COMPARE AND CONTRACT PERENIALISM AND ESSENTIALISM

M Shahbaz ShamasIER (University of the Punjab)

All Rights Reserved

Originator:THE FOUNDER OF THE ESSENTIALIST

MOVEMENT

WILLIAM.C.BAGLEY(1874-1946)

Major Essentialist authorsBagleyBriggsBreedKandelHorne

THREE FACTS OF ESSENTIALISMBASICALLY ESSENTIALISM FOCUS ON

THREE FACTSEVALUATION OF CARRICULUMDIFFERENCE BETWEEN ESSENTIAL AND

NON ESSENTIAL IN SCHOOL PROGRAMMEESTABLISHMENT OF TEACHER’S

AUTHORITY IN CLASS ROOM.

Goals of education IT EMPHASIZE INSTRUCTION IN NATURAL

SCIENCES RATHER THAN NON DESCIPLINES SUCH AS PHILOSOPHY OR COMPARATIVE RELIGION

ELEMENTRY STUDENTS RECEIVE INTRUCTION IN SKILLS SUCH AS WRITING , READING, AND COMPUTER

Goals of education EVEN WHILE LEARNING ART AND MUSIC

SUBJECTS MOST OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF CREATIVITY

THE STUDENT ARE REQUIRED TO MASTER A BODY OF INFORMATION AND BASIC TECHNIQUES GRADUALLY MOVING FROM LESS TO MORE COMPLEX SKILLS AND DETAILED KNOWLEDGE

TEACHERTHE TEACHER IS AN ORGANISER OF

LEARNING SITUATIONS WHO TRANSMIT ELEMENTS OF CULTURE AND SCIENCE.

CURRICULUMTHE ESSENTIALIST CURRICULUM”AN

IRREDUCIBLE BODY OF KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ATTITUDES COMMON TO DEMOCRATIC

CLASS ROOMESSENTIALIST TEACHER FOCUS HEAVILY

ON ACHIEVEMENT TEST SCORES AS A MEAN OF EVALUATING PROGRESS

ESSENTIALIST HOPES THAT WHEN STUDENT LEAVE SCHOOL THEY WILL POSSESS:

BASIC SKILLDISCIPLINED PRACTICAL MIND

Perennialism Classical Realism in Educational Philosophy

Perennialism: major authorsAristotleAquinalHutchinsAdlerLivingstone

PerennialismAllegiance to absolute principles

Permanence is more real than change and more desirable as an ideal

Stability is the most important educational value.

EDUCATIONEducation is preparation for life

EDUCATIONEducation is preparation for lifeEducation’s task is to teach eternal truth

CurriculumCurriculum should be the great works of

literature, philosophy, history & science

Strengths and Weaknesses of PerennialismAssumptionsCurriculumMethodologyContexts

PerennialismPeople possess and share a common

nature that defines them as human beings

Follows Aristotle and Aquinas (Realism)

Rationality of human nature in all times and places

All people may find universal truth and live according to its values

Study classic literature and arts to discover enduring truth and beauty

PerennialismEducation

School is an intellectual agency with a primary purpose to develop human reason (greatest happiness comes from exercising and applying reason)

Education should be universal, leading students to discover truth and make logical choices accordingly

Support a general curriculum, not a specialized one, based on valuable skills and subject matter

Critical of “presentism” and specialization that comes too early (general, liberal education should come first)

THANKS YOU

ANY QUESTION?