ABSTRACT
The'ideaofSchool·,Oakeshottcontends,isessentiallythatofa.personaltransactionbetweena 'teacher'anda'learner':'Theonlyindispensable equipmentof'School'isteachers·•'School'itself,ontheotherhand,istypicallya'monastic' institutioninrespectofbeing'aplaceapartwhere excellencesmaybeheardbecausethedinofworld laxitiesandpartialitiesissilencedorabated'. Wit.hintheschoolthefirst.1essonthenewcomer learnsis,therefore,thatnotallknowledgecounts, thatlearningisnota'seamlessrobe',thepossibilitiesarenotlimitless.Thusadeliberately organizedcurriculumcircLimscribesknowledge,orthe contextthatneedstobelearnt,into'disciplines' or'subjects'.Moreover,schoolcultivateswithin thelearnercertainindispensablehabitsoflife relatedtotheeffective'engagementtolearnby study·whichbecomingeducatedrequires;habitsof 'attention,concentration,patience,exactness, courageandintellectualhonesty'.[8J
Oa~teshott'sprogrammeisatypical1iberalone.[9J Withthisfactinmind,itbecomesawonderhowmany liberalphilosophersofeducationdeclarethatthey actuallysubscribetotheideaoflifelong education,totheextent'thatrecentlyAnthony O'Hearhasfeltthathecouldassertthatthereis nocontroversyamongphilosophersovertheviewthat educationisforlife;thisisinfact,hesays,how itisheldbyphilosophersasfarapartonother
important for The question
Petersandotherliberalphilosophersofeducation supporttheideathateducationisforlifeornot, formanyclearlydoinsomeformorother.Thereal questionis,whatkindoflifelongeducation programmedotheysupport?Oneanswerisprovided forusinthequotationfromPeters;itisthe extensionofschoolanduniversitylearninginto adultlife.So,ineffect,evenconceivedofasa lifelongmatter,thereisnodiscontinuityin Peters'statementwiththeviewe>:pressedby Oakeshottthateducationisconceptuallytiedwith schooling;ifitdoesnottakeplacewithinthe buildingwecallschool,itstillinvolvesa continuationanddevelopmentofthekindoflearning thatgoes.onintheschool,and,oneassumes, accordingtodefinition,wi11continuetoinvolve intentionallearningundertheguidanceof teachers.[13J
Inactualfact,itmaybethecasewithsomeliberal philosophersofeducationthattheydo,likeO'Hear, recognisethat'Notalleducationisformaleducation'orisrelatedtoschooling.O'Hearhimself explainsthatheiswritingaboutformaleducation becausethissuitsthepurposesofhisbookandin orderto·keepthingsinmanageableproportions', thepresuppositionclearlybeingthatfor·maleduca-· tion,orschoolingissomethingthatcanbewritten aboutseparatelyandisthereforeuninfluencedby theseotherformsofeducationhehasinmindand thatarenotformal.C14JAndPetersalso,similarly acknowledgesanothersenseofeducationbesidesthat whichhewritesabout,asenseinwhichitisa 'fluidconcept'witha'looseundifferentiatedmeaning'ascomparedtohisown.But,likeO'Hear,it isnotasensethatinterestshimeither.C15JThe pointbeingmadeisthatwhateverothermeanings theyalloweducation,liber·alphilosophersareinterestedinoneonly.
