Deconstructing education in a time of global crisis

September 05, 2011 01:44 PM

Over the last few weeks, I have been reading with great dismay and frustration, the pleas of educators, businessmen, parents, students, and other professionals for the “unified leadership” of our State (that is, the GOV-BOE-DOE) to retain the existing four required credits in Social Studies for graduation from a public high school in Hawaii.

While a seemingly small issue, this impending decision appears characteristic of the current prevailing leadership style in Hawaii that not only disregards community input, but also stifles creativity, undermines courage to “speak truth to power,” and threatens the very foundations of a representative democracy.

Having just attended the 2011 World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education in Cusco, Peru, I remain astounded that the civic mission of public schools in Hawaii is so casually regarded. Every other school system in an “emerging or democratizing” country understands that the purpose of education is to prepare its young people to be gainfully employed, contributing community members, and thriving citizens whose diversity does define them!

I have always been a person who asks questions and encourages others to do the same, so that all aspects of a situation can be revealed and a coherent approach to resolve an issue can be reached through dialogue with ingenuity or inspiration and ultimately, with consensus.

Most disconcerting, with regards to the DOE-proposed change in Social Studies credits, is that the GOV-BOE-DOE has not specifically articulated “the problem” or “issue of concern” that will be resolved by such action. The reasoning of “offering more choices” is not substantiated by data and avoids addressing the underlying motivation for the proposed change. The unintended consequences MUST be discussed, as well as the rationale for the change.

Currently, because of the autonomous ability of each public high school to adjust its own schedules, students may already be able to choose at least 6 electives, with many high schools providing more time and options. Why, then, is there such a compelling need to make a statewide policy change regarding Social Studies credits at this time?

That remains an unanswered question.

Global competition and lack of well-being are intensifying and for our State to flourish, we must prepare our children to thrive.”

Hawaii Superintendent MacCaughey (1919-23) captured the mission of public schools in September 1920 with this statement published in the Hawaii Educational Review: “Success in education is the development of one’s individual capacities in terms of social goals rather than as individual achievement.”

Ninety years have passed and educators, such as myself, are still calling for a paradigm shift in Hawaii’s public education system.

It has become obvious that the time has come for the public to call for the complete deconstruction of the Hawaii educational system. “Education reform” and “transformation” are trendy buzz words that essentially mean doing the same things with fewer people making decisions. True change—including student achievement—will occur when the beliefs about relationships, connections, and collaborative values replace fear-based strategies that focus on individual accomplishment, attainment of “power,” and maintaining the status quo.

Deconstruction requires a complete shift in philosophies regarding learning, leadership styles, and interpersonal interactions. In concurrence with The Philosophy for Children approach, a ‘new’, more effective system of teaching and learning will emerge only when educators are able to view schools as “communities of inquiry” intended to foster a respect for the ideas of others, as well as a respect for one’s own thoughts.

In short, a deconstructed classroom, school, or system is designed to encourage everyone to think for themselves, while at the same time encouraging them to think with others.

Global competition and lack of well-being are intensifying and for our State to flourish, we must prepare our children to thrive. We all know that young people who do not have appropriate and meaningful education are at greatest risk of falling further behind, dropping out, having children too early, committing crimes, and experiencing difficulties finding or keeping employment. These consequences have direct, immediate, and long-term economic impacts on the State, as these young people earn lower wages, pay fewer taxes, and need more public services.

Social Studies courses have the potential to connect learners with their daily lives, and in turn, stimulate a willingness to actively participate in the responsibilities that their future roles require. The teacher’s role is to guide and provide access to information rather than act as the primary source of information. Students’ search for knowledge is met as they learn to find answers to their questions. They need the opportunity and the guidance, however, to discover for themselves and practice skills in authentic situations. Social Studies courses provide students with relevant content, time, and location to use materials that reinforce the lessons being studied and create opportunities for individual discovery, integration of information, and application of knowledge.  

Deconstructing the current system of teaching content in silos and top-down leadership, necessarily implies the advocacy of social sciences in order to develop young people into citizens of the world who are able to live peacefully together. It means building and reinforcing values, articulating personal purpose, and utilizing collective identity through cultural awareness and a “sense of place.”

Social Studies classes can provide international content while responding to local requirements.
To be sure, the issue of eliminating a Social Studies credit pales in light of Hawaii’s serious situations regarding energy consumption and generation, environmental intimidation, a faltering economy, threatened agricultural production, and of course, “joblessness.”

It is imminently clear, however, that deconstructing Hawaii educational system is absolutely necessary at this time to engender abilities in youth to address these realities. The public must be called upon to become the real “the unified leadership”—and create a “new normal.” After all, as Einstein said: “The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.”

To learn more about the mission to preserve Social Studies for Hawaii’s students, visit the Aloha Posse website by clicking here

Lyla B. Berg, Ph.D. is the former State Representative from the 18th District (Hawaii Kai to Waialae-Kahala) and Vice-Chair of the House Education Committee. She is a career educator and served for over 15 years with the Hawaii DOE as teacher, vice-principal, and principal before becoming an instructor in the College of Education at UH-Manoa.

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