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Philosophy in Schools

The Federation of Asia-Pacific Philosophy in Schools Associations is made up of teachers, educators and those passionate about bringing philosophical learning to young people.

FAPSA seeks to make Philosophy accessible to a greater number of students; to enrich the learning experience for students; and to improve the quality of teaching, the depth of teachers’ understanding and the support available to them from a professional network of Philosophy teachers and teacher educators.

Philosophical learning can mean one of two things (or both!)

1. The first of these is the discipline of Philosophy, encompassing such areas of study as aesthetics, epistemology, metaphysics and logic.

2. The second part of philosophical learning is about pedagogy, or the way in which we teach. This pedagogical approach was inspired by the work of Dewey, but encoded and framed by Matthew Lipman and Ann Sharpe in the early 1970s. Their ongoing research lead to a worldwide movement variously called, Philosophy for/with Children (P4C), Philosophy in Schools or Philosophical Inquiry of which FAPSA is an active part.

Why Teach Philosophy?

Philosophy opens students’ minds to big ideas and promotes deep thinking. Students learn to reflect deeply, analyse arguments rigorously, arrive at independent judgements, and articulate their views with clarity, subtlety and respect.

In some regions, Philosophy is an established subject available to students in their senior high school years. Across the Asia-Pacific philosophical studies are offered as a year 12, matriculation subject or as part of the International Baccalaureate diploma program.

Philosophical Community of Inquiry

Inspired also by the ideas of John Dewey, P4C is a pedagogy firmly grounded in Inquiry Learning. As an Inquiry Pedagogy, P4C works to develop a culture of collaborate inquiry amongst students.

It cultivates useful intellectual and social habits, such as careful listening, imaginative and critical thinking, clear communication and empathy. Students learn to articulate their views and to explore disagreements reasonably.

Critical
Thinking

Creative
Thinking

Collaborative
Thinking

Caring
Thinking