International Association of Rectors of Pedagogical Universities in Europe
Draft «Pedagogical Constitution of Europe»
Reference: International Association of Rectors of Pedagogical Universities in Europe was founded in autumn
In May 2013 the Second Forum of Rectors of Pedagogical Universities in Europe was held in the ancient German city of Frankfurt am Main, where “Pedagogical Constitution of Europe” was adopted.
This event has an outstanding character. At the same time, it is not an exception or a single event. This is a logical continuation of pedagogical initiatives introduced by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine in recent years to modernize European educational area.
The Academic Forum, which was attended by university rectors and stakeholders from 11 European countries, adopted a document of strategic importance - axiological platform for new teacher training for a united Europe of the XXI century.
Values declared in it have universal significance and are equally necessary for peoples and countries of European area. The document obtained an ambitious title "Pedagogical Constitution of Europe".
It establishes principles of agreed cross-university policies, regulates pedagogical activity and defines a general framework of teacher training. On this basis, we intend to prepare teachers who will educate new generations of Europeans able to live in a common European home of respect, understanding and cooperation based on common values such as democracy and human rights, peacefulness and environmental security, solidarity, etc.
Note: Fundamentals of humanistic pedagogical education of the European area were laid down in the epoch of antiquity. Their universal humanistic content has been polished during the process of historical climbing of European countries up path of progress. Each of the following epochs gradually formed the model of pedagogical education as humanistic, creative, human- and cultural creative.
It is necessary to pay the highest honours to outstanding pedagogues, philosophers, devotees of educational work, who during historical development formed a common platform of values, topical for all countries and nations not only of the European continent, but of the whole world. Among them – Jan Amos Komensky, Wilhelm von Humboldt, Janusz Korczak, John Locke, Anton Makarenko, Maria Montessori, Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Vasyl Sukhomlynsky, Konstantin Ushynsky, Friedrich Froebel, and others. However, the conditions for implementation of this model have appeared recently. They are based on the collapse of last empires, the symbol of which was the destruction of Berlin Wall, the common desire of European people to live in peace and friendship, mutual respect and cooperation.
Integration process that unfolds across the Europe requires forming a modern subject of European life – a person able to coexist in a multicultural society in peace and concord in accordance with the principles of humanism, mercy, justice, and freedom. Implementation of this historical mission is impossible without a teacher – one of the key subjects of positive changes. Teacher is called up by society to be a guide of democratic ideas and high morality. Teaching children and youth, forming their outlook and culture, he is able to nurture aspiration to tolerance, effective cooperation, solidarity, responsibility under conditions of living in common European house. Pedagogical staff (school teachers, kindergarten teachers, activity groups’ leaders, social pedagogues and teachers of higher educational institutions) is able to assert the authority of spirituality and ideals of the European community in the European educational area.
"Pedagogical Constitution of Europe" changes historical mission of a modern teacher. The future of every nation, country and fellowship of peoples largely depend on quality of future teachers training who should introduce noble ideas and values in the environment (and soul!) of generations. A spiritual vacuum destroys, but spirituality inspires, argues and motivates to creativity. A teacher must oppose to lack of spirituality the system of values that exalt a man, turn him into a real culture and stimulate for collaboration.
Today European countries offer models of implementation of such training that vary by content and form as well. Integration educational processes encourage the search of common methods of complex architecture of professional training of pedagogues. Pedagogical Constitution of Europe envisages determination of unified value and methodological platform of training a new teacher for the united Europe of the XXI century. Document covers key parameters of pedagogical education – development principles, content, conditions, expected results of its implementation.
Main values among the formulated ones are: anthropocentrism, tolerance, peacefulness, ecological safety, respect for human rights, solidarity. Training of pedagogues in accordance with a single scale of common to all mankind values and taking into consideration national peculiarities is the main pivot, around which modernizing and innovation processes of pedagogical education in the modern European area should be implemented. European teacher is called to find answers to challenges of the epoch and facilitate integration of pupils and students in the bosom of the process of scientific knowledge, sociopractical experience of generations, common to all mankind.
Frankfurt Forum was the final chord of deep by content and extensive by meaning pedagogical collaboration of teachers and scientists in Europe.
The draft document was developed in Kyiv with direct participation of Ukraine (Victor Andruschenko), Germany (Moritz Hunzinger) and Lithuania (Algirdas Gaizhutis). In October 2012 the text of Pedagogical Constitution was approved by the Association Board (Prague, Czech Republic) and after thorough revision was presented to members of the Frankfurt Forum. Thus a "Pedagogical triangle: Kyiv - Prague - Frankfurt", was formed. It prepared and adopted a strategic document of pedagogical significance for European people and beyond.
Normative fundamentals of professional pedagogical training were laid down by the ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers (1966) and UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel (1997), Lisbon Recognition Convention (1997), concerning recognition of qualifications in the sphere of higher education, Bologna declaration concerning creation of European Higher Educational Area, International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED-2011). Topicality of «Pedagogical Constitution of Europe» lies in supplement of the list of international documents in the sphere of higher education with the document that integrates the ideas of fundamentals of pedagogical training into the European Higher Education Area.
Frankfurt am Main, was not chosen by chance as the city for forum. It is a city of high industry, science and culture, the city of Johann Goethe University. Five Nobel laureates work at the university, powerful high quality scientific and educational activities are conducted here. At one time, the famous Frankfurt Philosophy School was formed in the city. In Frankfurt am Main people have a high respect to Ukraine, try to strengthen the authority of Ukraine in Europe and the world.
An important reason for the choice was the high authority of Germany in Europe. Suggestions made in this country will not be unnoticed.
The idea of training a new teacher on a common platform of values was supported and appreciated by the representatives of European Parliament members, the diplomatic services of different countries, scientists and educators. Quite rightly it should be regarded as a document of European significance and value, that is commensurate with the Lisbon and Bologna agreements. Discussion on the document conducted in an open, democratic, and tolerant way, respecting the diverse proposals and perspectives. There were no negative evaluations.
Dr. Doris Pack, Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education of the European Parliament appreciated and supported the project, speaking at the Forum with Program report.
In the same perspective, the idea of project was considering by Udo Rauin (Germany), Ruben Mirzakhanian (Armenia), Vil Bakirov and Volodymyr Evtukh (Ukraine).
The proposed project was supported by the President of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine Vasyl Kremen and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine in Germany Pavlo Klimkin, former German Ambassador to Ukraine Dietmar Stüdemann, other members of the Forum.
"Anthropocentrism must become a fundamental principle of the whole content of pedagogical education in European area" - this opinion was justified by Vasyl Kremen, the report of which was the symbol of a new philosophical and methodological approach to the formation of European teacher of XXI century.
We intend to unite efforts of pedagogical associations and unions acting on the territory of Europe, to make proposal to the European Parliament to adopt an appropriate resolution and to increase attention to educational affairs of governments and parliaments, to hold a number of international human-oriented and culture-values conferences, educational readings in different European countries.
Rectors of pedagogical universities in Europe proposed a system of implementing Forum solutions in training and teaching practice. Its first step is to create international working groups on forming applications to master's programs of future teachers training. Their main purpose is to implement pedagogical constitutional values in the educational process in European countries. The second step will be the preparation of textbooks, "books to read" on history, ecology, social science, etc. Books will be published in English and language of the country where they are created. Controversial issues will be submitted by the methodology of pedagogical discourse and tolerance, with respect to peoples and cultures, their traditions and national characteristics. Finally, the third step will be the foundation of European Pedagogical University on the territory of one of European countries. His students will be able to know each other even from student days, to get acquainted and communicate, establish friendly relations and carry them through life.
Graduates will be main moderators of the idea of Europe unity, spirituality of its people, their commonwealth and cooperation.