Kurt Hahn’s Educational Concept

1. Kurt Hahn’s Educational Concept Pui-wing LAI Chief Executive Officer The Hong Kong Award for Young People

2. Challenge andOpportunity Since 1956, AYP is talking about :

3. In late 90s’, 聯合國教育科學及文化組織(UNESCO)指出，教育可分為: • Formal Education (正規教育) • Informal Education (生活教育) • Non-formal Education (非正規教育)

4. In 2004 onwards, we talk about : Challenge for Achievement 渴望挑戰 理想實踐

5. Dr. Kurt Hahn - Educational Ideas - Experiential Learning

6. Origin of the Award Dr. Kurt Hahn’s Educational Concept = Educational Ideas + Experiential Learning “There is more in you than you think”

7. Biographical Sketch of Hahn • Born in 1886 in a wealthy Jewish family in Berlin • at the age of 17, Hahn got severe headaches which was diagnosed as the consequence of a heatstroke • in order to avoid bright lights and heat, Hahn went study at Oxford University in Great Britain

8. Biographical Sketch of Hahn • when the First World War broke out in 1914, Hahn was called home to serve as specialist for English affairs in the German Foreign Office • despite his job to gauge the popular opinion on the British side, Hahn started writing commentaries, holding lectures, attending international conferences to influence the political system • Hahn tried to persuade people to seek a negotiated peace with enemy countries and to bring the war to an end as soon as possible

9. Biographical Sketch of Hahn • in 1920, Hahn opened the school Salem and became the headmaster of this boarding school from 1920 to 1933 • Hahn expanded the school to many branches • Hahn was actively engaged in political activities and was an outspoken opponent to Hitler and the rising Nazi regime • in March 1933, Hahn was imprisoned by Hitler

10. Biographical Sketch of Hahn • later on, Hahn was released through intervention of influential British friends and escaped to Britain in 1933 • in 1934, a new boarding school, Gordonstoun, was set up in Scotland • Hahn publicized the horrors of the concentration camps and organized support for the resistance movement in Germany against the Nazi government • Upon the end of the Second World War, he flew back immediately to Salem to help restore Salem School

11. Biographical Sketch of Hahn • 15. Hahn started to set up world renowned projects such as : • The Moray Badge (1936) • County Badge Schemes (1937) • The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (1956) • The first Outward Bound course (1941) • The Trevelyan Scholarship (1959) • The United World Colleges (1962)

12. Hahn’s Perception of the Society in his time : The Diseased Society • In his time, • young people were exposed to a diseased society, a society that could not direct the impulses of adolescence towards goodness • people’s minds were fraught almost only with warfare and hostilities • people knew no more about conscience and compassion • the justified belief was to fight hatred with hatred

13. Hahn’s belief • Hahn believed in the goodness of mankind • Everyone can develop the ability of making correct moral judgement • It is a matter of whether a person may engage in a proper environment to gain such ability

14. Hahn’s perception on the aims of education • to develop children into moral beings • To cure, to mend a broken heart and to “right the wrong” • The most powerful counterforce against violence and indifference is compassion • To develop each person’s disabilities to their maximum potential

15. Dr. Kurt Hahn > Educational Ideas ‧ look for character first, intelligence second, knowledge third ‧ aim of education is to develop the ability to effect what a student has recognized to be right … young people should have the courage to do the right thing ‧ values like justice, love and peace cannot be learnt only from books or classes. Young generation ought to understand them directly from meaningful and relevant experiences ‧ learning of these values as a help to develop character is as important as absorbing pure factual knowledge ‧ young people possess good qualities like “enterprising curiosity, undefeatable spirit, tenacity in pursuit … above all, compassion”

16. Dr. Kurt Hahn > Educational Ideas ‧ normal adolescent is easily unbalanced, they are in need of opportunities where they can discover themselves, where they can find recognition ‧ young people should learn to respect and accept differences between people of different social classes and nations, they ought to receive “international education” ‧ students ought to learn to be alone, solitude was a time for students to reflect backwards and dream forwards. ‧ one had to learn to “defeat his defeatism”, it was as important to overcome a weakness as to develop strength

17. Dr. Kurt Hahn > Educational Ideas Declines in basic human qualities : ‧ decline of physical fitness due to modern methods of locomotion; ‧ decline of skill and care due to weakened tradition of craftmanship; ‧ decline of imaginationand memory due to the confused restlessness of modern life; ‧ decline of self-discipline owing to the ever-present availability of pills, which tranquilize and stimulate; ‧ decline of compassion – spiritual death; == >> young people are inclined to think they are doomed to incapability, to callousness, recklessness, skepticism

18. Dr. Kurt Hahn > Educational Ideas Expectation of students : ‧ capacity to endure hardships, to face dangers, a talent for organization, prudence, a fighting spirit, presence of mind, and success in dealing with unexpected difficulties ‧ the power of carrying out what is recognized to be just ‧ need to be able to feel that as a people we are just and kindly ‧ on this consciousness depends our inner strength

19. Dr. Kurt Hahn • > Educational Ideas • The Seven Salem Laws • Give the children opportunities for self-discovery; • Make the children meet with triumph and defeat; • Give the children the opportunity of self-effacement in the common cause; • Provide periods of silence; • Train the imagination; • Make games important but not predominant and • Free the sons of wealthy and powerful from the enervating • sense of privilege.

20. Dr. Kurt Hahn • > Educational Ideas • Four Antidotes • Fitness, Physical Training • Expeditions • Projects • Services • Training through the antidotes, not training of the antidotes !!

21. Dr. Kurt Hahn > Experiential Learning - Experience + Learning - Thinking + Action - Experience as a past incident may be opened to further reflection, interpretation and after-thought - Things like the meaning of “honesty, sympathy, and compassion” ought to be grasped in first-hand experience - Justice, love and peace can be understood directly from meaningful and relevant experiences

22. Dr. Kurt Hahn > Experiential Learning - through experience, young people can feel wonder and astonishment, uncover the deeper layers of the human personality - through experience, young people can reflect and explore new insights, young people can come to new discoveries about themselves - through the experience from the four antidotes, adolescents can build up with courage, critical thinking, health, peace and compassion - Young people actually thirst for experience

23. Dr. Kurt Hahn > Experiential Learning - traditional education for stressing mainly information absorption often could not inspire the soul of young people nor to help develop character - a form of fresh youth experience – can “claim the whole man” - Reflection is essential in the process of experiential learning - Reflectiion is the actual critical thinking process that makes learning from experience possible, both unconscious and conscious learning.

24. Dr. Kurt Hahn’s Educational Concept = Educational Ideas + Experiential Learning “There is more in you than you think” << Finish >> Thanks !!