UNESCO's Programme of Fundamental Education, 1946-1959

Overview & Synopsis

UNESCO formed the concept of fundamental education in hopes that the programme could end poverty, bring world peace and serve indigenous people. When UNESCO's first pilot project appeared to fail, the organisation developed centres where fundamental education workers learned to use such techniques as libraries, museum displays, films and radio, instruction in vernacular languages, and literacy campaigns. Modelled on progressive education, these techniques shared four tendencies that contradicted the aims of fundamental education. First, the programmes seemed to impose a modern scientific culture on indigenous societies. Second, the fundamental education workers found themselves manipulating indigenous people to accept what the programmes offered. Third, when officials used words aimed at helping, they seemed to mask the cultural traits that the programmes implied. Fourth, the fundamental education workers tended to translate failure as an indication of the need for increased efforts rather than as events questioning the wisdom of the programmes. (Contains 59 footnotes.)