Page 18 - Štremfel, Urška, ed., 2016. Student (Under)achievement: Perspectives, Approaches, Challenges. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut. Digital Library, Documenta 11.
P. 18
The perspective on education having the function of production of hu-
man capital is characterised by certain pitfalls pointed out by Laval (2005). Re-
sulting from the predominance of efficiency values and education usefulness,
school is becoming increasingly subordinate to the interests that are mould-
ing the labour market. This poses a threat of school becoming an organisa-
tion for providing services and goods to individuals as consumers, who will
make choices in the free market of educational services according to their own
judgement. This marginalises the importance of education as a public good
and, simultaneously, a fundamental human right, where the state’s obligation
is to provide all of its citizens with equal opportunities for education (Kodel-
ja, 2005). The educational function of the so-called ‘educational system’ is like-
wise marginalised.
There are good reasons for devoting attention to underachievers within
education - regardless of how clearly defined underachievement is – on the
basis of the social objectives that are to be pursued in accordance with the tra-
ditional understanding of education. It is important to look for and understand
the background factors of any type of inequalities, and thus improve educa-
18 tion-related conditions and circumstances which are consequently beneficial
to everyone. The attention devoted to underachievement is also important in
relation to the economic understanding of education, as the aforementioned
individuals are often in need of additional sources of funding to survive. With
the expansion of technology and globalisation, the labour market is chang-
ing rapidly and requires more and more well-educated and trained employ-
ees who will be able to compete, not only in their domestic labour market, but
also in the world labour market. Present-day needs for better educational lev-
els and competencies are strong and, at the same time, growing. It is increas-
ingly difficult for individuals with below-average competencies, and low levels
of attained education and competencies, to obtain suitable employment, the
reason being that positions of employment have been restructured in such
a way that individuals with better education and skills are at an advantage.
Such individuals have fewer opportunities for full participation in increasingly
complex societies, where increased responsibilities in various areas of life need
to be taken on simultaneously; these responsibilities are in relation to career
planning, child-rearing, familiarity with the healthcare system and increasing-
ly one’s financial future (Šterman Ivančič, 2013). It is more difficult for individu-
als with low levels of education to obtain employment and they are general-
ly more dependent on welfare services (OECD, 2013). In general, the quality of
the educational system, in the sense of students’learning outcomes, is becom-
ing increasingly important for the competitiveness of the economy and suc-
cess of a country; the outcomes referred to here are cognitive, affective, psych-
omotor and metacognitive.
student (under)achievement: perspectives, approaches, challenges
man capital is characterised by certain pitfalls pointed out by Laval (2005). Re-
sulting from the predominance of efficiency values and education usefulness,
school is becoming increasingly subordinate to the interests that are mould-
ing the labour market. This poses a threat of school becoming an organisa-
tion for providing services and goods to individuals as consumers, who will
make choices in the free market of educational services according to their own
judgement. This marginalises the importance of education as a public good
and, simultaneously, a fundamental human right, where the state’s obligation
is to provide all of its citizens with equal opportunities for education (Kodel-
ja, 2005). The educational function of the so-called ‘educational system’ is like-
wise marginalised.
There are good reasons for devoting attention to underachievers within
education - regardless of how clearly defined underachievement is – on the
basis of the social objectives that are to be pursued in accordance with the tra-
ditional understanding of education. It is important to look for and understand
the background factors of any type of inequalities, and thus improve educa-
18 tion-related conditions and circumstances which are consequently beneficial
to everyone. The attention devoted to underachievement is also important in
relation to the economic understanding of education, as the aforementioned
individuals are often in need of additional sources of funding to survive. With
the expansion of technology and globalisation, the labour market is chang-
ing rapidly and requires more and more well-educated and trained employ-
ees who will be able to compete, not only in their domestic labour market, but
also in the world labour market. Present-day needs for better educational lev-
els and competencies are strong and, at the same time, growing. It is increas-
ingly difficult for individuals with below-average competencies, and low levels
of attained education and competencies, to obtain suitable employment, the
reason being that positions of employment have been restructured in such
a way that individuals with better education and skills are at an advantage.
Such individuals have fewer opportunities for full participation in increasingly
complex societies, where increased responsibilities in various areas of life need
to be taken on simultaneously; these responsibilities are in relation to career
planning, child-rearing, familiarity with the healthcare system and increasing-
ly one’s financial future (Šterman Ivančič, 2013). It is more difficult for individu-
als with low levels of education to obtain employment and they are general-
ly more dependent on welfare services (OECD, 2013). In general, the quality of
the educational system, in the sense of students’learning outcomes, is becom-
ing increasingly important for the competitiveness of the economy and suc-
cess of a country; the outcomes referred to here are cognitive, affective, psych-
omotor and metacognitive.
student (under)achievement: perspectives, approaches, challenges
