Joyless Schools?

Abstract

Tibor Scitovsky draws our attention to problems which, while researching into the so-called “joyless economy”, go far beyond the world of economic theories. Everything points to the fact that we need a social study environment which accommodates rather than excludes. In this environment active cognitive behaviour based on personal participation is regarded as a primary value. Consequently, we could only act if we possessed the courage and freedom to think. Thus we ourselves would become the living “legitimators” of our own cultural and human history. The spread of differentiating pedagogy may contribute to this but its success could only be measured if social co-existence is simulated in a study environment in which schools themselves can experience how to influence their own ability to act. The differentiating pedagogy (although it is the pedagogy of uncertainty) can only become the pedagogy of “joyful schools” if it goes beyond ideas and is able to help us in the organisation of our study habits.