Pedagogical diversity in danger
Debate ● Kim Gunnar Helsvig, Knut Ove Æsøy, Erik Ryen, Per Anders Aas
The resignations at Aarhus University put the entire university pedagogy at stake, write Kim Gunnar Helsvig, Erik Ryen, Knut Ove Æsøy and Per Anders Aas.
This text is a debate post. The content of the text expresses the author’s own opinion.
For some days since then, six pedagogues at DPU (Denmark’s Institute for Pedagogy and Education) at Aarhus University received notice of termination. Among the six is the high-profile researcher Thomas Aastrup Rømer, who has distinguished himself as a critical voice and advocate for educational thinking in the Danish educational debate.
The reason is financially, but it is obviously an attempt to remove a critic and to weaken educational philosophy as a discipline. The case has been mentioned in Khronoand it has caused a stir in Denmark, where a call in Politiken from ten prominent academics have already collected 1000 signatures in support of Rømer.
Denmark
Academics appeal against dismissals: — Strengthens a regime of fear
It is with concern we read about the development in the Danish educational environment. By dismissing Thomas Aastrup Rømer, the entire university pedagogy is at stake.
The termination is a question of principle that affects the university’s future. It is clearly a will to put economics and educational ideology above professional quality and diversity.
Though should the cutbacks be necessary (which is in itself debatable, since according to Politiken 05.12.22 Aarhus University has a robust economy), the university is obliged to ensure a breadth within the pedagogical field. If you don’t do it, as at the Pedagogical Research Institute at the University of Oslo in the 1960s, you can destroy an entire professional environment with great importance for the school for decades to come.
Educational philosophy is an important element for the university’s quality, and it is necessary to safeguard skilled and critical voices in order to ensure the intellectual debate as an academic strength and essential basis for legitimation.
Denmark
Got notice of termination after 14 years. I think it is ideologically motivated
Extra worrying it is when we know that Rømer has just delivered a comprehensive and well-documented critical analysis of the last 20 years of reforms in Danish schools and education that DPU’s current management still plays an active role.
In a Nordic perspective, Rømer is a well-known name, both in subject pedagogy and university politics. We know him as an active, independent researcher with the ability to problematize and illuminate educational issues from perspectives that are not self-evident or visible to many of us.
Röhmer’s thinking has affected several of us. He affects the pedagogical primary school pedagogy and thus his professionalism also affects the university policy.
An economic one and ideological management of the universities need not come at the expense of critical and professional quality. Unfortunately, we see a development in Denmark which suggests that this is exactly what is happening. Such a development must stop. We must focus on educational diversity.