The Future of Education

The guidelines for the 21 century key competencies (1) invite to cultivate creative and critical thinking, problem solving and emotional skills as empathy, imagination, curiosity, wonder, emotional intelligence, ability to perceive and to appreciate diversity and to inspire exploration of different horizons, meanings, possibilities and solutions. Many European studies confirm the impact of cultural heritage (CH) in building these multiple high competencies. Therefore, CH not only builds up knowledge and skills in the field of heritage itself, but also broadens horizons and contributes to the development of personal and social skills (3). Therefore, Heritage Education (HE) has been introduced in the EU curricula to develop new and effective educational paths (3). HE should be promoted through the medium of different school subjects at all levels and in all types of teaching (4) and encouraged in order to introduce educational and curricular innovation. The School is one of the Authors work-field with the goal of collaborating for innovative curricula and transformative didactic/education. In our School projects, HE is inspired by active and participative educational methods, cross-curricular styles, partnership between the fields of school education and other professional environments, wide inclusive shapes of communication and expressions, namely the artistic ones, civil ethic values. Many projects have been implemented in and with many Italian Primary and Secondary High School, based on knowledge, interpretation, valorization and communication of local cultural heritage, e.g. monuments, statues, artworks in museums, in cities and other cultural fields (see for example “Live Museum Live Change https://traianolivemuseum.com/; “Green Routes” https://www.greenroutes.it/; “We are Mont’e Prama” https://monteprama.it/we-are-monte-prama/). Our educational landmarks encompass narrative strategies and languages, including digital storytelling; laboratorial activities with artists and other cultural professionals; exploration of cultural sites; production of artworks and other creative products… but also planning of sustainable management of CH and landscape. The educational messages and responsibility towards social values of CH (individual and collective identities, social cohesion, sense of community, intercultural dialogue, etc.) its conservation and enhancement are emphasized by all the project activities. Many projects engage students in socio-environmental issues, to encourage civic attitude, participation and research of sustainable solutions. The appreciation of this kind of projects by students, teachers and other participants and formal evaluations confirm the worth of themes and methodologies of this innovative approach. HE appears as new promising domain to generate basic, transversal and soft skills and to conceive curricular innovation.

Keywords: heritage education, active participatory methodologies, curricular innovation, citizenship responsibility.

References:

1. COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 2018. Council Recommendation on key competences for lifelong learning
2. European Commission, 2018b. European Framework for Action on Cultural Heritage
3. CHCFE Consortium Counts (Cultural Heritage for Europe) (2015)
4. EU Committee of Ministers Recommendation (98) 5 to Member States concerning Heritage Education (1998)