Crash of values and sources of re-creation of values in society and in education. E-S Sarv

8/3/2019 Crash of values and sources of re-creation of values in society and in education. E-S Sarv

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Ene-Silvia Sarv Crash of Values

Crash of values and sources of re-creation of valuesin society and in education as a challenge for transition-societies on the

background of global changes

Ene-Silvia SarvTallinn Pedagogical University

Paper was presenten on the Conference on Moral and Citizenship Education,Hong Kong, 2000

1.The period of change from Soviet to capitalist state order has been namedtransition-period by several researchers (Lauristin, Vihalemm, 1998, Sarv,1999). The period of transition is a complex and many-sided process. All itsfacets, especially those taking place in education, have not yet been thought

through: a sufficient distance of time is lacking, knowledge is changing quickly,the small countrys scientific community, especially in the field of education, hasmostly been tackling the practical and organizational problems of educationalrenewal the new state curriculum, based on completely new principles, has beenintroduced. The changes in the economy are enormous, but those on the humanlevel especially in values, are not smaller.What is essential is that the foundations of educational renewal have not emergedfrom the centre, (Moscow or regional communist party centre) according to theSoviet tradition, but the emerging idea and first steps were predominantly a jointeffort, which embraced hundreds and thousands of those involved in the field ofeducation.

The events 1987 1997 in Estonia generally can be described using the followingstages (Sarv 1997)

Years Society Education

1987 -1991

Singing revolution.Achievement of politicalindependence; emergence ofnongovernmental movementsand their re-growth into political

parties. The beginning of

capitalist enterprises andprivatisation. The beginning ofthe decline and demolition ofthe socialist economy andinstitutions.

The creation of conception andplans of independent nationalcurricula for Estonia, self-initiative implementation ofcurricula in schools, emergenceof the beginnings of free and

alternative education. Down-upprocesses.

1989 -1998

Struggle for property, its re-distribution (stage what is justcoming to end).Creation of law- and monetary-systems of independent Estonia.

Creation of the conceptually newpackage of educational laws,etc., and justification of the StateCurricula in GovernmentBirth and development of non-governmental educational

parliament Estonian Forum ofEducation. Movement of schools

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with distinction, EstonianQuality-schools, widening of in-service training an establishmentof Sate-exams-system.Destruction of old systems (incl.

Educational Research) andwesternising of the system ofhigher education, economy ofeducation, etc.

1997 -2002

The upcoming national self-determination.Adaptation to EU laws.Creation of futures scenarios(economical - Estonia-2010 andsocietal-educational EstonianEducation - 2015)

Sustainable Estonia 2030 etcNoticeable increase indifferences and alienation.

Introduction of new state-curricula.Forum of Education, PresidentsAcademical Council and laterwider society (may be notcritical mass of society?) tookthe idea, that the only way to

achieve Estonias sustainabilityis in becoming a LearningEstonia or Knowledge Estonia innext decades.Political parties use educationalissues as political tool

2003 - . Integration into and self-determination in EU

All these stages, even having their time-order, are at the same time overlapping. The

changes that were taking place in the economic and political spheres dented thefamiliar sense of economic security, in a few years changing every persons attitudetowards property from Soviet-time minimalist views (state-owned means people-owned means everybody-owned) to the capitalistic differentiated structure of (large)owners and people without private property. Such practically unheard of in the Soviettime phenomena as unemployment and paid medical service unattainable for manyhave made the society drastic in just a decade. Reports on the Estonian economyand human development demonstrate the extent of these changes. Main part ofnational wealth is concentrated in the hands of 20% of the population and 5% - in thehands of hands of about one third of population. (Estonian human developmentreport, 1999.)

On the background of such extensive changes it is only natural to expect changes alsoin the emotional mode of society and in value attitudes of its members.In general - during these periods we can see the ongoing fluctuations between threemain directions: more humane value-centred; positivist-ideological-dictating;liberal-rationalist. In this triangle the processes are in full motion and far fromreaching a reasonable balance.The process of educational renewal in becoming newly independent Estonia can bedivided into the following periods1:I

1 This abstract is taken from the bookOn democracy and humanism to teacher, Sarv, 1997. To thistext has been added what concerns teacher training.

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1987 - 1989 - the renewal was based on enthusiasm and wide public participation andresulted in relative independence from Soviet educational institutions, an opportunityfor different educational institutions for to a certain extent independent activity, self-determination in the field of curriculum and learning organisation - a large amount ofschool-level decisions, participation of thousands of people form educational circles

in different forms of educational renewal; but also occasional misunderstandings andcontradictions. With the help of the state teacher in-service training system therenewal process reached the grassroots level. In 1988 more than 20secondary schools(from 203) took the challenge to introduce "curriculum of branches" of variations andchoices. Here we can speak of "spontaneous democratisation or self-democratisation"of great part of educational system. At the end of the period of the "renewal" ofteacher in-service training and educational research system began.II1989 - 1992 - the period of certain stabilisation - an attempt to organise the wholesystem, first of all the leadership level, ... to create conditions for more or less stablefunctioning of the educational system and to prepare the necessary legislative acts;

disintegration/demolition of socialist property, public relations and forms ofactivities, search for new relations. On the basis of the principles developed duringthe previous period the foundations were laid for independent Estonia's educationallaws and curriculum. The private schools, incl. alternative schools emerged. Changesin teacher training were mostly connected with the excluding ideologically importantsubjects like history of communist party and including "new view of history";rediscovery and acknowledge the foreign and Estonian Republic's (1920 - 1940)educational science and practice (e.g. Kis, Pld, Taba, etc.).III

1992 - 1994 - the realisation of the actual independence and the derived from thissearch for new active relations on different levels of education and state leadership. It

was attempted to tackle teacher training according to Western models - the transitionfrom the Soviet time subject system to the system of academic credits took place,course titles were changed and, depending on the lecturers, partly the content as well.The system of academic grades and titles was also re-arranged according to theWestern model(s). During 1989 1992 the Teacher training Centre as well asInstitute of pedagogical research were liquidated. The well established system ofmethodical consultation was disrupted as well. Only a small group of researchers"survived" to go further with the curriculum development for general education.IV1994 - 1996 - the striving to bring order to the education system, practical stepstowards starting democratic mechanisms, direction towards forming an educational

strategy as a public initiative; polarisation of governing education - attempts by theMinistry of Education to create a system of centralised directives, control andstandardisation and delegating the responsibility to the lower levels. It can also beseen in the re-emergence of the mechanism of command economy. In 1996 a newstate curriculum was stated by government and in 5 years all schools Estonian andRussian working ones, have to introduce it throughout the all 12 classes. In the fieldof teacher training we can speak about shaping of different models in the highereducational vocational institutions (4 colleges) which provide pedagogical education,in Tartu University and Tallinn Pedagogical University.

The main lines of changes, of activities in general education (K-12) can be viewed

as follows:

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- school-organisational (5-day school-week, 40-minute classes, trimesters,skiing break dates for the school itself to decide)

- education-organisational (branch learning, subjects and courses for choice,optional and facultative ones, permission to abolish primary school for 6-year-olds, the so-called 0 classes for 6-year olds, etc.)

- conceptual - new foundations of education, changing of the picture of manand educational goals, i.e. direction towards enabling paradigmatic changes- content - new subject blocks/programs, etc.- legislative - preparing the new law on education, etc.

All these changes had to do of teachers` everyday work. Many of them were the resultof teachers` and headmasters` initiative in 1987-1989. In later years the "bringingorder in" process from the Ministry side or in schools themselves has nullified someof these changes.

As the changes were very quick and dramatic2 everyones participation was more orless active it was a real process of co-learning, teacher training "in life". Today it

is possible to interpret these ten years from different points of view. The new "epochof interpretation and search for meaning" has just started.

II.It is possible to identify several sources of crashing values and human dignity bothin the (Western) world, and in the post-Soviet societies on the level of grandnarratives in society, on the level ofalienation of education from its customers,on the level ofsimplification of values and self-picture for groups and individuals,exemplifying ofantivalues and theirpatterning via mass media.

What could be these values, of which decline or preservation we speak? Clearly, it isuseful here to compare value patterns from different contexts.

As follows a) some patterns from Estonian and Western authors and

b) value settings as mentioned by teachers and student-teachers during variousstudy situations in group work activities.

a) Let us review some main values. K. Allimets (p.7), relying on Pierre Casse,differentiates between four types of value attitudes:

orientation towards activity (what?) orientation towards process (how?)

orientation towards idea/notion (why?) and orientation towards person (who?)

At the same time the researcher quotes the results of the research, according to whichEstonians are considered to belong predominantly to the third type, Russians to thesecond, Americans to the first, and people in Asia to the fourth type (p.8).

Value attitudes of process preferring logical constructions, relying on facts,socialisation, participation, tolerance.

2 The history and literature teachers, first of all, but others as well, had to change all content andapproach . This was the turn away from the communist ideology and version of history, literature in

2-3 years. Because of the lack of objective materials (as textbooks reflected the Soviet-wide picture)the Estonian and world history was often taught by means of newspaper materials. But in front of theclass the same teacher has to stand and speak about new truths!

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Value attitudes of ideas/notions large creative potential, new ideas, egocentricity,stubbornness, reservations about expressing feelings, frequently hard to understanddue to introversion.

These national stereotypes are on of the reasons for certain cultural problems and

problems of co-existence in Estonia. But what is more essential is the fact that theideological and political pressure of the Soviet time created a certain value-patternthat contained everlasting human values (e.g., brotherhood, etc.) and also values

politically opposite to the former set such as supremacy of ideas over humanvalues (e.g., cultivating the stereotype of Pavlik Morozov, who betrayed his parents).As the volcano in our society erupted, a conflict emerged when both theideological stereotype and human values were negated and an attempt was made toreplace them with something totally new a tradition unique to a particular people an ethnographic, religious narrative, metaphors, value patterns.

If we study various Western sources, we shall find there different value-patterns for

learners. For example, a New Zealand web page on value education provides the so-called corner-stone values. The eight cornerstone values are:Honesty and truthfulnessKindnessConsideration and concern for othersCompassionObedienceResponsibilityRespectDuty

(http://www.es.co.nz/~cstone/summary.htm)

For passing them on stories (narratives) are used (from Western education we can seeexample of this in Waldorf-education, where fairy-tales, moral-stories, pedagogicalstories as well as others are an important part of pedagogical environment).

Another set is provided, for example, by Character education in the Total EducationProgram for Australian schools:Character Development:

Experience of Love and Patience (tolerance)Availability of Positive Role ModelsOpportunity to ContributeExperience of Success

Opportunity for Creative Self-expressionAcceptance of a Higher factorExperience of a Self-DisciplineOpportunity for Fun and MischiefExperience of Successful Resolution of ConflictOpportunity of Expression of Grievances (sadness, complaints)Experience of QuietnessUnderstanding of Positive Values3

As it can be seen here the main point is to create and example, experience withconsciousness goal for child-education

3www.sote.qld.edu.au/program.html

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When speaking about values in everyday life (common conscience and everydaytext), one rarely makes a difference between various value categories. In pedagogicalwork and research it is essential to differentiate, for example, between fundamentalmoral values, aesthetic, economic, entertainment and other relative values. If thelatter can vary on the basis of political, social or cultural groups depending on a social

or some other context, then fundamental values in contemporary democratic countriesare unanimously and uniformly understood. Truth, justice, helping your fellow-man,compassion, etc., are the values that are listed/mentioned by an array of sources. (looke.g., On Competences, p.46)

Research among Estonian teachers, students and parents has revealed thefollowing value patterns, reviewed in some detail below.

A research of values characteristic of parents, of what kind of value shaping theyexpect from school, was made in 1998 by the TUES Institute for International andSocial Research. (Look E. Heinla, 1999, pp. 28-29)

The first 10 most mentioned values were:1. Ethical values: tolerance, respect, humaneness (48%)2. ability/skills to work (22%)3. independence, activeness, initiative/enterprise (21%)4. socialising skills, polite behaviour (16%)5. ability/skills to learn, wide worldview (16%)6. feeling of duty, responsibility7. respect for honesty8. valuing of education (11%)9. ability/skills to think (8%)10. valuing of homeland, patriotism, valuing of nature, environment (7%)

11. valuing of nature, environment (5%)12. valuing of creativity (4%)13. respect for the elderly and the handicapped (4%)14. valuing of family (3%)15. valuing of health (2%)16. valuing of culture (2%)

The next set of values I want to bring out from the last group-work with in-serviceteacher training learners teachers from the Russian-speaking minority.

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Extract from 5 positive values1980-1970 1990 2000 2015 Negative

values 2000

parents parents parents deathchildren children family war

cool life family lapsed liepower love home dishonestly

acquired wealthhome health death

socialising family family greynessblood ties realtion ties organised

everydaylife

initiative

friendship organisedeveryday life

health feeling of duty

books socialising peace of mind

tightness

books stupidity hiddenby money

having agoal in life

respect forpersonality

well-educated

people

lack of principles

friendship family better materialsituation

lie

reading friends No need to

achievesuccess atthe expenseof other

people

timidity

familyrelations

books insecurity, lack of definiteness

lack ofunemployment

helping people,those whosuffer

rudeness

love child health lack of

principleshealth family money liesuccess love happiness timidityrespect money suffering insecurity, lack

of definitenessattention health family rudenesshappiness success children lack of

principlechildren respect grandchildr

enlie

family attention occasions timidity

friendship openness life insecurity, lack of definiteness

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acquirebooks andgold

family, strong computer athome

dishonestwealthacquisition atthe expense ofothers

family,strong health, good, ofclose people family,strong lie

health, ofclose

people

fast lifestyle education,good

rudeness

participation in

politics

homeappliances

fast lifestyle insincerity

sufficientfood

worthy salary clean air fuss

life knowledge death

children social status superficialsocialising

family education propaganda of violence

creation work crueltyhealth love criminal

authority

Here we can see some differences in what has higher meaning (value) for parents inEstonian-speaking and in Russian-speaking environment (teachers in the research can

be seen as parents as well, their role of teachers was not stressed in the investigation).The higher valued values we can evaluate as positive anyway.It seems there is not a case to speak about valueslessness. But if we look on whathappens in reality the value-setting of media - we can discover another side ofthings, well-known as empowerment of lower values money, goods (withoutintellectual or health-background), crime, agressivity, manipulations withconscience and truth etc. So the question of impact of media on value-patternsof watching-reading-generations is a upcoming one. There are somebeginnings to make deeper researches on the issue, that the politics offoundations of humanitarian sciences in Estonia does not allow to do neededinvestigation.

The SOURCES OF NEW AND NEWLY FOUND VALUES

III. On the background of valuelessness there are educational best examples ofvalue- and dignity-rich educational practices both in mainstream and in alternativeschools these are able to give to youngsters value-rich understanding and experienceof life and self.

What are the basics of these practices what have been important for transitionsocieties?

Here we can come near to answer the question about why in post-soviet societiesthe educational/pedagogical systems called alternative (Waldorf or Steiner,

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Montessory, Freinet, Christian educations, etc.) appeared to be so popular? Probablyit is just because they were brought via their representatives teachers who attendedEstonia (an Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, etc.) just at the height of the emotional stage ofsocial re-birth. These teachers represented another approach to the child, to the

process of education and to the teacher himself. All this sounded in harmony with

freshly opened ideals of democracy and humanism, as well as freshness/opennesstoward religious beliefs.

IV.The last and coming decades have several sources of new understandings abouthumans and knowledge. The brain research, the role of narratives, discourse,metaphors, value-enriched knowledge-creation and innovative learning can be used toshape value-sense in society and for individuals.Brain research testifies to the importance of soul/spiritual experiences for shapingmoral tendencies of a (small) child. If the corresponding patterns are not shaped in the

brain in childhood, such people later reveal tendencies towards violent, aggressive

behaviour. The brain has a centre of divine perception, a pattern for the meditativestate and complicated connections between speech-vision and emotions, that shouldprovide and do provide opportunities for re-interpretation of the values rooted orforgotten in education, and this time from the viewpoint of scientific research, andnot just from the viewpoint of what is useful for living together in society. As newvalues, emerge knowledge and learning ability, ability to work together, wisdom.Learning as a value and as a metaphor has become a competitor in education, next tomarket and banking terminology. Learning organisations and learning communities asguarantors of business (non-linear!) life are the initiators of knowledge economy andknowledge management of a new pattern of words and meanings.But we cannot disregard patterns of negative values action, excitement, use,

superiority, which are cultivated by mass media, the Internet and also by suchspectacles as pop-art.A question for education which patterns and values as words and as meanings

become predominant by themselves or are consciously introduced by teachers into theminds of the young generations.

V. Future as source of new valuesIn the New thinking for a new millennium James Dator says: At the present timethe public, the electorate, our clients, our boss all generally seem to want predictivecertainty about the future, or else they want to hear no information about the future

whatsoever. (Dator, in New thinking , 1996, 110)By today, in the eyes of some public figures and scientists, sustainability has themeaning of society's and economy's long-term and successful development as awhole. What can and should be done, in contrast, is to place foresight, planning, anddecision-making within an ongoing, multiple, alternative futures context (Dator,1996, 110) That also means, that that not only the elite but all marginalized personsshould participate fairly, fully and frequently (Dator, 111). This is in touch ofteacher education and in-service education first of all, because in rapidly changingworld (what Estonia has so extremely experienced in last ten years) the newapproach, consciousness and knowledge of tomorrow as futures is important to

plant into education of todays children. The way to this is via the teacher.

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For several years a group of researchers and experts has been working to preview thefuture development of Estonia. So the scenarios "Estonia 2010" were published in thefall 1997. In its English version on the Internet it is stated :"During last years the rise of public participation methodology has seemed quiteimportant for involving people in local democracy. Planning is becoming a public

thing where people and their interest groups are not only criticising but are closelyworking together with planners.If previous planning was based in a great deal on the gathering of huge amount ofdata then new planning is based more on the quality of thinking and deeper analysis.Former methods like the mechanical analyse of data no longer work in such aturbulent situation. Much more important now are agreements between differentinterest groups in society; not creating a detailed plan, which has strong legal power,

but has quite often nothing to do with real life and real problems in real situationswith real people." (http://www.e2010.ee/english.htm, 08.09.1998)

This statement reflects the deep change in the thinking paradigm.

The source of it is stated as follows."In Estonia, the collapse of the old system was so dramatic that during years since1990 all planning activities have been dead: people just live for today. Because of therelative macro-economical stability of 1994, the importance of future-related thinkingand planning as such (as a "rudiment" of the Soviet time, which has been forgottenduring the past 4-5 years) grows significantly. Academic, public and also businessstructures and their leaders could breathe much more freely after the prolongedfireworks of the past few years and give more attention to questions connected withstrategies and future options.""Estonian Education Scenarios 2015" has been compiled considering the combinedinfluence ofthe two key factors determining the nature of the society. There are

1) the cohesiveness of the society, its integrativeness, and,2) the innovative capability of the society, the quality and intensity of the socialstriving.

The key factors and the Learning Estonia as a metaphor can be seen as value-creativemetaphors as well.It looks important to combine this view with the ideas about risk-society and

phenomenological attempt toward understanding of the balance between states oflearning and risk society, organization between multiple kernel-spaces andintermediate space where they meet, interact and create a new quality.4If this kind of understandings become/retransform themselves into values for critical

mass of todays teachers and future citizens the world will be saved.

In addition to these, a new view into the future is provided by future scenarios, whichin the Estonian case suggest emergence of one of four clearly defined types of society

by the year 2015. Another interesting and influential view is that of risk-society,which has not been widely applied to Estonia yet. On the background of futurescenarios, if we study the possibility of slipping into an undesired groove, the notionof risk-society is quite adequate with the current state and quite clearly applicable tothe field of education (system).If South Korea views itself as a risk-society that at best takes conscious risks, then itis a Learning Society as understood in its widest sense in Estonian future scenarios.

4 K. Kurokawa Each one a Hero: The Philosophy of Symbiosis, 1Tokyo, New York, London, 1997

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VI.The change ofdimensions of education from past towards future is one possibility tore-evaluate todays and re-create tomorrows education. The Information technologygives tools for it.

Here I would like to ask is the values-creation a passive, uncontrolled or controlledsomewhere by advertisements only? Or can it be the consciously directed process.Who are the introducers of new value-settings games and movies in Internet? Or we

educators, working scrupulously with ideas, minds and souls?

VII. In Estonia we can see how multiplicity of rapid changes in the world andEstonias society influences education and values carried by education.The main phenomena, that catches the attention:

if in education in the 70-ies and early 80-ies such things were aparamount, then in 1987-89 happened a sudden jump towards impersonal,

national/human/humane/democratic values + religious (values); and in 1995 - 2000 also in education the strong keywords becameability to compete, to break through, etc.

Are these what defines value attitudes both in the overt and hidden curricula? To whatextent they correspond to the Learning Estonia model? And to what extent can wespeak of value attitude changes in the collective conscience of humankind?

To sharpen the problem setting even more are the emerging and establishingalternatives in the world that carry in themselves the positive message, the positive

pattern of roles and understandings are they strong enough to resist attitudes and

patterns of behaviour that are destructive towards people, societies and nature? Theexamples come from different sides from the very scientific and academic research,understanding, co-operation , and from very spiritual, mystic, religious, etc., side.From the first side we speak about the Club of Rome, Club of Budapest, etc.; fromanother ecumenical approach, Sai-Baba, Gaia, Rainbow-movement, etc.

Even if we are not recognizing each other - it is natural in our days not to excludedifferent approaches but probably to challenge this with the emerging approach ofsymbiosis of Western and Eastern, of positivist-scientific and post-modern. Have Iinterpreted Kisho Kurokawa to create the intermediate space in, for and viaeducation is the possibility, the need and the wisdom, the wisdom lost and newly

found value for our/coming time!

References

Allikmets, K. Vrtusorientatsioonide mju vrkeele ppimise efektiivsusele.Raamatus: Haridus ja kasvatusvrtused hiskonnas. Toim. I. Kraav, J. Mikk. Tvljaanne, Tartu, 1999, lk 7 10 (Influence of value orientations on learningeffectiveness. In the book: Educational and upbringing values in society. Ed. by I.Kraav, J. Mikk. Tartu University publication, 1999.)Casse, P. Training for Cross-Cultural Mind. Sietar, MDS, 1976, pp 129 - 132

Dator, J., Futures studies as applied knowledge. In New thinking for a newmillennium. Edited by Richard A. Slaughter. Routledge, 1996

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Estonias education scenarios - 2015. Krista Loogma, Rein Ruubel, Viive Ruus,Ene-Silvia Sarv, Raivo Vilu. Tallinn, 1998.Heinla, E. Lapsevanemate ngemus koolikeskkonnast pilaste vrtuste kujundajana.Raamatus: Haridus ja kasvatusvrtused hiskonnas. Toim. I. Kraav, J. Mikk. Tvljaanne, Tartu, 1999, lk 27 32 (Parents vision of the school environment as

shaping pupil values. In the book: Educational and upbringing values in society. Ed.by I. Kraav, J. Mikk. Tartu University publication, 1999.)Kurokawa, K. Each One a Hero. The Philosophy of Symbiosis. KodanshaInternational. Tokyo, New York, London, 1997.Lauristin, M., Vihalemm, P., Postcommunist transition period in Estonia: Possibleinterpretations. (In Estonian) Akadeemia 1998/4, 5.

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Crash of values and sources of re-creation of values in society and in education. E-S Sarv

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