THE SCHOOL AT THE SERVICE OF SOCIETY: CONSEQUENCES FOR THE "NEW WORD"

Abstract

In this article I shall seek to demonstrate the remarkable contemporary relevance of John Dewey’s pedagogic ideas, found in publications such as My Pedagogic Creed, The School and Society and Democracy and Education. Through a brief analysis of these works I will highlight how much Dewey believed in a school that is connected to society and which places itself at its service, contributing to the birth or consolidation of a democracy understood not just as a form of government, but as a way of life. In view of this analysis and in light of the present pandemic caused by COVID-19, I will consider the importance today of the school. Following Dewey, I will take into account the role it plays in society, with all its needs, demands, and characteristics, both now and potentially. To this end I will point out how certain democratic principles, such as collaboration, cooperation, and above all civic responsibility might serve to face a sensitive situation, such as the one we are experiencing today, and to what extent the school should encourage teaching and other educational processes that help consolidate such responsibility. Moreover, because the coronavirus pandemic is determining a “new world” made up of unprecedented ways of living and being together, in order to avoid being anachronistic and dysfunctional, the school must update and re-examine itself in an attempt to respond to the demands that the health emergency is posing. With reference to the present pandemic and Dewey’s pedagogic theories, this work will conclude with a consideration regarding civic responsibility seen as one of the most important democratic principles to help mitigate the emergency presented by COVID-19. An attempt will be made to explain how important school is for the education of future responsible citizens, so that situations such as that of today, which require the contributions of everyone, can be faced appropriately.