What if children are not the future? How to support educational possibility

Abstract

This essay begins from the position that the planetspeak bromide “children are the future” has been banalized far past the point any usefulness. Despite the sensible attractiveness of teaching children well and letting them lead the way, the commonplace ad nauseam linking of children to the “future” has perverse disempowering effects. And, in our current moment of conjunctive global crises, it jeopardizes the future as it actually moves us away from—not toward—transformative pedagogies of the possible. This essay suggests ways to rescue educational possibility from narrow “children are the future” banalities.

Embracing difference and cultivating hope: The transformative potential of Possibility Studies

“…A Pedagogy of the Possible starts by democratising education, raising possibilities for all. However, it is important to avoid simplistic slogans such as ‘children are the future’, which can lead to problematic outcomes such as deferring responsibility and underestimating children’s potential in the present (Sobe, 2023).…”

“…For example in post crisis Greece, options for action are limited leading to stagnation. It is important that we take seriously the warning in Gla˘veanu's (2023) manifesto about the importance of not romanticising the possible or else it will lead to pushing difficult decisions into the future as Sobe (2023) argues.…”

“…This idealised vision can serve as a source of hope and inspiration, guiding our actions in the present and shaping future possibilities. However, this approach risks creating a ''faux possibility'', as Zurn and Bassett (2023) describe it -a set of empty promises or a ''banal commonplace'' (Sobe, 2023).…”

“…Freeman (2023) also points out the danger of luxuriating in despair about the future, which can lead to inaction in the present. The future is not a repository for the hopes that we cannot realise in the present but is constructed by the present while simultaneously directing it (Sobe, 2023). These notions lead to a looping rather than linear notion of the idea of time.…”

“…A Pedagogy of the Possible starts by democratising education, raising possibilities for all. However, it is important to avoid simplistic slogans such as 'children are the future', which can lead to problematic outcomes such as deferring responsibility and underestimating children's potential in the present (Sobe, 2023). Damhof and Gulmans (2023) advocates for a future-literate education, one that encourages students to imagine different futures and incorporate anticipation in their thinking.…”