Round Square Africa Info.pdf - St George's Diocesan School

Round Square
Kurt Hahn
by: Laura Bishop (Baraza Group Leader, Dainfern College: JRS 2012)
Kurt Hahn (1886-1974) was a famous German educator who founded the idea of experiential
education. He created many influential educational philosophies which are used in schools around
the world today.
Kurt Hahn served as secretary to Prince Max Von Baden. Together, they founded the Schule Schloss
Salem, a prestigious private school in the South of Germany. He researched principles and ideas that
were being successfully applied in various schools and brought them all together in one. He believed
that in order to achieve success it was best to use methods that were tried and tested. He carefully
selected the methods in which he would use and then combined them in a unique manner in order
to achieve ultimate success.
He then proceeded to be involved in the establishment (both directly and indirectly) of many more
schools and organisations, such as: Atlantic College, the first United World College; the Duke of
Edinburgh's Award; Gordonstoun School; Outward Bound; the Atlantic Challenge; the Kurt Hahn
Trust; and Round Square….some of which were initiated by others who were inspired by his ideas.
His educational philosophy was based on respect for adolescents as he believed that they possess an
innate decency and moral sense. However, he believed that as adolescents grew older they were
negatively influenced and corrupted by society and the environment around them. Therefore, he
tried to prevent this corruption through more holistic education. He believed that students should
be given leadership opportunities so that they could prove to themselves that they could make
progress and make a difference. The prefects at Hahn’s schools were known as “Colour Bearers” and
were promoted according to his values: concern and compassion for others; the willingness to
accept responsibility; as well as concern and tenacity in the pursuit of the truth. Punishment of any
kind was viewed as a last resort.
Kurt Hahn was concerned with the social declines and diseases he observed in society which he
described as:
1. The decline in fitness due to the modern methods of locomotion.
2. The decline of initiative and enterprise due to the widespread disease of ‘spectatoritis’.
3. The decline of memory and imagination due to the confused restlessness of modern life.
4. The decline of skill and care due to the weakened tradition of craftsmanship.
5. The decline of self-discipline due to the ever-present availability of stimulants and tranquilizers.
6. The decline of compassion due to the unseemly haste with which modern life is conducted.
3 | U pdated: 2012/07