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Discovering other people
One of education's tasks is both to teach pupils and students about human diversity and to instil in them an awareness of the similarities and interdependence of all people. From early childhood, the school should seize every opportunity to pursue this two-pronged approach. Some subjects lend themselves to this - human geography in basic education, foreign languages and literature later on.
Moreover, whether education is provided by the family, the community or the school, children should be taught to understand other people's reactions by looking at things from their point of view. Where this spirit of empathy is encouraged in schools, it has a positive effect on young persons' social behaviour for the rest of their lives. For example, teaching youngsters to look at the world through the eyes of other ethnic or religious groups is a way of avoiding some of the misunderstandings that give rise to hatred and violence among adults. Thus, teaching the history of religions or customs can provide a useful reference tool for moulding future behaviour.
Lastly, recognition of the rights of other people should not be jeopardized
by the way children and young people are taught. Teachers who are so dogmatic
that they stifle curiosity or healthy criticism instead of teaching their
pupils how to engage in lively debate can do more harm than good. Forgetting
that they are putting themselves across as models, they may, because of
their attitude, inflict lifelong harm on their pupils in terms of the
latter's openness to other people and their ability to face up to the
inevitable tensions between individuals, groups and nations. One of the
essential tools for education in the twenty-first century will be a suitable
forum for dialogue and discussion.
Extracted from Learning: The Treasure Within - Report to UNESCO of the International Commission on Education for the Twenty-first Century, Jacques Delors et al., 1996.