PERENNIALISM

*Why teach?

We are all rational animals. Schools should, therefore, develop the students' rational and moral powers. According to Aristotle, if we neglect the students' reasoning skills, we deprive them of the ability to use their higher faculties to control their passions and appetites.

**What to teach? 

The perennialist curriculum is a universal one on the view that all human beings possess the same essential nature. It is heavy on the humanities, on general education. it is not a specialist curriculum but rather a general one. There is less emphasis on vocational and technical education. Philosopher Mortimer Adler claims that the Great Books of ancient and medieval as well as modern times are a repository of knowledge and wisdom, a tradition of culture which must initiate each generation." What the perennialist teachers teach are lifted from the Great Books.

***How to teach?

The perennialist classrooms are "centered around teachers" The teachers do not allow the students' interests or experiences  to substantially dictate what they teach. They apply whatever creative techniques and other tried and true methods which are believed to be most conducive to disciplining the students' minds... Students engaged in Socratic dialogues, or mutual inquiry sessions to develop an understanding of history's most timeless concepts."

EXISTENTIALISM

*Why teach?

The main concern of the existentialists is "to help students understand and appreciate themselves as unique individuals who accept complete responsibility for their thoughts, feelings and actions".

Since 'existence precedes essence', the existentialist teacher's role is to help students define their own essence by exposing them to various paths they take in life and by creating an environment in which they freely choose their own preferred way. Since feeling is not divorced from reason in decision making, the existentialist demands the education of the whole person, not just the mind."

**What to teach?

"In an existentialist curriculum, students are given a wide variety of options from which to choose." Students are afforded great latitude in their choice of subject matter. The humanities, however, are given tremendous emphasis to "provide students with vicarious experiences that will help unleash their own creativity and self-expression. For example, rather that emphasizing historical events, existentialists focus upon the actions of historical individuals, each of whom provides possible models for the students' own behavior.

Moreover, vocational education is regarded more as a means of teaching students about themselves and their potential than of earning a livelihood. In teaching art, existentialism encourages individual creativity and imagination more than copying and imitating established models."

***How to teach?

"Existentialist methods focus on the individual. Learning is self-paced, self-directed. It include a great deal of individual contact with the teacher, who relates to each student openly and honestly. To help students know themselves and their place in society, teachers employ values clarification strategy. In the use of such strategy, teachers remain non-judgmental and take care not to impose their values on their students since values are personal."