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On the Dynamics of Education
by Jim Miles
“IN MODERN TIMES, THERE ARE OPPOSING VIEWS ABOUT THE PRACTICE OF EDUCATION. THERE IS NO GENERAL AGREEMENT ABOUT WHAT THE YOUNG SHOULD LEARN EITHER IN RELATION TO VIRTUE OR IN RELATION TO THE BEST LIFE. NOR IS IT CLEAR WHETHER THE EDUCATION OUGHT TO BE DIRECTED MORE TOWARD THE INTELLECT THAN TOWARD THE CHARACTER OF THE SOUL.”
These words describing the classical debate about the purpose of education were not penned by a modern-day education theorist, but by the great Greek philosopher, Aristotle, some 2,300 years ago. Yet this debate is as relevant today as it was over two millennia ago.
Is the purpose of education simply to provide students with the basic intellectual and technical skills to get a good job and be a productive member of society? Are we short-changing ourselves when we focus so much on “making a buck” and so little on “making contact” with the voice within? Are we so into our heads and intellect to the detriment of our hearts and souls? Are we so riveted on “making it” in the outerworld that we’ve lost sight of “experiencing it” in our inner world? Society is crying for a balance.
It doesn’t have to be an either/or proposition. We can work to complement traditional teacher-directed education with student-driven learning. In fact, early seeds of student-driven learning were sown with the advent and evolution of Montessori and Waldorf schools that became preludes to the field of inner education.
There are currently various programs in some public schools wherein students are learning to recognize emotions within themselves as well as in others, and learning to regulate their responses to conflict and stress through breathing exercises, meditation and yoga. Some schools are creating the time for intentional moments of silence and reflection. Because these techniques and processes are found in many spiritual and religious traditions, care must be given to express them in scientific and secular terms so as not to breach the separation of Church and State.
The integration of contemplative practices into the academic curricula is beginning to take place in pilot programs here in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and India. Initial research and results seem to indicate positive results not only in the level of emotional maturity, mindfulness and inner awareness of the K-12 students, but also improvements in memory, comprehension and test scores. As more effective methodologies for researching contemplative programs are formulated, it is hoped that the field of inner education will become more widely accepted and funded by mainstream education institutions.
In-depth background and ongoing research about inner education can be found in Parker Palmer’s Courage to Teach, the progressive educational magazine Edutopia (sponsored by the George Lucas Educational Foundation), the Garrison Institute Report, Contemplation in Education and Gary Gordon’s Building Engaged Schools as well as educator Stephanie Pace Marshall’s The Power to Transform.
Clearly, the groundwork is being laid for a paradigm shift in education as we move to integrate both inner and outer education. This symbiotic integration provides a framework within which the needs of both the intellect and the soul can be nourished and wherein the head and the heart can merge…demonstrating the total dynamics of education.
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