THE INFLUENCE OF J. KORCHAK'S PEDAGOGICS ON EUROPEAN EDUCATION IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 20th CENTURY

Abstract

The article, based on the analysis of psychological and pedagogical literature, reflects the pedagogical concept of European education in the middle of the 20th century on the example of the pedagogical assets of Janush Korchak as a predecessor of modern education in Europe. It was found that a characteristic feature of the legacy of Janush Korchak is the orientation of the educational process to create conditions for humanistic education and personality development. It was revealed that for the first time in his work with children, he recognized their right to make decisions about themselves.

His views on the organization of children's life activities, taking into account their right to freedom of choice, in particular the right to be as they are, to make a mistake, to protest, to property, to secrecy, to express their opinions, to independently organize their lives, to participate in conversations about her and her own conclusions, on using her merits and hiding her flaws, on respect for her ignorance and respect for the work of knowledge.

It was found that the middle of the 20th century was a time of serious innovative achievements in the field of pedagogy, which largely determined the nature of modern education in various European countries, including Poland. The collision of two main approaches is traced: authoritarian (positioning of the individual as a passive object of pedagogical influence) and democratic (adjustment of the education system to the child who is studying, to his nature, that is, positioning of the individual in the role of the subject of his own development). The following two paradigms are distinguished: pedagogical traditionalism and alternative pedagogy, which contributed to the establishment of the content of the new direction of education and the free development of the child's personality. It was concluded that this goal is set at the current stage of humanization of education in European countries, and is aimed at the implementation of such ideas as:

• the possibility of choosing one's own programs and study plan;
• free and diverse educational environment of the school and society;
• open classroom doors; orientation to self-governance and co-management;
• democratic, friendly relations between adults and children, etc.

It is emphasized that the alternative pedagogy, represented by the author's system of Janush Korchak, put the child, his values, personal freedom, and the ability to construct his own life first. It was determined that the views of Janush Korchak on education, represented in the mutual relations of the teacher and the student, are close to the statements of representatives of modern European pedagogy, which finds its expression in the formula "to support, not to educate". The reflected experience of Janush Korchak creates a chance to consider the issue of teacher preparation from the specific perspective of the pedagogical position of pupils.