Education, the Concept of the University and Evaluation

Abstract

Upbringing is in the centre of interest of all societies and is indivisibly linked with authority, for which reason it lies at the basis of all political programmes – sometimes unknowingly, like in the case of traditional societies, and sometimes in a very obvious fashion, like in utopian projects, which can be seen in both Plato’s Republic and the communist experiment, as well as in democratic countries. For this reason the educational system both serves as an important instrument in the hands of political structures, and has a powerful influence on the sphere of culture. The author concentrates on the cultural or, if you prefer, civilizational aspect of today’s education in the West, with particular reference to the university, an institution which is a product of European culture and arose from features specific to Europe. In this context he writes about the place and role of evaluation in the educational system.