The European Commission White Paper on "Teaching and Learning: Towards the
Learning Society" focus on three main factors of upheaval for the complex changes
taking place in the European Society. They are the internationalisation of trade, the
dawning of the information society and the relentless march of science and
technology:
The impact of the information society is to transform the nature of work and the
organization of production. More autonomous and more varied activites take the place of
routine and repetitive tasks. The role of the human factor increases but the worker
becomes more vulnerable to changes in the pattern of work.
The impact of internationalisation radically affects the situation as regards job
creation. Bringing down the borders between the labour markets creates a global employment
market. There is need to rise the level of qualifications in general if the social rift is
not to widen further and spread feelings of insecurity.
The growth of scientific knowledge and its application to production methods give rise
to a paradox. Scientific and technical progress engenders a feeling of unease and even
irrational misgivings in society.
These opening paragraphs for the European discussion sound very familiar for those
following developments in the Israeli society. Does the insertion of our economy in the
process of globalisation necessarily result in an higher rate of unemployed people
needing to adapt themselves to the changing economic conditions? Are the misgivings
concerning modernity being expressed in an increased religiosity, in fundamentalist trends
and in the cultural split in the Israeli society? Are these processes feeding back in our
capability to attract investments and cope with the economic consequences of
globalisation? Or, alternatively, the extraordinary growth of the Israeli economy in the
ealy nineties disproves these thesis and we are an economy specially able to benefit from
the Information Society? Our ambitious program for computerization of the educational
system - does it succeed in bridging the gap in the human resources we need?
Does the cultural creativity of the Israeli society assure its integration under the
cosmopolitan stresses of the Information Society?
Are the deliberations of our policy committees in areas relevant to Information Society
issues informed by a broad perspective able to cope with these questions?
You are invited to:
- Visit and use the resources listed below;
- Suggest relevant resources that should added to this list;
- Contribute a position paper expressing your concerns regarding
Israel education and culture in the Information Society;
- Participate in the discussions of this Forum which will take
place during the Netdays Europe 1998 week from 17th to the 24th October.
Your contribution is much welcome !
Send your observations, questions and contributions to: dovw@isoc.org.il
