In the Hollywood film "Surrogates" the image of the near future was shown: people with all the comfort they like to rest in capsules in their apartments, dream and cherish themselves for eternity. Outside, their surrogate robots operate, which, if necessary, can be repaired or replaced. A man, lying in a safe capsule, is their operator. The real and the ghostly world are changing places. The world of sleep, distance, enters into reality and tries to occupy, format it. So close to the very replacement of a person who exchanged himself for comfort.
In the current coronavirus situation, futurists conspiracy theorists draw similar perspectives, sprinkling them with ritual fears about the allegedly eternal Russian Leviathan, who will seize the moment and tighten all possible nuts. Like, he will shovel the coronavirus all reality, cause alienation between people and transfer them to the virtual plane and online under the vigilant watch of the "big brother". The authorities supposedly need this in order to scatter people on cameras with laptops.
One of the areas around which fears of this kind are exaggerated is education. It is understandable - after a certain shock experienced by students, as well as their parents due to home-distance learning. So the fantasies began to spring, as if the forced and temporary transfer of the school to distance learning would become our constant reality. A sort of total optimization of education with translation into full online. Something from the world of those same "Surrogates" is a surrogate education.
Vladimir Putin had to even comment on this, who during a meeting on the situation in the educational system in the context of the coronavirus pandemic said: “All the rumors and stuffing that distance education will completely replace or replace full-time ones, that traditional schools and universities will be closed, I’m considering as an outright provocation. ” He also recalled that the temporary transfer to distance learning was one of the first measures to combat the epidemic, and called it a “difficult decision”.
So after all, the truth is obvious throws and provocations, but which, unfortunately, fall into the nutrient soil, are overgrown with rumors and begin to sow doubt and give rise to assumptions.
In fact, in society there is dissatisfaction with the existing education system. There are many questions to her, but here we are talking about cliches and stereotypes. And in this plane - and constant criticism of the exam, and a comparison with the Soviet system, which traditionally ends not in favor of the existing one, and talk about the paid (free) education, its accessibility. If these stamps of perception of the existing educational system are completely overlaid, it seems quite logical that the state will go along the path of optimizing this sphere to full online. This is what savings will be! A human consumer can also be trained remotely. But is it really necessary ...
The argument for this logic will be not only enormous savings, but also that which will allow that Leviathan himself to stir up his dystopia, a new marvelous world, to completely end the independent personality.
Reformat it to the detachments of philistines, ordinary people with brains floating from virtual burger knowledge-installations. Then it will certainly be possible to say that “the plastic world has triumphed”, and the man himself is placed in the case.
But if we move away from such fears and phobias, it will become obvious that distance education is not even a lightweight option of training, but a forced measure, possible only at a relatively short distance, which in a normal situation is an additional option that gives new opportunities, a certain effective tools in combination with others. But at the same time, he is hardly wealthy without a real school, without real communication.
Vladimir Putin noted that during the coronavirus battles “we all gained unique experience. And he must work to improve the quality and accessibility of education, to develop advanced distance learning technologies. ” And indeed it is. The leap in this matter has been colossal. But knowledge is far from all that the school provides, and a presidential reminder of this is extremely important.
The education system “not only teaches, but also educates, in many ways shapes the personality, conveys the values and traditions on which our society is based,” Vladimir Putin recalled simple understandable things that often fade into the background, which is why idle times arise talk about the possibility of a complete transition to remote control. What kind of society will this be? Surrogate ...
Moreover, this phrase about the educational function of the school did not hang in the air. During the same meeting, the president said that he had introduced amendments to the law "On Education" to the State Duma, which were aimed at strengthening the "educational component of the national educational system." The decision, of course, is necessary; a long time ago it was said about this. At a minimum, it can remove criticism based on a comparison with the Soviet educational system, as well as the fact that we played too much, providing the notorious “educational service”. So the school is translated precisely into the format and status that should correspond to it.
In the document, educational work is prescribed as an integral part of the educational process and programs. It is a question of educating “a feeling of patriotism and citizenship, respect for the memory of the defenders of the Fatherland, the older generation and the person of work” - that is, about the only thing that collects the country, the person does more, and does not close it in the consumer format.
Recently, we realized that we can handle it remotely, and quite efficiently. But the most important thing is missing - the man, his example. It is clear, after all, that a school is not a wall, not only a set of knowledge, but still the same person who builds a line of continuity. Actually, this is upbringing, when a student becomes included in society, in domestic culture and literally grows in it. This knowledge is not achieved by knowledge alone - it is a huge, complex, complex process, which should be led by its guides and teachers. Full-time distance education cannot be replaced, as well as online - real life. Other conversations, most likely, come from the very capsules of "Surrogates" in which people see their dreams and transfer them to reality.
The coronavirus situation made us think about the future. What will it be. It always seemed to us that the future was flowing gradually and through this gradualness it seemed to be moving further away. You can fantasize about him, build some plans and projects, but not especially zealous, because there is a more relevant reality, which just does not tolerate procrastination and inattention to oneself. But if the future ... bang! - and covered almost instantly, did not crumple in indecision at the entrance, but went in, knocking the door down, what then? Rushing around in a panic? Current experience has shown an algorithm of actions: responsiveness to surging realities using all the latest tools and at the same time the need to keep roots and remember the very educational function. This will be a progressive, active conservatism, the best vaccine against many viruses, which will not allow society to slide into the dystopian format.
The author’s point of view may not coincide with the position of the publisher.