2. Oil and water

Abstract

‘Oil and water’ examines two streams of thought which run through the history of education: the progressive and the formal. There are not only different understandings about knowledge and learning held by the protagonists of each position, but also different views about children — who they are and how they develop. For the progressives, such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, John Locke, and John Dewey, education is about supporting the ability to think critically. It should be child-centred and focused on problem solving. For the formalists, it is a process of imparting and acquiring the skills and knowledge necessary for wellbeing and success in life. Teaching is at the heart of this transmission.