The Report of the Faure Commission, Learning to Be, is critically examined and found wanting. It is argued that the Commission fails to reveal the essential problems of formal education, is vague in its recommendations for reform, and ignores the political implications of its proposals.
During the last ten years students, parents, educators, planners and researchers have articulated the existence of a crisis in formal education around the world. The Report of the Faure Commission, 2 Learning to Be: The World of Education Today and Tomorrow, asks for both poor and rich nations, "Does the educational apparatus as now conceived really satisfy the needs and aspirations of man and societies in our time?" (p. 23). The commissioners conclude that it does not and propose that educational reform and innovation will renew the educational systems (p. 263). This review will summarize some of the main points of the Report. It 1 The views in this report are those of the author and are not necessarily those of any institution to which he has been or is presently attached. The author would like to acknowledge the comments of F. Champion Ward and other friendly critics on an earlier draft. They are not responsible for any omissions or contradictions.