PEDAGOGICAL PROMETHEUS!

• Борис Чижевський

  Комітет Верховної Ради України з питань освіти, науки та інновацій

The article deals with the significance of the creative heritage of the outstanding teacher, philosopher, scientist, writer, leader Vasyl Oleksandrovych Sukhomlynsky in the past, present and future. For many Ukrainian and foreign teachers, he is a kind of Prometheus in pedagogy, since the reflections, recommendations, advice set forth in V. O. Sukhomlynskyi’s works are quite modern. As a school director and teacher, he was a bright personality, his lessons were open to attendance by representatives of the pedagogical community of the state, colleagues, and parents. He shared his creative discoveries, plans, achievements, consulted with colleagues and comprehensively supported and promoted the activities of teachers of Pavlyska school.

V.O. Sukhomlinskyi's pedagogical heritage includes 48 monographs and brochures, two works of art, more than 600 articles and about 1,500 stories and fairy tales for children. He believed that teachers bring to the people the light of knowledge and science. He was deeply convinced that the people are a living, eternal source of pedagogical wisdom, and if teachers did not have constant spiritual communication with people, they would not be able to successfully teach and educate the younger generation. V.O. Sukhomlynskyi substantiated his own concept of education as the development of creative forces of the individual in a collective community on the basis of common ethical and aesthetic values, interests and needs. In his search, he went from a school of instruction aimed at developing the intellect, to a labor school, as the basis for the development of children and preparing them for life, where the main means of education becomes pedagogically grounded and methodically directed work.

Equally relevant is the position of a great teacher that the school teaches not only to read, write, think, learn about the world and the riches of science and art, but also the school teaches to live, the school teaches to live.

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