On Essentials of Education

1979 NCTE Annual Business Meeting in San Francisco, California

Background The Executive Committee of the National Council of Teachers of English has endorsed a statement entitled "The Essentials of Education," both as a protest against the restrictive consequences of "back to basics" and "minimal competencies" and as an affirmation of the necessity of a balanced education for all students.  The central concept of "The Essentials of Education" is the interdependence of skills and content. In all subjects, "students develop skills in using language and other symbol systems; they develop the ability to reason; they undergo experiences that lead to emotional and social maturity"  (Essentials statement, page 2).           The National Council of Teachers of English and ten other educational associations have formed a coalition, Organizations for the Essentials of Education.  The purpose of this coalition is to disseminate the Essentials statement to educators, lawmakers, and the general public, and to strive for the development of curricula and the enactment of legislation that incorporate the concepts in the Essentials statement. Be it therefore Resolution Resolved, that the members of the National Council of Teachers of English support the work of the Organizations for the Essentials of Education; and           that the members of the National Council of Teachers of English disseminate and promote the concepts in "The Essentials of Education."