A perspective for Geoscience Education to Improve the Future of Humanity

• DOI: 10.22533/at.ed.4302204111

• Palavras-chave: -

• Keywords: geology education in childhood, science, humanities

• Abstract:

  Humanity faces tremendous problems.

  We have experimented a vast social, political, ethical, economical, scientific and technological evolution along the past millennia.

  However, we are far from living in peace, with minimum social equality, acceptable living standards, respect for human rights, access to basic natural resources, democracy, religious freedom, diversity, environment, planetary biota. We have to find a way to overcome these difficulties.

  There is no doubt that education is in the center of the solution, but not the formal education system we traditionally apply.

  Some authors consider the scientific-humanities illiteracy as the main challenge for human beings to take a more advanced — in all dimensions of the human life — step towards civilization.

  Geology, among the broad spectrum of human knowledge, seems to be one of the sciences which best deals with both the scientific and humanities concepts, facilitating the understanding of unity of our planet, as well as our responsibility to take care of the natural environment and provide conditions for the survival all species.

  It is in the childhood, since the first lessons, that basic principles of geology have to be taught, to allow individuals to build their personalities with these concepts firmly established.