Essay on value based education for dehumanized society
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When functioning at its highest, human education helps each human being achieve his or her full potential. When this occurs, learning is viewed in terms of personal growth and the development of each human’s full potential. This occurs, not just on an intellectual level, but also on an emotional, psychological, creative, social, physical, and even spiritual or transcendent level as well (DeCarvalho, 1991; Maslow, 1971; Morris, 1978; Rogers & Freiberg, 1994; Patterson, 1973).
Systematic Dehumanization
Sadly, human education seems to be devolving into a darkened age where the following dehumanizing elements are too often prevalent:
1. Students are often asked to be passive learners and to learn in ways that are not natural for them. As well, the things given to them to learn are often meaningless or have no connection to their lives and experiences.
2. Manipulation is used to get students to learn and to behave in acceptable ways. Instead of building on students' natural inclinations, they are manipulated by external rewards and punishment to "learn" school-related things and to be compliant. What is rarely considered are the reasons why students may not want to learn or why their behaviors may be disruptive or non-compliant.