Moving Back to Basics With Leisure Education

by John R. Allen and Owen R. Smith

Dr. John Allen is an assistant professor and Undergraduate Curriculum Director, Department of Recreation, Southern Illinois University. He has been extensively involved in teaching a university course oriented toward leisure education.

Dr. Owen Smith is also an assistant professor in the Department of Recreation at Southern. His primary interests include outdoor recreation, administration, and expedition leadership.

No society, primitive or modern, simple or complex, has ever existed without some provision for education. As youth learn the customs, traditions and ideas of their culture, society is entrenched and perpetuated. The task of education is to cling to the good, weed out the useless, and add the new cultural elements which have the greatest promise of contributing to the advancement of society.

An examination of the objectives of education and a parallel study of society reveals that through the ages the educational objectives of a given era gave expression to the goals of society. These objectives and goals have passed through various stages of development. For example, informal education of primitive societies was designed to maintain the status quo, to teach the learner to acquire food, clothing and shelter. As societies became more involved in their organization, education undertook to instruct individuals in the means of preserving the social order.

In an ever-changing and complex society, educators, in order to meet the present day needs of the students in the schools, should examine and re-evaluate the objectives of education. This presents extensive and perplexing problems to those concerned with keeping the schools abreast of the changing society. Educators must constantly evaluate their methods of teaching and the instructional material used to influence the development of the individual and the reinforcement of the cultural system. Culture change, day by day and year by year, brings new demands upon the schools, for it is the purpose of the schools to assist its citizenry in meeting the demands of a changing society. Such changes and demands may dictate the development of new subjects, new methods of teaching, and new administrative structure in order to better meet the responsibilities of cultural changes and reforms. This, in turn, requires a constant appraisal, interpretation and restating of the goals of society and the objectives of education. In relation to this constant appraisal and examination of educational objectives, we must be conscious of education's responsibility to leisure as our nation moves to a leisure centered society.

There has developed in this country through the years a misconception that now must be corrected. This is the fallacious and unfortunate notion that education should prepare people for work, but that no particular preparation is necessary for leisure. Today an education which prepares an individual for his work but not for his leisure is only half an education. Are we to continue to place major emphasis on vocational preparation when work constitutes a constantly decreasing segment of our lives? Most present indications lead to the inevitable conclusion that leisure activities are replacing work as the central life-interest of a large portion of our people. As this revolution proceeds, schools must be reoriented and accept as an imperative responsibility the development of skills, appreciations, and interests basic to the effective and satisfying use of leisure.

Too few school systems provide the necessary leadership to direct the interest and motivation of the leisure education of students that can be generated in the instructional program. Many students initially receive inspiration and feel an urge for creative activity as the result of classroom teachings. These motivations soon fade away because of lack of opportunity for expression or outlets that schools are unable or unwilling to provide.

It is quite evident that our educational system needs some careful study in terms of its contribution to leisure education. Will we be able to combat public pressure, American traditional beliefs, restrictive school law, inadequate budgets, and apathy towards this problem before it is too late?

See Leisure . . .Page 39

Leisure education in action.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 13 September/October 1980

Leisure . . .From Page 13

America has, however, come a long way in accepting recreation as a necessity in modern society. We now have the task of preparing individuals for intelligent and creative use of leisure time. We are living in an age when leisure education may be as important as education for a profession or a vocation.

America is paying too high a price for the school's failure to educate for leisure. We need to give leisure the same zestful approach that we give to business and industry. According to sociologists, past civilizations have failed because of their inability to cope with leisure. Many such civilizations have left their records for all to study. Only a few scholarly sociologists seem to have grasped the full meaning of these historical lessons and seem to be powerless to get the attention of their contemporaries.

There needs to be recognition of the cultural importance of leisure education regarding its significance and use; and there needs to be adequate facilities, equipment, and leadership for its enjoyment.

Leisure should be an integral part of education. The schools have a threefold responsibility to the student and to every citizen of the community to (1) place emphasis on the avocational aspects of all school subjects for leisure time use, (2) to provide a variety of leisure opportunities for children and adults of all ages, and (3) to make available public owned areas and facilities for community use.

Americans need not be ashamed of the play attitude. The moments of a nation's highest realization, inspiration and appreciation of life come in the expression of our freedom from routine and work—the time available for self-realization and individual fulfillment. Since the culture of a nation is developed during one's leisure hours, education should develop a creative spirit and teach skills for the cultural arts.

Few educators have the background in the philosophy and concepts of leisure necessary to recognize the potential for their given subject areas to contribute to leisure education. However, there are those who do have the educational background to help their colleagues identify the unrecognized versatility in their areas.

The big question is: "What is the catalyst that will make this happen?" When we find the answer to this question, we will have solved half the problem of providing leisure education in our schools.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 39 September/October 1980