World-Centred Education

With theoretical beauty and practical elegance, Gert Biesta continues to regale us with an approach to education which, while sustaining its immanence and autonomy, remains open to new possibilities and innovative spaces. He does this by putting a spot-light on educations existential(ist) questions; questions that matter for what those who live through education, and will continue to take with them throughout their life. Indeed, what is taken is not a product but an art and ability to sustain ones own being in the world; indeed, a way of becoming the world itself. In this book Biesta completes a wider project where, without unnecessarily antagonizing the educational establishment, he robustly critiques the paradigmatic status quo by which education has become paralyzed between the four angles of conservative, liberal, progressive and critical educationalism. Biestas originality is found in how he chooses to stay away from this impasse. Instead, he offers new horizons over which we are empowered to do education associatively and convivially. John Baldacchino, Professor, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison Educational life should never just be about adapting to circumstances, neither about looking out for the future. Life is here and now, and so is educationIn this now-or-never-space, education should bring in the world to speak to the children. Gert Biestas call, with Bertolt Brecht, is not to serve the children nor satisfy them, but to interest them in the world. World-Centered Education is not just another scholarly book speaking in theoretical language to, and with, other scholars. Gert Biesta is speaking directly to the reader pointing at the world, pedagogy and education, in an exciting, electrifying and personal style. Laerke Grandjean (https://www.laerkegrandjean.dk/)

Gert Biesta is Professor of Public Education in the Centre for Public Education and Pedagogy at Maynooth University, Ireland, and Professor of Educational Theory and Pedagogy at the Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, UK.

1 - WHAT SHALL WE DO WITH THE CHILDREN?; 2 - WHAT KIND OF SOCIETY DOES THE SCHOOL NEED?; 3 - THE PARKS-EICHMANN PARADOX AND THE TWO PARADIGMS OF EDUCATION; 4 - SUBJECTIFICATION REVISITED; 5 - LEARNIFICATION, GIVENNESS, AND THE GIFTS OF TEACHING; 6 - FORM MATTERS: ON THE POINT(ING) OF EDUCATION; 7 - WORLD-CENTRED EDUCATION