In September 2022 the collection of essays "Bezield Onderwijs" was published. The essays, written by our Gerdien Bertram-Troost (Professor Religious Education) and our former colleague Siebren Miedema (professor emeritus Religious Education), deal with education, worldview and citizenship. A recurring theme in several essays is the plea for (more) attention to the philosophical dimension of life. Also in education.
When people are asked for their opinion on the importance of good education, almost without exception they say that education is of the utmost importance for all children, adolescents and young adults. Education serves the personal interest of pupils and students as well as a social interest. After all, in elementary, secondary, vocational and higher education schools, pupils and students are also equipped to later fully take their place in society as citizens of the Netherlands.
Visions of citizenship are not neutral. They are always colored by a particular view of man and the world. That particular view of man and the world is not always made explicit. For the authors, education is pre-eminently the place where assumptions about being human and living together can, if not must, be made explicit because this can promote the broad education of children and young people. Ultimately we can find each other in the recognition that we are all human: People with a need for recognition, autonomy, but also for connection.