Page 10 - Management 17 (2)
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r Rižnar | Higher Education Mix (Four Bs of Higher Education Institutions)
troduced people). Others simply think that even tive picture of (higher) education systems. Its
forty Ps are too few for an in-depth analysis of the main purpose is to shed some light on the most
phenomenon. On the other hand, there are scien- valuable asset in education, its people: students,
tists who claim (yes, without providing evidence teachers and policy makers.
or proof) that the main culprit for delusions and
superficial pseudo theory could be ascribed to let- Discussion
ter P, which forces researchers into a certain way First B
of thinking and that letter B could be a much bet- Bees & Beacons. As any seasoned reader have al-
ter choice (or for that matter, and other letter or ready noticed, the first B is a double B. It rep-
all letters of the alphabet). Who is right is not the resents the largest and the smallest groups of
topic of this text. teachers, administrators and policy makers at
all levels of education. Bees could be a source of
This modest piece of writing is devoted to inspiration, well organised as they are. On the
Boštjan Žekš and E. Jerome McCarthy’s follow- other hand, they seem to be led by instinct and
ers. From May 18, 2002, when Delo published the rarely question what they do. There are more than
interview with the then newly elected president 20.000 bee species, some wild, others domesti-
of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts cated. They are critical for the societies around
titled ‘Univerza, pomožna šola za reveže in men- the globe, but often completely unaware of their
talno ne popolnoma razvite’ (University, Special important role.
Needs School for the Poor and Mentally Under-
developed), until this very moment I cannot stop Teachers sharing some of the characteristics
thinking how easily certain important thoughts of bees are satisfied with the status quo, do not
disappear into the abyss of forgetfulness and how question how things are done in education and
easily meaningless discourse can flourish by being are – in the same manner as honey bees – listed
constantly regurgitated by teachers and students. as endangered species, with some who in more
favourable circumstances may have evolved into
This text is about people, because I believe that beacons unfortunately, are leaving the profession
in social sciences texts should be about people for good.
and not about abstractions that no one can make
any sense of. I follow Billig (2009, 2013) who is Beacons are rare, but of utmost importance:
clearly against noun-based style of writing i.e., they help students at all levels of education to
reification, nominalization and passivization, be- navigate on their path to understanding (under-
cause it only makes academic texts incomprehen- standing, not remembering and forgetting ad
sible and difficult to grasp. This text is above all infinitum). When bees regurgitate the mantra
about people in education; not that they differ of skills and knowledge, beacons are aware that
a lot from people in other professions, but they only understanding counts. Beacons guide their
have a special role that is often left out in their students, try to retain their curiosity and open
job descriptions: in addition to inspiring, moti- minds and are smart enough to question assump-
vating and encouraging students they need to be tions and paradigms and help students do the
aware of their intelectual responsibility and help same. They are against rote learning and regurgi-
students achieve the highest goal in life, which is tation, two of the biggest enemies of, let us call it
to inquire and create and, last but not least, to this way, sustainable education. Sustainable ed-
internalize the parts that they found to be signif- ucation is quality education, not any education
icant for their future personal and professional opportunity: it encourages critical and creative
life. In this context, the purpose of education is thinking, it goes beyond traditional borders of
to help students determine how to learn on their individual disciplines and sub-disciplines, it pro-
own. If we want to have a society of free, cre- motes research-based teaching/learning, it takes
ative, independent individuals, educational sys- into account differences between students and
tems should be geared towards encouraging ac- constantly fives feedback, it challenges students
tive exploration, independence of thought and a and help develop their metacognitive skills. Bea-
willingness to challenge accepted beliefs. Every- cons are rarely found among teachers; they are
thing else belongs either to pseudo-education or even more difficult to find among policy makers.
indoctrination. Many of the above thoughts have
been internalised from the work of Noam Chom- Second B
sky (2004). Bulldozers. Dozers create and destroy with equal
insensitivity; they ruthlessly force their way like
This contribution is a far cry from a defini-
48 management 17 (2022) številka 2
troduced people). Others simply think that even tive picture of (higher) education systems. Its
forty Ps are too few for an in-depth analysis of the main purpose is to shed some light on the most
phenomenon. On the other hand, there are scien- valuable asset in education, its people: students,
tists who claim (yes, without providing evidence teachers and policy makers.
or proof) that the main culprit for delusions and
superficial pseudo theory could be ascribed to let- Discussion
ter P, which forces researchers into a certain way First B
of thinking and that letter B could be a much bet- Bees & Beacons. As any seasoned reader have al-
ter choice (or for that matter, and other letter or ready noticed, the first B is a double B. It rep-
all letters of the alphabet). Who is right is not the resents the largest and the smallest groups of
topic of this text. teachers, administrators and policy makers at
all levels of education. Bees could be a source of
This modest piece of writing is devoted to inspiration, well organised as they are. On the
Boštjan Žekš and E. Jerome McCarthy’s follow- other hand, they seem to be led by instinct and
ers. From May 18, 2002, when Delo published the rarely question what they do. There are more than
interview with the then newly elected president 20.000 bee species, some wild, others domesti-
of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts cated. They are critical for the societies around
titled ‘Univerza, pomožna šola za reveže in men- the globe, but often completely unaware of their
talno ne popolnoma razvite’ (University, Special important role.
Needs School for the Poor and Mentally Under-
developed), until this very moment I cannot stop Teachers sharing some of the characteristics
thinking how easily certain important thoughts of bees are satisfied with the status quo, do not
disappear into the abyss of forgetfulness and how question how things are done in education and
easily meaningless discourse can flourish by being are – in the same manner as honey bees – listed
constantly regurgitated by teachers and students. as endangered species, with some who in more
favourable circumstances may have evolved into
This text is about people, because I believe that beacons unfortunately, are leaving the profession
in social sciences texts should be about people for good.
and not about abstractions that no one can make
any sense of. I follow Billig (2009, 2013) who is Beacons are rare, but of utmost importance:
clearly against noun-based style of writing i.e., they help students at all levels of education to
reification, nominalization and passivization, be- navigate on their path to understanding (under-
cause it only makes academic texts incomprehen- standing, not remembering and forgetting ad
sible and difficult to grasp. This text is above all infinitum). When bees regurgitate the mantra
about people in education; not that they differ of skills and knowledge, beacons are aware that
a lot from people in other professions, but they only understanding counts. Beacons guide their
have a special role that is often left out in their students, try to retain their curiosity and open
job descriptions: in addition to inspiring, moti- minds and are smart enough to question assump-
vating and encouraging students they need to be tions and paradigms and help students do the
aware of their intelectual responsibility and help same. They are against rote learning and regurgi-
students achieve the highest goal in life, which is tation, two of the biggest enemies of, let us call it
to inquire and create and, last but not least, to this way, sustainable education. Sustainable ed-
internalize the parts that they found to be signif- ucation is quality education, not any education
icant for their future personal and professional opportunity: it encourages critical and creative
life. In this context, the purpose of education is thinking, it goes beyond traditional borders of
to help students determine how to learn on their individual disciplines and sub-disciplines, it pro-
own. If we want to have a society of free, cre- motes research-based teaching/learning, it takes
ative, independent individuals, educational sys- into account differences between students and
tems should be geared towards encouraging ac- constantly fives feedback, it challenges students
tive exploration, independence of thought and a and help develop their metacognitive skills. Bea-
willingness to challenge accepted beliefs. Every- cons are rarely found among teachers; they are
thing else belongs either to pseudo-education or even more difficult to find among policy makers.
indoctrination. Many of the above thoughts have
been internalised from the work of Noam Chom- Second B
sky (2004). Bulldozers. Dozers create and destroy with equal
insensitivity; they ruthlessly force their way like
This contribution is a far cry from a defini-
48 management 17 (2022) številka 2
