Overcoming Cultural and Educational Conservatism is the Way to New Models of Education

Abstract

The article is devoted to finding ways to overcome conservatism in cultural and educational practices, analyzing traditional and innovative cultural and educational experiences in modern education. The authors consider education as a phenomenon that has a dual nature, which is closely related to the development of cultural traditions and civilizational innovations. The article shows that in the conditions of social turbulence, unpredictabi­lity and uncertainty, constant acceleration in technological and social processes, the cultural and educa­tional practices are lagging behind the demands of modern society. Rooted in the core of the cultural and educational matrix, they restrain the development of our society, in which new generations, born in the conditions of information and digital revolution, have come. These generations have a different worldview, values, attitudes towards career, free time, environmental and safety issues. Their vital elements are the virtual world and the world of modern gadgets with all the ensuing consequences. Generational rift exacerbates problems in the education system, which is changing very slowly. New generations need to be taught not traditionally but taking into account their needs and new technologies. The article provides a number of concrete examples related to the points of growth of cultural and educatio­nal innovations, suggests a number of actions that can lead to formation of new higher education mo­dels that meet the demands of modern society, new type of universities called digital or universities 4.0. In addition, the authors draw attention to the fact that culture and education have similarities and diffe­rences in their nature and functioning. Culture and education are interdependent, which does not negate significant differences between them. Culture, by its nature, is a self-constructive system, and edu­cation is built in accordance with a specific goal setting. The authors consider that the best option is the one in which in the processes of interaction and, especially, interinfluence of culture and education, priorities will be on the side of culture.