In his thought-provoking article, “Putting the World in the Centre: A Different Future for Scotland’s Education,” Gert Biesta offers a radical departure from prevailing trends in education. His critique of “learnification” and learner-centric paradigms illuminates the need to rethink education’s purpose, challenging us to place the world, not learners or their learning, at the heart of the educational endeavor. This shift has profound implications, not just for Scotland, but for global educational practices.
The Problem with Learnification
Biesta identifies “learnification” as a narrowing of educational discourse, reducing education to the process of learning and positioning the learner as its central figure. While this may sound progressive, Biesta argues it is deeply problematic. Learning, he asserts, is an empty and directionless concept—it tells us nothing about what education should aim to achieve or what values it should uphold. Without a clear criterion, learning risks becoming an aimless endeavor.
Furthermore, the emphasis on learners’ development—such as fulfilling their “personality, talents, and abilities to the fullest potential” (as outlined in the UNCRC)—neglects a critical question: What kind of growth and development are desirable? Biesta contends that education cannot avoid this normative dimension, as decisions about growth inevitably involve values and judgments.
Reframing the Educational Question
Biesta introduces the concept of the educational question, which focuses on the quality and direction of human growth and development. He argues that education must transcend mere cultivation of skills and abilities and instead address how individuals relate to their freedom and existence. Drawing on German scholar Dietrich Benner, Biesta frames education as an invitation to self-action—a call for individuals to take responsibility for their lives within the realities of the world.
This reframing shifts the focus from identity formation (“Who am I?”) to existence (“How should I exist in the world?”). This existential perspective underscores the interplay between personal agency and the constraints of the world, highlighting the need for a balanced relationship between self and other, freedom and responsibility.
Placing the World at the Centre
Biesta’s world-centered education argues that human existence is deeply intertwined with the natural, physical, and social world. He critiques the egocentric notion of education as self-fulfillment, urging us to recognize that the world is not merely a backdrop for human actions but a reality with its own integrity. Encounters with the world’s resistance—whether environmental, social, or ethical—are crucial for understanding its reality and our place within it.
The challenge, Biesta suggests, lies in navigating the “middle ground” between self-destruction (total withdrawal) and world-destruction (unbridled domination). This existential balancing act fosters dialogue—not as a conversation, but as a way of engaging meaningfully with the world and its complexities.
Qualities of World-Centered Education
Biesta identifies three core qualities essential for a world-centered approach to education:
- Interruption: Encountering resistance and limits is fundamental to understanding the world’s integrity. Such interruptions challenge students to reconsider their desires and ambitions in relation to the world.
- Suspension: Education must slow down, creating time for students to reflect, experiment, and explore existential possibilities. This aligns with the original meaning of schole (school), which signifies “free time” dedicated to meaningful engagement with the world.
- Sustenance: Educators must provide the support and nourishment students need to navigate the difficult middle ground of existence. This involves fostering resilience to handle challenges without retreating or overreaching.
A Critique of Fast Learning and Personalization
Biesta critiques contemporary education’s obsession with speed and personalization. These trends, he argues, prioritize efficiency over depth, treating resistance as an obstacle rather than a necessary part of learning. By reducing education to personal ownership of learning, these approaches undermine the educator’s responsibility to guide students in encountering the complexities of the world.
Shifting the Ontology of Learning
Finally, Biesta challenges the dominant conception of learning as a unidirectional process where learners acquire knowledge, skills, or understanding from the world. He proposes an alternative “gesture”—where the world acts on the learner, asking questions and making demands. This shift from “What do I want from the world?” to “What does the world ask of me?” redefines the educational question in profound and transformative ways.
Conclusion: Toward a World-Centered Education
Biesta’s vision calls for a radical reimagining of education, moving beyond learner-centered paradigms to embrace a world-centered approach. Education, he argues, must prepare students to engage meaningfully with the world’s complexities, recognizing its integrity and limits. By fostering interruption, suspension, and sustenance, educators can create spaces where students learn to exist—not as masters of the world, but as participants in its ongoing dialogue.
As Scotland envisions its educational future, Biesta’s insights remind us that education is not merely about shaping individuals or fulfilling desires. It is, at its core, about making the world habitable for future generations—ecologically, socially, and existentially. This shift from egology to ecology, from self-centeredness to world-centeredness, offers a profound and timely response to the challenges of our era.