"A good education manager is a communal thinker"

Education is not only important for the individual, but also to society. The current discourse about what good education is and what the education of the future should look like needs to be put into a broader perspective, suggests Prof. Dr. Edith Hooge of TIAS.

"The discussion about education is dominated by a focus on the interests of the individual personal development of children and the youth. This idea is far too one-sided", according to Hooge in a lecture she gave at the research and development institute NIVOZ. 

There is no such thing as an educational vacuum

Education does not take place in a vacuum, but is shaped amidst communities within society. Hooge: "Children and the youth learn and develop themselves not only at an individual and personal level. They also don’t learn on their own. Rather, learning and development are characterized by social interactions and relationships, reciprocity and collectivity. It takes place within the school's community, which is closely linked to the communities and the society outside the school walls."

So education needs to be focused on the development of community spirit and collectivity among children and the youth. Or in other words: "A good education manager is a communal thinker".

Three guiding statements

In her lecture, Edith Hooge puts her hypothesis in a theoretical framework. She also provides three guiding statements about how to focus education on the development of community spirit and collectivity among children and the youth. The lecture can be viewed below (in Dutch only).