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When we introduced the functioning of self-managed teams based on the principles of self-direction at ICE Industrial Services in 2020, we observed an interesting phenomenon: about half of the teams worked excellently, solving everything on their own, and agile management suited them very well. The other half of the teams also worked hard, willingly attended meetings, filled out spreadsheets, and repeatedly redid the same thing, but their projects were not as efficient.
They were doing things right, but often they were doing the right things wrong! And when challenging solutions and decisions came up, they expected someone else to solve them.
"Some people took only the freedom from self-management but didn't want to bear the responsibility," I complained to Petr Skondrojanis, a leading Czech HR expert. "All agile systems were developed somewhere in Silicon Valley, you have to realize that here we are in the Czech Republic. Ninety-five percent of people have no clue about something like Scrum." "Of course, Americans are different, but at their core, they are still the same people, aren't they?" I countered him in a discussion about this problem. I had spent several months in the United States and had a chance to understand the local mentality quite well. "People may be the same," says Petr, "but in the Czech Republic, they're not raised for this. They don't have the mindset. Look at how education and child upbringing work in the Czech Republic." I had to agree with him when I remembered my school years. My entire childhood, someone told me:
Sit down, don't copy, don't stand out! Do what we told you! Don't be naughty! Be normal!
And now life demands the exact opposite:
Be active and creative! Collaborate! Stand out and be interesting!
Throughout my schooling, I didn't understand what and why we were studying. But understanding connections wasn't the point in school. Credits were given to those who excelled in administration, could reproduce the best, and had the best-drawn margins in their notebooks. Ideally, half a year in advance.
Obedience, following orders, and meticulous administration were highly valued skills, especially during the reign of Maria Theresa. She began to systematically develop these through her reform introducing compulsory education. We still praise her for this enlightened act, but her motivation was probably far less romantic. During the Industrial Revolution, there was a need to educate a workforce loyal to the Habsburg monarchy. Just like today's employers calling for better education, the first industrialists of that time demanded better quality workers for their newly emerging factories and manufactories. They needed a literate workforce that could be easily tasked.
For the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the style of teaching at that time did a lot of good. Besides basic skills, children in the uncompromising school environment were formatted to the subject style of monarchy management, and education thus helped suppress anti-Austrian ideas that began to spread during Maria Theresa's reign.
The fact that our education system has not fundamentally changed since the times of Maria Theresa is a social catastrophe of our society. As stated by the historian of education Magdaléna Šustová: The core curriculum and school structure have remained the same. Apart from the ideological component, the earlier syllabi do not differ much from today's framework educational programs. What is discussed in each grade hasn't changed, and teaching is still based on frontal instruction and rote learning. Any activity of the children is undesirable in this context.
The school requires: Don't disturb! Sit, don't talk, and listen! Don't worry about what you're not supposed to! But life demands: It's important that you understand the context and can make the right decisions. What's your view? Come with your opinions.
School: Don't copy from your neighbor! Life: Collaborate! Share your ideas. If you don't know something, ask.
School: Behave normally! Get back in line. Life: Look for opportunities to stand out, to be different. Think about how you can improve things. Take responsibility, be creative and innovative!
When the opportunity arose seven years ago to support the establishment of the innovative primary school Na Radosti in Žďár nad Sázavou, we knew this was exactly the type of education missing here, so that children in the Czech Republic wouldn't grow up as subservient sheep, without their own opinions and responsibility, following the commands of their superiors.
The primary school Na Radosti goes through the educational process with respect for the uniqueness of each child. It listens to them, accepts and values their individuality. It strives to uncover and strengthen their talents, provides them with a safe environment where they can freely experiment, make mistakes, and constantly develop.
In education, the school Na Radosti sees much more than just gathering knowledge; it is a preparation for a successful and fulfilled life. It supports the innate desire for discovery in each of us. Children learn with enthusiasm and are more productive. The school gives them the freedom to create, offers them opportunities for spontaneous activity, exploration, and interest. Above all, it allows them to do what makes sense to them, what fulfills them. The goal is to awaken in them a sense of personal responsibility for education, to teach them to learn freely and joyfully.
The school teaches children to face various situations, recognize their strengths and skills, as well as areas that need improvement. The role of the teacher - the guide - is not to evaluate but to lead the children in self-assessment, help them identify and formulate their mistakes, and find solutions. Healthy relationships between all members of the school community - adults and children - are a fundamental pillar for the school, based on mutual respect and esteem.
Things are not learned in isolation, but connections and relationships are recognized, as in real life. This understanding allows for a broader context.
The upbringing of a child in a system of punishments and rewards will certainly destroy any natural inner desire to learn something. People who slavishly and without their own opinion follow orders from superiors are doomed to mediocrity and failure in today's turbulent world.
Only those who can think and make decisions based on relevant information and who can confidently structure their arguments, present their views coherently and thoughtfully, and take responsibility for their opinions will succeed in global super-competition. Those who own all the problems in their world, including their development.
The main task of the current generation of parents is to give their children an education that provides them with a set of skills that will enable this. Memorizing Vrchlický, the digestive tract of an earthworm, and the year of the Samo Empire's founding do not belong to these skills.
At ICE, we have taken the responsibility for educating young people into our own hands - we collaborate with primary, secondary, and higher education institutions. We organize robotics courses and automation camps..
Article author: Tomáš Vránek
