Myles Horton\'s Democratic Praxis: Highlander

¶ … Myles Horton's Democratic Praxis: Highlander Folk School Introduction"

From Horton's perspective, what is the purpose of adult education?

Horton had a rather unorthodox impression of adult education. The purpose of his school was to "create a place where people could come to think and plan and share knowledge" (Thayer-Bacon). Horton considered faith and human growth as integral aspects of education. He believed that people "gained knowledge through their experiences, especially work-related experiences" (Thayer-Bacon). In addition, he thought that no one should have their rights invaded "as long as they are attending to their own business" (Thayer-Bacon). These ideas lead Horton to believe that adult education included helping people to openly "discuss and identify the things in their lives that needed improvement" (Thayer-Bacon). In this sense, he saw the student as an active participant in his or her own education. Thayer-Bacon quotes Horton's ideas, noting that he believed the "best teachers of poor and working people are the people themselves" (Horton qtd. In Thayer-Bacon). He placed a great deal of importance upon human experience and also placed a great deal of importance on their ability to discern and learn from their understanding of that experience. Part of an individual's education is the experience and what they learn from it. He did not want to change students so much as he wanted to "stimulate their thinking and expose them to consultants, books and ideas, but it was more important for them to learn how to learn from each other" (Horton qtd. In Thayer-Bacon). Adult education included the experience and understanding of the student and Horton expected students to learn how to get along with each other in this type of informal learning environment. He wanted the adult education experience to meet the needs of his students.

How does Horton and the Highlander philosophy view the learner, the role of the teacher, and the community?

Horton thought the teachers at the school were just as important as the students. He expected the staff to learn a "new language, body language, and to watch people's eyes, for the people of Summerfield were not used to talking" (Thayer-Bacon). In addition, staff members were to respect the people of the community. Horton did this through example by trusting the people of the community. The staff was also expected to get to know the people of the community. Thayer-Bacon notes that this was especially difficult for staff to "unlearn their years of schooling and stop trying to be experts so the people would not turn to them for advice, but would turn to each other" (Thayer-Bacon). Here we see that the staff and the students had their own responsibilities and those responsibilities are quite different from the traditional ones we find in traditional schools. Horton thought that a significant aspect of the teacher's role was to empower students to "think and act for themselves" (Thayer-Bacon). We can see that Horton placed responsibility on both the students and the staff. They were to learn from one another but the staff was to be aware of the student's plight as well as help them be the best that they could be.

Is what Highlander does "really" adult education? Why or why not?