The person leading this narrative is Myles Horton, who was an educational pioneer and established the Highlander Centre for Folk School. Lawley tackles the issue of setting up an education trying to become radical democratic in country-s side Tennessee, being prompted by his desire to give the opportunity for the deprived groups to challenge their oppressive rulers. The moral dilemma for Horton arises out of the need to harmonize the political philosophy that he subscribes to with the challenges on the ground of establishing and sustaining the kind of school that embraces democracy. He is confronted with societal dissension, financial lack, and balancing between his learners’ aspirations and the needs of an institutional administration.
The initial problem that Horton faces is the fact that the old-fashioned power structures in the South are standing in his way. When he is trying to set a place where people will employ their efforts in teaching and fighting the injustices of currentthe sense, he really feels the pushback from the people who exploit as status quo is working for them. Racist sentiments, ingrained prejudices, and hatred of ‘Scarlet Inferno’ are obstacles to the creation of this world of equality and social justice. Challenges on the financial side as well, Horton is to face. The resource and funding issues that must be established before setting up an independent adult learning centre are obvious for all, and reviving is very complicated. As much as poverty might be characteristic of Horton’s school, never for him, there came a time to take the second best. The school still refuses to admit the influence of outside donors, and the strength of the staff and students is what makes the school run.
Furthermore, Horton needs to do more to capture the essence of actual practice into a theory that is comprehensive enough to inform practice. He acknowledges the significance of practising it and subsequently theorizing the results; however, he ascertains that with his pupils, this is only sometimes so successful, such as balancing learned-by-doing experiences and their theoretical understanding being still an ongoing dilemma for Horton, who at the same time, has to make decisions in adult education, showing its complexities. Not only is Horton living a personal struggle to keep Highlander Folk School away from the dominating ideologies imposed by the polity. Under the weight of an anti-communist disclosure in the school’s chartering paper, Horton chooses to stick to the principles of democracy and intellectual freedom, thus indicating his understanding of democracy and the love for freedom. Nevertheless, it brings the school for closer examination and open opposing actions from conservatives, too.
Through his story, Horton faces the ultimate doubt: individual potency in the face of collective action. What he is interested in is inspiring people to cultivate self-government and independence. However, he also knows some sense of organization of the society and unity of the community is the key point to consider. Although the quest for a winning work-study model appears difficult, Horton’s emphasis on individual autonomy, collective responsibility, and a supportive campus should all combine in order to create an inclusive and positive educational experience. The narration of Miles Horton shows how he could overcome every barrier, starting from the fight for a democratic school based on equality. The basis of his problem lies in the fact that he is attempting to harmonize the philosophical ideals of his vision with the realistic issues of putting it into practice, such as facing a sceptical community to organizing fundraising and creating a motivating learning environment. By adhering to his democratic principles firmly and using wise arguments, Horton’s example becomes a ground for the people to resist injustice and leads to positive change in society.
Reference
Thayer-Bacon, B. (2002). An exploration of Myles Horton’s caring reasoning at Highlander folk school. Thinking: The Journal of Philosophy for Children, 16(1), 32-41.
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