Creative Response Rationale - the WHAT, WHY and HOW of Philosophical Education for Children

Below I have extracted and summarised the aims and recommendations made by the UNESCO meeting on Philosophy teaching (linked and described in the next post).  These aims and recommendations are intended to be applied to the UNESCO body iteself, member states, National Commissions, European Commission and to philosophy teachers and civil society as a whole. 

As these recommendations are entirely relevant to the Australian model, they also serve as a rationale for this Creative Response - the WHAT, WHY and HOW of encouraging philosophical ethics education for children in Australia.  While they are each critically important, where a recommendation below has particular impact for the scope of this project, I have highlighted the text in BOLD.

Key Recommendations and Aims for Member States:

• Philosophy teaching should be maintained or expanded where it exists and introduced where it does not yet exist.
• Education in philosophy prepares independently minded thoughtful people, able to shoulder the responsibilities of the challenging modern world.
• Globalization-induced social changes and ecological concerns require that our youth are equipped with solid conceptual tools to think critically, question existing models and seek new ideas and possibilities.
• The skills offered by education in philosophy are beneficial for our increasingly multicultural society - enabling calm and rationally argued dialogue to help resolve conflict.
• Philosophical education develops imagination and creativity, to create proactive and innovative youth.
• Philosophy education should be given academic freedom free from the constraints of performance indicator measures, recognising that evaluation of this type is not compatible with the fundamental purpose of philosophy as a discipline.
• Research, pilot experiences and practices of philosophy for pre-school and primary education should be encouraged, and where possible institutionalised in the education system.
• Foster debate, both academic and pedagogical on the relationships between philosophy, civic or moral education and religious education, so as to gain benefits from each.
• Make philosophical enquiry a part of both teacher training and primary and secondary education in  general.
• Give equal place and importance to science and technical disciplines as to philosophy and humanities disciplines.
• Promote public awareness of culture, social justice, peace and tolerance through philosophy teaching.
• Promote and advocate philosophy teaching at all levels of education.
• Facilitate international networks and exchanges between philosophers, teachers and students.
• Promote an international development and support program specifically for philosophy with children practices.
• Promote research into the causes of violence, terrorism and other negative societal changes, particularly with respect to the role of education in promoting a culture of peace and non-violence.
• Ensure that competence-based assessment of educational practice does not adversely affect philosophy teaching, on the grounds that this discipline does not develop 'key competencies'.
• Work with teachers of other disciplines to incorporate philosophical analysis into existing subject matters.

It is interesting to