Learning to be Edgar Faure Felipe Herrera Abdul-Razzak Kaddoura Henri Lopes Arthur V. Petrovsky Majid Rahnema Frederick Champion Ward The world of education today and tomorrow UNESCO Publishing United Nations       Cultural OrganizationLearning to be The world of education today and tomorrow Report of the International Commission on the Development of Education, UNESCO, Paris, 1972First published in 1972 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization 7, place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris, 07 SP France and George G. Harrap & Co. Ltd. 182-184 High Holborn, London WC1V7AX First edition, August 1972 ISBN 978-92-3-101017-0 Second impression, November 1972 Third impression, January 1973 Printed by Arts Graphiques Coop Suisse, Basle Fourth impression, September 1973 Fifth impression, September 1974 Sixth impression, December 1975 Seventh impression, August 1982 Printed by Offset Aubin Second edition, October 2013 ISBN 978-92-3-104246-1 The ideas and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the Organization. The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. © UNESCO 2013 Printed in FranceMessage from Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO for the new edition of the Faure report September 2013 UNESCO published the Report – Learning to Be: The World of Education Today and Tomorrow – in 1972. Forty years later, the Faure Report, named after former Prime Minister and Minister of Education of France, Edgar Faure, continues to influence education policy across the world. The Report proposed “lifelong education as the master concept for educational policies in the years to come for both developed and developing countries.” It set out a humanist vision of education and learning as a continuously renewed and evolving process throughout life. The world has changed since 1972. Globalization has accelerated. There has been tremendous growth, but also deepening inequalities. New technologies are revolutionising the way we communicate and share information, as well as how we teach and learn. The world is getting younger every day, and the expectations of young people are rising for quality education and decent jobs. Swept along with these changes, education faces new challenges of equity, quality and relevance. The context has evolved, but the thrust of the Faure Report remains valid today. This is why UNESCO has decided to re-issue the Report, to inspire a new generation of educationalists with the wisdom of past thinking. This is especially important today – as we approach the target year of 2015 for achieving the Education for All objectives and the Millennium Development Goals, and as we define the shape of a new global sustainability agenda to follow 2015. We need today a new big push in education and a new strategic vision of education’s central importance for human dignity and for sustainable development in every society. In this spirit, I am pleased to present this Report for all to read – and re-read.Learning to be The world of education today and tomorrow Edgar Faure Felipe Herrera Abdul-Razzak Kaddoura Henri Lopes Arthur V. Petrovsky Majid Rahnema Frederick Champion Wardviiviiiixxxixiixiiixivxv xixxvixviixviiixixxxixxiixxiiixxivxxvxxvixxviixxviiixxixxxxxxxixxxiixxxiiixxxivxxxvxxxvixxxviixxxviiixxxixxlxliLearning to be UNESCO is re-issuing the landmark Report of the International Commission on the Development of Education released in 1972 to inspire a new generation of educationalists with the wisdom of past thinking. Though the world has changed since, the Report’s main arguments remain valid: To fulfil the promises of democracy, education must allow for a constant exchange of ideas, cultivate the scientific spirit and make available the opportunities of the “learning society” to everyone. This implies that education should not be limited to one age group, or merely reflect families’ beliefs and traditions. Nor should it cater to the needs of a particular social class, or be divided into separate levels and streams. Equally importantly, education should not inhibit creativity or serve to reproduce social inequalities. The Commission, presided over by the former Prime Minister and Minister of Education of France, Edgar Faure, ushered in a new vision of education that sought to nurture the development of well-rounded individuals equipped to learn at all stages of life and committed to a profound aspiration for peace. 9 789231 042461 ISBN 978-92-3-104246-1 Education Sector United Nations       Cultural Organization