236
one of the main hindrances of sustainable
development.
In the opinion of the authors, Handy is right
regarding the very low level of interpersonal
intelligence (understanding others) in a society
based on individual success, and according to the
authors, this is one of the main hindrances of sustainable development.
It seems also sure that today’s rigid education
targeting standardisation and based on lexical
knowledge in most countries is not suitable for
educating children for finding their way in knowledge increasing exponentially and for accommodating to the continuously changing environment.
We also have to understand that changes in the
natural environment (climate change, environmental pollution, desertification, soil erosion,
etc.) require global systems thinking and environmentally conscious, more effective, international decisions from future generations, and they
also have to realise these decisions. All the above
supports the idea that the institution system of
education has to be reformed because only a generation thinking differently will be able to execute
the new technological revolution and eventually
transform the global society.
In a fundamentally different (better) school
students learn not only the handling of the mass
of information on the Internet and the ways of
obtaining the information. Moreover, this is
taught only limited. Scientific research proved
the idea that the internet provides a highperformance artificial memory making space
available for more valuable thoughts and creative
thinking wrong (Carr 2011). Experiments
revealed that regular use of the Internet increases
forgance. Furthermore, those using software
helping the solution of difficult tasks generally
achieve poorer results than those using more simplified software (for whom solving the problem
requires more efforts). More difficult tasks were
solved faster and with less wrong steps (van
Nimwegen 2008). This means that creative thinking is not helped by the Internet while it is essential in forming networks.
It is important to emphasise that personal contact cannot be omitted in childhood. Development
of the majority of the mentioned intelligences
cannot be successful without their personal control. (Certain experts would see future schools
without teachers.) Public education institutes
transform as a result of technical development
and the associated social changes. The question
is the pace of this transformation since the inertia
of educational systems is fairly big. The training
alone of the teachers working in the new concept
takes a long time, and establishing the new technical conditions worldwide would also take
decades. According to some social scientists,
central power loses its significance in developed
societies, and central educational institutes—if
remaining at all—would have a coordinator role.
(Currently there is a change in the opposite direction.) Consequently, teachers would have a much
more important role than today as their preparedness and skills determine the quality of education, thus the high standard of their training is
also very important. It is likely that schools will
form a more extensive network in which students
will study and cooperate with each other or even
with foreign students in the course of studying.
Local and regional development and network
organisation will be general characteristics of the
new institutes of a more developed social system.
A fundamentally different legal regulation will
be required than today, but this will be the result
of a process, today even the directions of which
are not known yet. It is likely that rules will
change in order to strengthen the cooperation of
people and groups of people. In this case, regulation will cross borders as well. It is also probable
that the transformation will not be smooth. Most
institute systems are currently centralised—even
in democracies—and those in power are not willing to waive this role of control. The new generation educated in the new system, however, could
be able to form a horizontal institutional system
of better quality replacing the hierarchic power
system. It will be difficult to relinquish national
sovereignty to some extent, but bring closer to
religious concepts and mutual acceptance of ethnic and cultural differences seems to be the most
difficult.
Table 6.1 presents the most important contents
of an idealised primary education. The authors
emphasise that the national character of the
6 Steps Towards Realising Global Sustainable Development
one of the main hindrances of sustainable
development.
In the opinion of the authors, Handy is right
regarding the very low level of interpersonal
intelligence (understanding others) in a society
based on individual success, and according to the
authors, this is one of the main hindrances of sustainable development.
It seems also sure that today’s rigid education
targeting standardisation and based on lexical
knowledge in most countries is not suitable for
educating children for finding their way in knowledge increasing exponentially and for accommodating to the continuously changing environment.
We also have to understand that changes in the
natural environment (climate change, environmental pollution, desertification, soil erosion,
etc.) require global systems thinking and environmentally conscious, more effective, international decisions from future generations, and they
also have to realise these decisions. All the above
supports the idea that the institution system of
education has to be reformed because only a generation thinking differently will be able to execute
the new technological revolution and eventually
transform the global society.
In a fundamentally different (better) school
students learn not only the handling of the mass
of information on the Internet and the ways of
obtaining the information. Moreover, this is
taught only limited. Scientific research proved
the idea that the internet provides a highperformance artificial memory making space
available for more valuable thoughts and creative
thinking wrong (Carr 2011). Experiments
revealed that regular use of the Internet increases
forgance. Furthermore, those using software
helping the solution of difficult tasks generally
achieve poorer results than those using more simplified software (for whom solving the problem
requires more efforts). More difficult tasks were
solved faster and with less wrong steps (van
Nimwegen 2008). This means that creative thinking is not helped by the Internet while it is essential in forming networks.
It is important to emphasise that personal contact cannot be omitted in childhood. Development
of the majority of the mentioned intelligences
cannot be successful without their personal control. (Certain experts would see future schools
without teachers.) Public education institutes
transform as a result of technical development
and the associated social changes. The question
is the pace of this transformation since the inertia
of educational systems is fairly big. The training
alone of the teachers working in the new concept
takes a long time, and establishing the new technical conditions worldwide would also take
decades. According to some social scientists,
central power loses its significance in developed
societies, and central educational institutes—if
remaining at all—would have a coordinator role.
(Currently there is a change in the opposite direction.) Consequently, teachers would have a much
more important role than today as their preparedness and skills determine the quality of education, thus the high standard of their training is
also very important. It is likely that schools will
form a more extensive network in which students
will study and cooperate with each other or even
with foreign students in the course of studying.
Local and regional development and network
organisation will be general characteristics of the
new institutes of a more developed social system.
A fundamentally different legal regulation will
be required than today, but this will be the result
of a process, today even the directions of which
are not known yet. It is likely that rules will
change in order to strengthen the cooperation of
people and groups of people. In this case, regulation will cross borders as well. It is also probable
that the transformation will not be smooth. Most
institute systems are currently centralised—even
in democracies—and those in power are not willing to waive this role of control. The new generation educated in the new system, however, could
be able to form a horizontal institutional system
of better quality replacing the hierarchic power
system. It will be difficult to relinquish national
sovereignty to some extent, but bring closer to
religious concepts and mutual acceptance of ethnic and cultural differences seems to be the most
difficult.
Table 6.1 presents the most important contents
of an idealised primary education. The authors
emphasise that the national character of the
6 Steps Towards Realising Global Sustainable Development