The Evolution of Education: From Common Schools to Postmodernity
The Common School Movement
The “common school” has a double meaning: it represents both an educational viewpoint and a novel concept of school organization, as well as a social movement promoted by progressive political parties. The educational background of the common school can be traced back to philosophers like Plato, Comenius, and Pestalozzi, but its concrete expression is found in the works of Condorcet and Fichte.
From a pedagogical and social perspective, the Single School emerged in the 1920s, driven by popular political parties and public primary teachers, represented by the Social Democratic Party and the German teacher, respectively. The Single School advocated for public education that was compulsory, free, and non-secular, designed to cater to the most capable students.
School Development in Europe
The pursuit of the common school was heavily influenced by the aspirations of the working class, who sought greater knowledge and empowerment. The university extension movement of the 19th century, which continued into the 20th century, provided evidence of this desire, as it brought workers into European schools and universities.
German teachers were pioneers in the democratization movement, aiming to extend primary education and unify it with secondary and university education. In France, following World War I, a solidarity and democratization movement emerged, intending to make education accessible to all French citizens. A group called Les Compagnons de l’Université Nouvelle aimed to transform society towards greater social justice, with the democratization of education serving as the engine for social change. They believed that the separation between primary, secondary, and higher education was irrational, and the solution lay in a unified school system that integrated all levels into a public, compulsory, and free institution.
In England, the Labour Party spearheaded the movement for the extension of secondary education to all, recognizing that such a measure would help level social differences and improve the living standards of the working class. In Spain, Luzuriaga championed the Single School movement. The Single European School movement gained recognition through professional journals like “The Modern School” and “Bulletin of the Inspection of Primary Education.” In 1918, the Spanish Socialist Party embraced and endorsed the paper presented by the New School in Madrid. With the proclamation of the Republic in Spain, nearly all political parties incorporated the principle of a unified school system into their programs.
Langevin-Wallon Plan (France)
At the end of World War II, democratic alternative approaches to education, which had begun after World War I and during the interwar period, resurfaced. One of the most significant initiatives of this era was the education reform plan developed in France between 1944 and 1947, known as the Langevin-Wallon Plan, named after its two chairmen: Paul Langevin and psychologist H. Wallon.
The plan was founded on four fundamental principles:
- Justice
- The dignity of all social tasks
- The full development of children and adolescents
- Educational and vocational guidance
The teaching plan aimed to eliminate secular and class differences and hierarchies in education by providing free and compulsory education at all levels.
Comprehensive Education
In England during the 1950s, the Comprehensive School and Comprehensive Education movement emerged. This movement, advocating for secondary education for all, quickly spread to other European countries after World War II. Its goal was to abolish the selective nature of secondary education by establishing an integrated, unified, versatile, and comprehensive school system.
In Spain, due to the political climate, comprehensive education wasn’t implemented until the late 1980s with the socialist reform approved in 1990. The ESO (Compulsory Secondary Education) became the second stage of compulsory education for students aged 12-16.
Education as an Investment
The latter half of the 20th century witnessed a resurgence in the study of the relationship between economics and education. The influence of education on economic development was rigorously examined.
Schultz is considered the pioneer of the human capital theory, which was based on the analysis of economic growth in industrialized European nations. Human capital referred to the productivity derived from education. Thus, human capital came to represent the enhanced capacity of individuals through education.
As education was recognized as a crucial factor in driving development, it was believed that Third World countries should invest heavily in education, with international support, in the conviction that this would lead them out of underdevelopment. However, the economic crisis of 1973, triggered by rising oil prices, resulted in a decline in investment in public services.
Neoliberalism and Education
Friedman is the most prominent figure in Neoliberalism. Neoliberalism advocates for a more efficient education system based on merit and individual effort. It proposes the establishment of bodies responsible for monitoring and evaluating the quality of state education.
In practice, there is no evidence to suggest that privatization has enhanced the quality of teaching. Neoliberal sectors prioritize productivity and efficiency over other social, political, and human variables. The economic crisis of 1973 led to a focus on reducing public spending on education by improving resource management, lowering the cost per student, increasing class sizes, fostering competition among teachers, and reducing their salaries.
Postmodernity and Education
Postmodernism is a school of thought that emerged as a consequence of technological society and an alternative to modernity. In education, postmodernism, understood as an anti-humanist and individualistic philosophy, is characterized by the dominance of technology, constant innovation, the importance of understanding future society, and the implementation of systems approaches.