ABSTRACT
One of the problems for students of primary education is the looseness of many of the terms used in educational literature. Terms such as ‘child-centred’, ‘open’ or informal’, for example, have a range of meanings. Too often, authors do not clarify what they mean by particular terms in particular contexts. In the first extract in this section, Alan Blyth provides a thoughtful and critical appraisal of the major principles of ‘liberal romanticism’ or ‘informal education’ as he describes it. He identifies five aspects of informality which reflect how children learn and the role of the teacher in that process. Such beliefs are deeply held but, often, not made explicit by teachers subscribing to this view of primary education. They underlie the criteria for a ‘good’ school put forward in the second extract, the ‘philosophy of education’ discussed in the third, and the approach advocated in the fourth. This is followed by Jennifer Nias’ discussion of teacher’s accounts of primary education in action. The ideas expressed in these extracts are also endorsed by Armstrong’s summary of Hawkin’s ‘Informed vision’, which appears later in the text (pp. 166-72). For a critical analysis of the issues raised readers should consider Dearden’s analysis of child-centred education (pp. 139-42) and Bonnett and Doddington’s discussion of the contribution of philosophy to decision making in primary schools (pp. 173-80).
