Naslov
What youth thinks about education

Autori
Baranović, Branislava

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Poglavlja u knjigama, ostalo

Knjiga
Youth and Transition in Croatia

Urednik/ci
Ilišin, Vlasta ; Radin, Furio

Izdavač
Institut za društvena istraživanja ; Državni zavod za zaštitu obitelji, materinstva i mladeži

Grad
Zagreb

Godina
2002

Raspon stranica
205-221

ISBN
953-6218-12-7

Ključne riječi
youth, education

Sažetak
Education is an activity with significant consequences for the life of individuals and society. It is expected that education will help the economic development of the society (by creating a work force with specific qualifications) and the homogenization of the values in the society necessary for the reproduction of the current social system (education for the individual to participate in and take responsibility for community life). Society also expects education to enable an individual to take responsibility for his or her own existence. However, the members of society as individuals have expectations from education as well. In short they can be defined as the improvement of the quality of life (better material standard, higher social status and respectability, the possibility of personal development). Most certainly, these are just some of the basic educational functions, the ones without which, at least without great consequences, it is not possible to ensure the reproduction of societal life or the already achieved quality of life of the individual. Although life in contemporary society sets high educational tasks for the individual and prolongs education to the life long education, education is still primarily to do with to the young and their preparation for taking the role of adults. Due to the fact that it significantly determines the future of the young it is important to research their attitude towards education, its significance and limitations for solving their life problems. The results of the analysis indicate that the young in Croatia have relatively high expectations from education. They primarily see it as the means to help their personal development. Their expectations are turned towards the development of the basic prerequisites necessary for the entrance into the adult world: acquiring knowledge and the development of their abilities, the possibility of getting the desired job, independence etc. In short, they expect education to help them after completing school to solve their basic existential problems, which enables them to become independent or rather emancipated. The significance of education as the means for social promotion (acquiring better material standard d prestigious social status) has a lower profile while, the least significant action of education to them is school as the means of social and political socialization. The statements that refer to the significance of school for developing the interest of the young for participating in political and societal life and taking over the responsibility for the development of the society is at the bottom f the scale. It could not be said that this opinion of the young is specific for the youth of Croatia. It could more easily be assigned to the general generational characteristics typical for the younger generation - and their focus on their own problems and interests. That does not mean that the young reject responsibility or what is happening in the society and in politics. Judging by numerous other pieces of research the young have a critical attitude towards this dimension of societal life because they still do not feel competent enough for it and they leave ~ to adults. It could be said that the young actually postpone it for the adulthood. In general, the data indicates that they are very rational in their expectations, primarily turned to expectations in solving the immediate existential problems ~, ' upon completion of education), but they are also realistic. The data, namely, t indicate that the young are aware of the limited influence of education in solving their life problems, that it is not appreciated enough in the society and that there ' are other factors that influence the social and economic status of the individual and the possibilities for their promotion. The analysis also implied that this opinion of the young is conditioned by the social context and that their attitude towards education is different depending on their socio-demographic characteristics, especially professional status, level of education, their parents' level of education and rural/urban residential status. It was clearly shown that the young with a university degree who live in the developed urban environment with parents who have a university degree are more critical towards education and more reserved in regard to its significance for their professional and social integration as well as promotion. These functions of education are far more significant to those at the other end of the continuum of the socio-demographic characteristics mentioned. The results of this research do not only specify the characteristics of the youth and their attitude towards what school provides them with but they also describe the work of school itself. Namely, through their opinions the problem of an unbalanced curriculum can be seen - the domination of the function of acquiring knowledge and development of the students' ability and a neglect of the values components and neglect of preparing the young for life in community, The globalization of social life and its economic, technologic and cultural aspect stress the significance of communication and interaction between people. This has strengthened the significance of the educational transfer of the applicable value system (tolerance, multiculturalism, equality, peace etc.) and the socialization function of school. Developing communication skills in young people and their responsibility for the democratic development of their society but also of the institutions on an international level already holds an equal place with the acquiring of knowledge in the curricula of the developed countries. From the integral point of view, the realistic but positive attitude of the young towards education indicates that the young know how to asses the role and significance of school, not only for their life but for the society in general, and for this very reason their opinions should be respected when forming educational policy.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Pedagogija

POVEZANOST RADA