education.au: Communique

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. education.au[Edit][Delete]: Communique, [Edit][Delete] November 17, 2006
I don't mean to be a naysayer, and I'm sure the authors of this communique meant well, but this document, a follow-up to the Global Summit hosted by education.au in October, is, at best, opaque, and at worst, incoherent. Many statements don't make sense, others are flatly false. The conclusion is typical of the whole document. "Teachers have never been more essential than in the current age." This is not demonstrably true. "However, the focus needs to shift dramatically from imparting content knowledge to empowering students with the fundamental key processes to enable them to conduct their own learning." Huh? What does it mean to 'empower with processes'? "This should occur within the conventions of a discipline, including those disciplines that are yet to emerge." On what planet? Where is the need for this? "In understanding our current environment and the necessity for leadership in new practices of education, the time has come to challenge the forces that constrain education in a world that is fast disappearing." This is just jibberish. More...