Hugur - 01.01.2008, Page 111

109
Skðli og menntastefna
sem verða á vegi nemandans í skólagöngu hans og lífi.32 Þesskonar gagnrýnin
hugsun er kjarninn í þeirri mótun mannshugans sem kalla má menntun frekar en
fræðslu eða þjálfun.
Abstract
School and Education Policy
20 years ago, the Icelandic educational system was criticized for lacking a proper
educational goal. I defend this criticism and argue that the situation is no better
today. A brief look at official Icelandic educational poficy reveals at least a super-
ficial emphasis on the school as a democratic institution, moral education and a
place for individual growth and not just as a place for training in certain fields.
This goes against the above-mentioned criticism. But on closer inspection, it is
apparent that the emphasis is just superficial: Democracy, moral education, indi-
vidual growth, social awareness, cultural integration and other such goals are for-
eign to the official policy. Drawing on Aristotle, Kant, Dewey, Páll Skúlason,
Kristján Kristjánsson and others, I criticize the current situation and argue that it
lacks a coherent ideology as well as defensible practical instantiation.
32 Þessi hugmynd er miðlæg í hugsun Paulo Freire um menntun, sjá t.d. Teachers as Cultural
Workers: A Letter to Those Who Dare to Teach, þýð. Donaldo Maccdo o.fl., Boulder: Westview
Press 1998.