H. C. Dent 的民主教育理念及其對英國教育改革之貢獻（1940-1944）   全文下載

H. C. Dent’s Ideals of Democratic Education and Contribution to English Educational Reform Between 1940 and 1944

本文旨於探究英國教育家H. C. Dent（1894-1995）在第二次世界大戰期間所提倡的教育改革理念及其對於這場教育改革的貢獻。文中闡述了Dent秉持著促進教育機會均等的民主教育理念，於戰爭初期，藉由每週撰寫《泰晤士教育週報》社論、出版其他期刊文章和書籍、加入教育改革討論團體、與政策制訂者對話等途徑，參與教育改革相關議題的論辯，並提倡其教育改革方案。而在1943年7月《教育的重建》白皮書及同年12月《教育草案》出版後，他更戮力於撰寫社論及手冊，一方面呼籲社會大眾支持政府的改革提案，以確保新法的通過；另一方面，他也就部分條款提出修正建議，試圖藉由大眾輿論的形塑，對政府施加壓力，以求更進一步的改革。1944年8月，《1944年教育法》通過後，他最重視的教育改革方案⎯⎯延長受教年限以使所有人均可接受教育直至18歲⎯⎯終於成為法條之一，同時該法也未明確規定實施中學三分制。雖然Dent所提倡的許多改革如：提高離校年齡至16歲、增加繼續教育的時間、納入公學於國家教育體制之中、廢除直接補助學校的學費等，均未被成功地納入新法，但這些改革方案實反映了Dent的民主教育理念，並體現了英國這場教育改革的論辯主軸和核心精神⎯⎯民主。

This paper explores H. C. Dent’s (1894-1995) ideals of democratic education and his contribution to English educational reform during the Second World War. As the editor of the Times Educational Supplement (TES), Dent endeavored to ensure a high equality of educational opportunity and to establish a new order in English education. By publishing leading articles in the TES and completing other writings, joining discussion groups, and having private conversations with policymakers, Dent participated in various educational debates during the war and advocated his reform proposals. After the publication of the White Paper titled Educational Reconstruction (July 1943) and the Education Bill (December 1943), Dent also wrote leading articles and pamphlets to influence public opinion with the objective of promoting new legislation and calling for further amendments to the Education Bill. On August 3, 1944, the Education Bill was enacted. Consistent with Dent’s reform proposals, young people’s education was extended to the age of 18 and the tripartite system was not included in the Education Act. Although many of his reform proposals such as the raising of the school-leaving age to 16, the increasing of the time allowed for part-time continued education, the integration of the public schools into a national education system, and the abolition of fees in direct grant schools were not made a provision by the new Act, these proposals reflected his ideals of democratic education and, more crucially, embodied democracy, the kernel of various educational debates during wartime educational reform in England.