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al.1987) to say that a human child is a being who is committed to upbringing (Yonge
et al. 1987 : 147).
In a fundamental sense, this relationship revolves around the mutual, though not
equivalent, interpersonal understanding of adult and child. However, it also includes
understanding for the sake of grasping aspects of the life-world. In this latter respect,
the relationship of understanding implies a relationship of exploration within the
pedagogic situation. It is also the task of the educator to support the child in this
exploration toward a knowledge of the life-world as learning content This aspect of
the relationship becomes salient when one takes a didactic-pedagogic or teaching
perspective on educating. Obviously, the pedagogic relationship of understanding has
a strong cognitive flavour. The essential purpose of this modality is for the adult to be
in a position to assist and accompany the child to self-actualisation of his cognitive
potentialities, (i.e. cognitive modes of learning) with respect to the content presented
to the child by the adult (Yonge et al. 1987: 147).
The relationship of knowing is a condition for creating and maintaining the education
relation. To be able to educate the educand. the educator has to learn to know the
child well, and to acquaint himself progressively and more thoroughly with him,
especially regarding whether and to what extent he is educable, and who he actually
is. On the other hand. the educand should know who his educator is and also what to
expect of him. He also has to learn to know him. On the basis of their mutual
knowledge, they both establish the education relationship which can be initiated from
the educator's side or from that of the educand. In the relationship of knowing within
the education situation, also characterised by trust, the educator wishes to teach the
educand that each one of his actions (as self-becoming action) in accordance with
behavioural expectations, (i.e. as educative events aimed toward influencing and
improving) represents a breakthrough of his situatedness in the education situation,
and actually an extension of the horizons of his life-world. He acts only after he has
decided. with the help,support and guidance ofhis familiar educator, who is significant
for the educand in view of his future. It is therefore a responsible decision and a
justified action as a characteristic of adulthood. His action is essentially the design of