Other Education: Politics and contemporary educational concepts
On February 5, the next expert discussion in the research cycle Other Education: Politics and Modern Educational Concept, initiated and implemented by Vitaliy Khromets and the Ukrainian Institute for the Future, took place.
“Our education should be as rich and enriching as possible, and we should not reject the previous aspects of education’s development when it was responding to prior challenges.”
— Vitaliy Khromets
The Other Education project is dedicated to examining contemporary ideas and processes in Western education. This allows us to understand how to encourage positive educational change in the short, medium, and long term.
We recall educators’ and experts’ genuine interest and gratitude when Vitaliy Khromets, an educational expert and Doctor of Philosophy, made his debut presentation at the end of October 2024. His vivid, imaginative examples left a lasting impression!
On February 5, the fourth meeting was held, where the expert spoke about modern educational concepts related to politics. Let’s take a closer look at them and explore whether schools should foster patriotism in Ukraine, adhere to a certain political ideology, and how politics should influence modern education.
3 aspects of the human mind
Since Western civilization is based on ancient heritage, Vitaliy Khromets began his speech with a philosophical discussion on the concept of an educated person and the role of the education system in the process of cognition. The expert noted that a properly structured school should focus on the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and abilities by students. The teacher does not disclose the truth—the student must discover it independently.
The educational expert voiced a controversial opinion of today: “Some say that school should provide quality knowledge. Others say that it should give clear guidelines in life. Still others argue that school should prepare children for certain professions.” Thus, people insist on prioritizing only one aspect of the human mind (theoretical, practical, or productive).
Instead, according to the expert, education should develop all three aspects of the human mind. The right approach to education is neither reductionist nor simplistic. It is necessary to maintain a balance: a person should be knowledgeable, skilled, and possess practical abilities.
Consider how you gained pure knowledge, for example, in mathematics. Over time, this knowledge formed a skill—now, we can confidently go to a store and pay for the goods we choose.
4 aspects of human life in the context of politics
These aspects have been discussed as far back as 2,500 years ago:
- Individual – Each student has unique characteristics.
- Social – A person is born into a community (family, city, society, and country), which influences personality development. Humans are social beings, and if a child is raised outside of human interaction, they will never fully develop as a human.
- Private – A close circle of interactions based on how a person sustains their life.
- Public – A sphere of interaction between different individuals to achieve common goals.
In the public sphere, politics emerges, where achieving common goals benefits everyone. People must negotiate and seek compromises. As an example, Vitaliy Khromets cited a modern apartment building: for neighbors to coexist harmoniously, a community must be formed. Then, the entrance will remain clean, the lights will work, and the elevator will not break down.
3 great political theories
The following theories were developed in the late 18th century:
- Socialism – Based on a planned economy, prioritizing the public interest. People must consider the well-being of society, sometimes at the expense of individual interests. Socialism aims to create equality.
- Liberalism – Based on a market economy, placing the individual and their needs at the center. People should create conditions to meet their personal needs.
- Conservatism – Involves partial state influence on economic development. People should look after the interests of specific communities, fostering development in areas not regulated by the state. Conservatism promotes strong social ties and responsibilities within small groups.
Personalization of education
Currently, in political terms, the dominant idea is that the primary space for political activity is the nation-state. Vitaliy Khromets noted that schools should serve national interests in some capacity and raised an important educational dilemma: what is the school’s duty? Should it actively cultivate patriotism in Ukraine or focus on shaping good, honest, and moral individuals without emphasizing readiness to sacrifice for the Motherland? This is a question that every conscious Ukrainian must consider.
A growing trend called “concordialism” is emerging. Its essence lies in fostering cooperative relationships between people across national borders to achieve common goals through cross-border and transnational collaboration.
Vitaliy Khromets emphasized that this trend is particularly noticeable in fundamental sciences. For example, when the Hadron Collider was being built, one participant described a strange realization: he did not feel much difference while working with representatives of different nations and cultures. All scientists became so close in their work that national distinctions became secondary.
Progression of educational stages
When discussing the modern concept of education, we must not disregard the historical context. “Moving into the future, we should take the baggage of previous experience with us,” the expert said. “On one hand, a person should be deeply connected to their local community. On the other hand, they should be a citizen of the world, all while remaining a patriot of their country.”
Vitaliy Khromets referenced two regional schools in Ternopil and Cherkasy, highlighting the various aspects of education and its political components. It is clear that the Ternopil school should foster loyalty to regional patriotism, but at the national level, it must also cultivate loyalty to the greater homeland—Ukraine. These aspects should be complementary, not contradictory.
The structure of education
The educational structure consists of two components:
- Processes – Growth, formation, and development—happening at the level of the learner.
- Means – Training, education, and teaching—implemented by the teacher.
“We need to use school resources to ensure that a set of skills equips students to transition into adulthood, allowing them to integrate into the economic system of the society in which they live,” the expert explained.
Should a school be liberal, socialist, or conservative? Vitaliy Khromets stressed that this question is highly complex: “Schools should not follow any specific political ideology. A person should be educated in such a way that they are not indifferent to what happens around them. They should engage with political ideas outside of school and independently decide which ideology to follow.”
Currently, the Constitution of Ukraine does not enshrine any political ideology, meaning that schools are not subject to direct political influence, as was the case in the Soviet Union. In a democratic society, it is undesirable to introduce ideological components into the educational process.
At the end of his speech, Vitaliy Khromets considered whether political engagement should be part of general education. Should the curriculum include a dedicated subject that cultivates political culture? The expert believes that there should not be specialized political education within general schooling. However, this could be an option within specialized education—where individuals make a conscious choice.
Thank you for your attention and interest in this important issue. Please join the discussion in the comments section!
To dive deeper into the context, we invite you to watch recordings of previous sessions from the Other Education research cycle:
- The Genesis of Educational Concepts of Western Society (recording from October 27, 2024)
- The Modern Educational Concept of Western Society (November 7, 2024)
- Other Education: Modern Educational Concept and Economics (December 5, 2024)
- Policy and the Modern Educational Concept (February 5, 2025)
The fifth and final meeting of the Other Education research cycle will be announced soon. Stay tuned and follow the updates as we continue to shape the educated future of Ukraine.
