Event, currere, and the ignorant schoolmaster

Prospects (Paris). 2021;51(1-3):149-160. doi: 10.1007/s11125-020-09532-8. Epub 2021 Feb 8.

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has transformed the higher education systems in ways that make visible problems that already existed but that previously were not fully noticed. The pandemic can be understood as an event that inspired social and subjective reflection aimed at a redefinition of the university curriculum. The closure of universities, which began as a preventive measure, has forced professors to reorganize their work through virtual methods and environments. The teaching methods required during the pandemic have eliminated professors' centrality at the university. However, the change from a face-to-face model to a virtual one is not the core problem; rather, the problem is how professors and students can turn the new forms for their relationship into opportunities for emancipation.

Keywords: Covid-19 pandemic; Currere; Event; Ignorant schoolmaster; University curriculum.