George Counts

--on his book Dare the School Build a New Social Order

-- leading proponent of Social Reconstructionism

Progressive Education movement – devoted to the promotion of social welfare through education; it must have orientation and direction meaning “moving forward”

Progressive education must:

emancipate from the influence of middle class

face every social issue and reality (???)

develop a theory of welfare

become less frightened at imposition and indoctrination

Teachers must:

abandon easy optimism

subject the most rigorous scrutiny

prepared to deal with social situations

reach for power and make the most of their conquest thus permitted to fashion the curriculum

win for their ideas that support the masses of the people

bridge the gap between school and society

Weaknesses of Progressive Education: it has no theory of social welfare

placed in a child-centered school

recognized the importance of the interest of the learner

defended the thesis that activity lies at the root of true education

liberal-minded upper middle class students are incapable of dealing with social crises

According to Counts, all education contains a large element of imposition. (so ewan some teachers are not even aware of what they are imposing, or worse, they are not aware that they are imposing mismo)