The 4-fold
of Learning, Educating, Schooling and the System

Acknowledging the Personal Realm over the Educational System

In searching for the person, the individual developing, it is important to unclutter the scene and terminology by a consequent distinction between learning, education, schooling and the educational system. Concepts, pedagogies, rules, regulations, learning philosophies, referrals, terms of renewals and the like, often appeared mixed and mingled. Terms and ideas move up and forth between essentials of thinking and action, over learning and ways to educate, to then bounce in the realm of the system and back. It is a disarray that contributes to the cacophony already in place. "It seemed as if schooling narrowed down education while education restricted the learning" (Eussen, 2009).
The OPEDUCA Concept contextualizes Learning as a natural process of the person, taking place Anytime, Anywhere, with Anybody, through Any device - Education the facilitation of Learning, Schooling the organization of Education and the Educational System the governmental structure holding institution to realize schooling in the public domain.

Discerning Learning, Education, Schooling and the Educational system, the Thinking within.

Discerning the Personal Realm from the Educational System

In order to acknowledge, respect and protect the personal learning process it can be discerned from the educational system.
Although schooling requires a grade of governance and organisation that leads up to the manifestation of an institute commanding attention of its own, the educational system not only comprises rules, regulations, standards and facilities to enable schooling and organise education, but manifests itself as an institutionalised infrastructure of its own right. A vast landscape, home to the ‘layers of fog’ (2.3), populated with actors and interests away from ‘educating’ and far from ‘learning’. And precisely there, at the base in the personal realm, is the home of ESD.
Unlike learning, education does not happen naturally while schooling requires structures, intentional planning and systematization because it does not happen naturally or spontaneously (Futures of Education, 2021).    

  

Seeking explanations how it comes schools eventually call justifiable criticism upon themselves, they are seen to function under ‘layers of fog’ amidst a ‘cacophony of innovations’, undergoing ‘floods of change’. We find school leaders and teachers are deluded and misguided in the development of proper pedagogy and organisation, mis out on strategic improvements and consequently go short on themselves. Ostensible solutions are sought for by ways of priority- or ‘assembled’ educations, being the manifestation of societal pressure to organise and accentuate specific claims (such as STEM ). Consequently, it appears we made education an empty shell. 

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For academic reference and publications: Eussen, J. F. G. (2022). ESD-based education - https://doi.org/10.26481/dis.20220201je - ISBN 9789464235906