Why holistic Education ...

Widespread economic, social, cultural and workplace change has occurred over the last few decades. 

For example, Australia's new national goals for education in the 21^st century address the need "to enable all young people to engage effectively with an increasingly complex world. This world will be characterised by advances in communication technologies, population diversity arising from international mobility and migration, and complex environmental and social changes."

(The Adelaide Declaration on National Goals for Schooling in the Twenty-First Century, 1999)

"We must create the future we want  - not wait for it to happen."

(Peter Ellyard)

Profound change has occurred in  many areas including:

Globalisation

On one level the world is becoming a global village with an interdependent web of political and economic relationships (largely dominated by the interests of multinational corporations), and on another level differences in culture, race, religion, and language have become accentuated as people and nations struggle to find personal and cultural identity.

Increasingly, democratic citizens, who are simultaneously local, national and international citizens, have to respond to foreign policy issues such as the use of military force, distribution of global economic and social aid, the political status of millions of refugees, and the plight of starving multitudes.

Science and Technology

Science and technology are moving ahead faster than ever before, and the time taken for advances to impact on daily life is shorter than ever before.

• Information communication technologies are revolutionising commerce, the workplace, education and communication.
• Science is creating new ethical and moral issues faster than they can be understood.

Knowledge

The so-called 'information age' is here. There is more information than any one person can keep up with - even in very specialised fields. In many disciplines and occupations what is known is out of date in a few years - months in some cases. The internet has increased access to the latest information (and also to infotainment and disinformation).

• The sum total of human knowledge is estimated to be doubling every 18 months.
• Significant new inventions are estimated to occur more than once a month.
• Dramatic changes in memes/paradigms are occurring in many disciplines and fields of human endeavour.

The spiritual poverty of contemporary education provides few opportunities for today's youth to quench their deep thirst for meaning and wholeness.

Values, Meaning and Spirituality

Many people no longer identify with traditional sources of meaning and values such as church, state, career or culture. In the absence of meaningful traditional values commercial values are easily promulgated by multinationals through the global media.

The spiritual poverty of contemporary education provides few opportunities for today's youth to quench their deep thirst for meaning and wholeness. Misguided, or unconscious attempts by students to attain some sense of fulfilment can result in varying degrees of addictive behaviour toward activities, substances or relationships - all of which make teaching and learning difficult.

"What will transform education is not another theory or another book or another formula, but a transformed way of being in the world - a life illuminated by spirit and infused with soul."

(Parker Palmer)

"Schooling provides a foundation for young Australians' intellectual, physical, social, moral,
spiritual and aesthetic development."

(The Adelaide Declaration on National Goals for Schooling in the Twenty-First Century, 1999)

Human beings are not limited to sensory perception or rational analysis. Being fully human is also about using intuition, inspiration and wisdom while meeting needs for self-actualisation and self-transcendence. (Grof, Whitehead, Wilber)

Values in many countries are changing. Increasingly over the last few decades people are:

• Valuing indigenous cultures and reconciliation with indigenous people.
• Valuing the environment and species diversity.
• Valuing sustainable development.
• Valuing peace, compassion and community
• Searching for meaning and fulfilment

The Future of Work

The nature of work has changed rapidly during the last decade and will continue to do so. For example, in Australia

• Most jobs that primary school children will do have not been invented yet.
• 6 out of 7 jobs created since 1990 are part-time
• Contract work is growing at a faster rate than permanent work.
• 25% of the workforce will work from home next decade
• Self-employment is growing at a faster rate than employment
• Non-profit organizations employ 600,000 Australians

"Vocation - where your deep gladness meets the world's deep need."

(F. Buechner)