The role of democracy in education

Title

Language

English

Year

1947

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

THE ROLE OF DEMOCRACY. IN EDUCATION In the United States, the word supervisor, is being changed to consultant, to indifate the newer relationship between teacher imd supervisor which is that of ·l•artners and co-workers in a common enterprise .. The degree to which the supervisor can get the goodwill of the teachers whom he supervises, the-extent to which teachers have confidence in him, to that extent will a supervisor succeed. There is common feeling in the Philippines that the supervisor is a fault,. finder. In fact, the word supervisor has been corrupted, and some people now use the word snooperv1sor. The supervisor who is endowed with the gift of makil'lg teachers like him because they know that they can be helped by him is the supervisor who will succeed. If the supervisor-teacher relation does not make fo.- mutual confidence and friendliness, much of the effectiveness of supervision is lost. It cannot be too much stressed that the supervisor must .be human and hW11ane. Democracy is not merely a political concept nor a form of government it is a way of life. The democratic way of life im.;:>li~s the following; ( 1) opportunity for everyone to develop and progress to the fullest extent possible in accordance with his capacities; (2) the burdens of life are shared by all in accordance with the relative strength of the individuals composing the group; (3) the members take personal interest in the welfare of each and every member of the group; (4) there is incessant search for truth, which alone can make people really free; people given access to a knowledge of truth and use that knowledge to shape public opinion and direct activities of the group; (5) CC\mmon counsel is widely made use of to clarify issues and to promote the common welfare, the minority abiding by the decision of the majority. The school system in a democratic society must implement these basi.:: principles to the end that society will cherish these principles and actually practice the democratic way of life. This implementation comprehends the curriculum, the learner, the teacher and her methods, and administration and superyision of instruction. The schools must teach the principles of democ·racy and of cooperative living. The learner must be provided with every opportunity to develop his individual personality and to learn· his duties and res!)onsibilities as a follower and as a potential leader. The learner must be provided with the opportunity to learn how to make personal adjustments in the environment in which he lives. He must be given the means of exploring his interests to the end that he will exploit them for the enrichment of his life and of society. The: teacher must help in the implemenfation of democracy by making her personality exemplify human and hu-mane relationships with the learner and by relating learning to life. Administrators and supervisors llllJst· likewise contribute to the democratization of education by dealing with teachers in such a way that the spirit of teamwork, of fellowship, and of mutual regard and understanding may b utilized to the full. In essence, democracy and democratic relationships must permeate every aspect of education. FOR MODERN OPTICAL NEEDS SEE KEEPSAKE OPTICAL-SO Escolta 35

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