When the accessibility is secured and each student is able to make their own, free choice, then education quality is the second central condition. Only education that is of reasonable quality can realise the previously mentioned values and goals of education in an adequate and complete fashion. Good education delivers diverse individuals, citizens and ideas and not just a single, uniform product. It develops students and the transferred knowledge is relevant and applicable. Education must enable the student to find and fulfill their role in society. Good education makes students aware of their own responsibility and ensures that they take that responsibility. It also helps to develop the student into a critical citizen. At the same time, good education causes the critical student to be connected to our society and that they are enabled to formulate creative solutions to societal problems. In the end, good education offers room and freedom for the input and wishes of the individual.
Ultimately, the quality of education forms a basis of each learning process. With this, it is important that there are good teachers, with sufficient didactical skills, that get the professional room to execute their job. Teachers that are not limited by managers that lack knowledge on education, but instead are able to cooperate with fellow teachers in shaping education. Furthermore, good and thorough personal feedback is crucial. Teachers need to be given the time and space to help students individually and provide them the support they need.
The LSVb values the importance of small-scaled education, both in terms of group size and in terms of education institutions in general. Good education offers room for good conversations among students and between student and teacher based on trust. Moreover, an institution needs to provide room for critical self-reflection.
Different perspectives
Since education is meant to lead to self-development, it is necessary to subject the students to diverse perspectives. Whether they aspire to master a specific skill or aim to develop in a more abstract, academic fashion; students need to be presented with a multitude of perspectives and visions on top of the theory and the commonplace practice, in order for them to develop in the broadest sense.
The same goes for developing a critical stance. Students need to become used to seeing multiple perspectives to a specific topic and to subsequently make an informed choice. Only when students are experienced with this, will they develop a critical way of thinking. Moreover, education covers multiple worldviews and offers room for other ways of interpreting the content of one’s studies.
Diversity of perspectives is also of importance for societal emancipation. Education serves the purpose of familiarising students with a multitude of perspectives, cultures and worldviews. Creating understanding and awareness about one’s own worldview and how this influences thinking and acting processes is of great value and should be a part of the education of each student. Apart from one’s own worldview, education confronts students with other worldviews and teaches them how to deal with those. All cultures and backgrounds are valued equally and education may therefore have an emancipating effect.
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