and partnerships between institutions in countries.

The administrative decentralization and autonomy of educational establishments are required for the developments .

It also recommends for the reorganization of funding structures in the light of the principle that the learning should continue throughout individual’s lives.

The diversification and the improvement of distance education

through use of technologies; greater use of technologies in adult

education and in-service training of teachers; dissemination of

such technologies throughout the society are also the commission

recommendation.

The need for international co-operation should be felt in the field

of education.

A policy for strong encouragement for the education of girls and

women should be promoted at the level of international co-

operation .

In the view of the commission, there will be four bases of education in the twenty first century:

1. Learning to know  2. Learning to do 3. Learning to be  4. Learning to live together. 

Four Pillars of Education

In the opinion of Delor’s commission, to understand

the rapid changes occurring due to scientific progress

and social processes, and cultivate skill to work

accordingly, the following will be necessitated in the

twenty-first century-

1. Basic education should be expanded. 

2. Specific education should follow basic education. 

Learning to know 

Commission suggest that learning to know can be achieved by

combining a sufficiently broad general knowledge with the

opportunity to work in depth on a small number of subjects.

In the view of the commission, the children should be trained in

learning methods, especially in focusing concentration,

memorizing and thinking, and this task should be started right

from infancy. In the view of the commission, these are the

methods of learning which can help learn lifelong.

1. The provision for work experience and social service will have to be

compulsorily made along with formal education.

2. Peoples should be given opportunities to learn life long. For life long

learning, the societies have to be transformed into ‘learning societies’. By

‘learning societies’ the commission means such societies in which are

given different opportunities for obtaining knowledge and skill in social,

cultural and economic field, also with imparting of formal education.

Taking part in real-time activities in these fields will help develop

common sense, decision-making power and leadership skill. And the

most important thing is that they will inculcate far-sight and insight.  

Learning to Do 

The aptitude and latent talents of children and peoples can be brought

out.

Children’s personality can be fully developed.

Physical abilities and mental abilities (memory, reasoning, and

imagination) can be developed in children.

Social skills and aesthetic sense and communication skills of children

can be cultivated together with leadership ability. In the opinion of the commission, only such people will be able to guard themselves in the twenty-first century.

Learning to Be

In the commission’s view, the first thing for this is to

cultivate the ability to understand one another. Unless

all people are able to understand others, they will not

like to live together. Our modern needs have so

expanded today that we are no more self-dependent

even in our family, social and national matters, and

leave alone international level.

Learning to Live Together 

Education should train children to understand others.

Children should be trained to cooperate with one another

for the attainment of goals right from the beginning.

The commission has explained that when people come

nearer, some conflicts can arise among them. Therefore,

education will have to train them in subsidizing conflicts,

and they will have to be trained in eradicating conflicts on

the bases of human values.

The commission has clarified that now all nations of

the world will have to resolve their mutual

differences, will have to sow the seeds of peace

instead of that of war, and will have to solve one

another’s problems in mutual cooperation. Therefore,

it is essential that children be trained to live together

right from the beginning and be taught a lesson of

peace and harmony in place of conflict and struggle. 

Needs and challenges in Education

The background behind the appointment of International commission

Looking AheadTensions of 21s

t

Century

Design of the reportMajor recommendations

Concept map

THANK YOU

Presentation ByHoney Babu,

Asst. Professor in Education,GVM’s Dr. Dada Vaidya, College of

Education,Goa.