Flourishing as the aim of education

A call for action

Abstract

This article explores the emergent trend of flourishing as the aim of education and global educational policy which focuses on wellbeing and holistic skills. It makes connections between the emergent trend of “education-as-flourishing” and current developments of extended education. The authors argue that there is a lack of agreement and conceptual understanding of what flourishing in education means and how such a theoretical framework might be implemented within the education system. They give evidence of contradictions within current educational global policy which emphasizes holistic skills and flourishing in education, but feeds a policy framework that prioritizes rather narrow academic skills.

A few years ago, the OECD launched its Education 2030 initiative by calling out for new and broader education goals, aimed at individual and collective wellbeing of students as the main aim of education (OECD, 2018). This is evidence of an emergent trend, within and outside of OECD, that prioritizes flourishing as the main aim of education (Stevenson, 2022). Paradoxically, in the midst of a global PISA competition for a rather narrow academic skills ranking between countries, academics and policy makers repeatedly refer to educational values of wellbeing that relate to the ancient Greek idea that education should nurture each and every one to reach their individual and human capabilities and to flourish in community with others (Kristján Kristjánsson, 2020; Stevenson, 2022). However, there are strong indicators that such an overarching aim might be unrealistic as many of the skills seem to require nurturing and guidance that may lie outside of the field of school teachers. Thus, it becomes vital to explore the role that other sectors play, such as the extended education sector, and how new ideas about learning are finding place within the school system.

Extended education research is a growing research field within education and explores the connections between formal, non-formal, and informal learning as young people navigate between various spaces in their lives, in-school and out-of-school. Extended education may be offered in the form of a programme, activities or various offerings; it may be school-based or run by a community or a private agent, and it may even take place within school hours or out-of-school hours (Bae, 2020). Research on school-age educare in Iceland shows how such pedagogical practices may contribute to developing social skills, and creative and critical thinking, namely skills that are integral to flourishing in modern society.

The Icelandic education system, similarly to other Nordic countries, has been built on fundamental values, such as democracy, equity, participation, welfare and progressiveness (Antikainen, 2006). The aim of the new Education Strategic Plan 2030 is to “… provide excellent education in an environment where everyone can learn and everyone matters” (Mennta- og menningarmálaráðuneyti [Ministry of Education, Science and Culture], 2021b). Wellbeing is one of the (new) five strategic pillars and highlights the importance of health promotion, mental health, prevention, school counselling, and student voices. Nevertheless, the extended education sector is hardly mentioned in the policy documents and there is little to no reference to non-formal learning. A new Act on Wellbeing in Iceland encourages municipalities and professionals to align resources from diverse sectors, such as education, health, and social services. This study indicates a primary need for academics, professionals, and government agencies to explore ways to reach a shared conceptual understanding about what flourishing as the aim of education entails, and develop collaboration and integrated practices that support flourishing as the aim of education and the holistic skills of students. Without such an endeavour, flourishing as an ideal will only remain words on paper.