Customer Reviews

The Power and Promise of Humane Education

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This book is inspiring! If I ever have a day when I am full of despair for the state of the world, I will pick up Zoe Weil's book! Her optimism for a future full of wise decision makers is contagious. Weil describes people who are making a difference and offers her common sense method for teaching people about current issues. The book is clearly written, is full of ideas for curriculum implementation, and offers a large list of resources.

Weil points out that humane education is about providing accurate information and offering positive choices. It does not tell people what to think. Her activities promote critical thinking, instill reverence, and are fun. If every educator had this book, we would change the world in a generation!

If our children really learn that the decisions they make, even small decisions, have an affect on the world they inhabit they will have received a true and relevant education. As a teacher and a mother, I read this book with great relish. The time has come for humane education, our world has never needed it more. I will buy this book for many parents and educators I know. Ms. Weil offers a way out of our cycle of uninspiring and increasing obsolete education -- it's revolutionary in its simplicity. Thank you.

It's pretty clear that all too often the current education system is a way to park kids in a centralized location until they are ready to graduate from child consumers to adult consumers. Zoe Weil reimagines education from the beginning up and encourages parents, teachers, and every responsible individual to give children an opportunity to grow into passionate, critically astute, and engaged citizens. What more could you want for a country, and what more could you want from a book?

Author Zoe Weil is the president of the International Institute for Humane Education. Hence, this book (The Power and Promise Of Humane Education) focuses on what humane education is and how it can be applied in practice.

First, what is "humane education?" Weil defines it as "...nurturing the best qualities in students and to offer young people the tools to live accordingly" (p. 5). These "best qualities" include:
- kindness
- compassion
- honesty and trustworthiness
- generosity
- courage
- perseverance, self-discipline, and restraint
- humor and playfulness
- wisdom
- integrity
- a willingness to choose and change

[Note: Compare this with the Boy Scout Law: A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.]

Weil writes, "It invites students to envision creative solutions and to take individual action so that together we can bring about a world where kindness, integrity, and wisdom are the guiding principles in all our choices and relationships" (p. 4).

In many ways, this reminds me of the pledge championed by the Graduation Pledge Alliance: "I pledge to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job I consider and will try to improve these aspects of any organizations for which I work."

Why does Weil focus on school children? "Children who learn to live with genuine kindness toward others, to think critically about their choices and their lives, and to make wise decisions, help prevent future suffering and disaster" (p. 7).

She has four elements of humane education: 1) providing accurate information, 2) fostering the 3 C's (curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking), 3) instilling the 3 R's (reverence, respect, and responsibility), and 4) offering positive choices that benefit oneself, other people, the Earth, and animals.

Here are some highlights:

"The humane educator promotes respect by demonstrating respect. No educational approach is more powerful than example, and humane educators teach largely by modeling the message they wish to instill in their students" (p. 30).

"Many people fail to understand the part they play in causing suffering because their contribution seems so miniscule compared to the power that multinational corporations and governments wield in bringing about and escalating the problems of our time" (p. 31).

"What makes humane education so effective as a method of positive change is its emphasis on personal choices" (p. 32).

"While it's important not to overwhelm young children with the ills of the world, the suffering people and animals endure, or the frightening scenarios of an environmentally degraded world, it is critical to awaken children's compassion and sense of citizenship, to raise their awareness about changes that they can affect through their own daily choices, to nurture their reverence and respect, and to set the stage for them to take responsibility in age-appropriate ways" (p. 39-40).

After setting the stage, Weil provides ideas for 21 humane education activities, ranging from "Judge not, lest ye be judged" (on stereotypes), to "True price" (on the actual environment and social costs of products), to "Whale's stomach" (on trash in the oceans).

Finally, Weil makes suggestions for integrating humane education into the already busy classrooms.

Toward the end of her book, Weil outlines a "My Life is my Message" questionnaire. This multi-page questionnaire encourages each student (and teacher) to reason out how they plan to commit themselves to a humane lifestyle ("I would like to live my life so that it reflects the following qualities more deeply...", "I would like to learn/do the following in order to improve my health...", I would like to learn/do the following in order to improve my attitude, behaviors, and relationships...", "In relation to other people who produce and supply the products and services I use, I currently make the following choices to prevent others from suffering or being exploited...", "I will take the following steps to learn, think critically, and make more humane choices in relation to other species...", and much more).

This book was inspirational and productive. It focused on the promise of humane education, and not the power. What is missing, from a teacher's perspective, is the research that demonstrates the student (and societal) outcomes resulting from these efforts. So when a fellow teacher, or a principal, or a parent from Missouri (the "Show Me" state) asks questions, the answers are there. I remember that the anti-drug D.A.R.E. program had great ideas; it just wasn't effective at stopping kids from using drugs.

The other issue is, like it or not, there are political and religious ramifications of some of the issues involved in Weil's humane education (yes, the reality of climate change is questioned, and yes, there are some states where it is legal for a business to fire a person because he is gay). Be prepared for this.

This book will start you thinking. That's a good thing, isn't it?

This is my favorite of Weil's books. Although written for those who wish to teach the principles, I think it's great for all audiences. Lots of good information, tips, facts, and more. Two thumbs up!