Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemGreek educational system : 1900-1987( 1989)Examining the history of the Greek Educational System in the twentieth century, we discover widespread and constant demands for reform in order to meet the challenges of a modernizing nation-state. Politicians, administrators, parents and students at every period expressed the need for educational reform although fundamental differences in the. proposed remedies-can be observed. Yet, for a variety of reasons - political, economic, ideological, and social - most reforming proposals had very limited success, even though in some cases the related measures were legislated for. Generally, the educational reform impetus in every. period reflected the theoretical and ideological -perspectives and practical concerns of the governments in' power, as well as the 'conflicts ' and contradictions of a rapidly developing society with deeply rooted historical traditions. From its foundation to the present reforms, although it appeared that great efforts had been made to reform the structure and content of the Greek education system, because of circumstances or because of successful counter-reforms following changes in the ruling party, things remained basically unaltered. The movement for educational reform in Greece can be examined in terms of six historical periods when major attempts were made by the government to change the structure and content, of the educational system: (a) 1913 and 1917, under the administration of Eleftherios Venizelos' government; (b) 1929, under the administration of the Liberal Party headed by E. Venizelos; (c) 1957-63, under the first administration of Premier C. Karamanles; (d) 1964-65, under the government of G. Papandreou; (e) 1974-77, under the administration of Premier C. Karamanles and the "New Democracy" political party; (f) 1981-86, under the recent administration of the PASOK (Panhellenic Socialist Movement) government headed by A. Papandreou. Throughout the twentieth century educational reform has been considered imperative for the country's social and economic development. It is significant to note that the major thrust of educational reform has been to bring changes in the elementary and secondary sectors of the school system. Since 1974, however, there has been considerable pressure for the reform of university and other tertiary level institutions. An overview of the reform movement during the twentieth century will provide the necessary historical background and conceptual framework against which the contemporary educational reforms can be analysed and assessed.
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ItemAnton Semyonovich Makarenko and progressive education: a study of Pedagogicheskaya Poema, or, The Road to Life( 1991)The aftermath of the 1917 October Revolution in the U.S.S.R, brought about a climate of radical reforms in the entire education system. The first minister of education, Lunacharsky, introduced experimentation in schools; he encouraged the implementation of a school curriculum influenced by Marxist-Leninist ideology combined with the ideals of John Dewey and the Western Progressive tendencies in education. In Russia, a product of the October revolution was also a multitude of 'bezprizornie', homeless children who needed urgent educational attention. In 1920, a young Ukranian teacher, imbued with the fervour of revolutionary ideals, was given the task of running a colony for 'bezprizornie'. Antonich Makarenko accepted the task with reluctance but also with a firm belief that educational processes could re-educate children. He also believed that the education system could cater for the interests of both the individual and the group. Makarenko's educational experiment became known as 'The Gorky Colony', in honour of his source of inspiration, the Russian writer, Maxim Gorky. In the running of the Gorky Colony, after initial difficulties, Makarenko, experienced fame and success. He recorded his pedagogical experience in a literary work which he called: A Poem of Education, translated into English and thereafter known as: The Road to Life. His work, first published in 1933, coincided with the end of the Lenin-Lunacharsky's influence in education and with the rise of Stalinist policies of return to traditionalism in education. Makarenko survived the party purges of the early Bolsheviks by adopting the Stalinist policies in education. Calling his methodology 'the Soviet Way', and by stressing the belief in 'collective education', he gained favour within the Stalin regime and also during the 'de-Stalinization' years of the Khrushchov regime. Detailed analysis of The Road to Life, reveals that the 'Makarenko method' remains most of all a reflection of the child-centred, progressive approach to education of the early Bolshevik years, the 1920's.