Richard Pring (1938-2024): A realistic and profound philosophy of education

Richard Pring (1938-2024): una filosofía de la educación realista y profunda

María G. Amilburu, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia

DOI

10.22550/2174-0909.4442

Abstract

Richard Pring was born in Sheffield on 20 April 1938 and passed away peacefully on 6 October 2024 at his home in Oxford, surrounded by his loving family. A fellow of Green Templeton College, he was head of the Department of Education at the University of Oxford for fourteen years until his retirement in May 2003; editor of the British Journal of Educational Studies (1986-2001); doctor honoris causa from the University of Kent (1984) and from the Institute of Education at University College London (2015); and recipient of the award of distinction from the Aga Khan University, Karachi (2008). Over his long academic career, he wrote some twenty books and numerous articles; he wrote reports and gave talks and lectures to very varied social sectors in many locations; he taught; he supervised 40 doctoral theses and other research work, and he advised countless groups of students and academics from all over the world. After his retirement, he completed three important research projects: the “Nuffield review of 14-19 education and training” over six years, funded by the Nuffield Foundation; the “Evaluation of the Oxford bursary scheme”, funded by Atlantic Philanthropies; and the “Evaluation of quality assurance in 11 Arab universities”, funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The editors of the book in honour of him, entitled Thinking philosophically about education: Selected works of Richard Pring, published by Routledge in 2018, introduced the collection as a “selection [that] displays the knowledge and rigor that has made Richard Pring one of the world’s most respected and eminent scholars of the field of philosophy and education”. They were not exaggerating. After completing his initial studies in Nottingham, he read for a BA in Philosophy at the English College and Gregorian University in Rome (1955-1958). These years of study in Italy left a deep impression on his thought and his way of life, and allowed him to familiarise himself with the Greco-Roman tradition and continental philosophy, as it is known in Britain. On his return to the United Kingdom, he continued his philosophical studies with A. J. Ayer at the University College London. The philosophical thought of Richard Pring combined both traditions (the continental and the analytic) in an original and fruitful way because, as he himself observed, he abhorred the (often false) dichotomies that were established, for example, between empiricism and rationalism, idealism and realism, professional education and liberal education, etc. His dedication to teaching was not his first professional choice, but he discovered his vocation while working with Derek Morrel to create and launch the Schools Council (1962- 1965). There he realised that for the education system to fulfil its role well, politicians must (and this is no small thing) limit themselves to funding it. It is families that should determine its aims, that is to say, the type of education they want for their children. And teachers, as experts in the field of education, must be able to dedicate themselves to doing their work (educating people) without pressures from areas outside this undertaking. He started work as a teacher in a London comprehensive school and at Goldsmiths from 1965, while working on his doctoral thesis (supervised by Richard S. Peters) at the Institute of Education at the University of London. In 1971 he moved to Cambridge, and in 1974 he returned to the Institute of Education at the University of London to lead the area of philosophy and to set up the area of curriculum studies alongside Lawton (sociology), Gibby and Ing (psychology), and Gardon (history). In 1979 he joined the academic staff of the University of Exeter, and from 1989 what was then the Department of Educational Studies (now the Department of Education) at the University of Oxford, where he held the first chair in education created by that university. While working as head of the department, he wanted to combine his academic work with teaching, one day a week, at a nearby comprehensive school, to keep his feet on the ground, and so avoid the excessive intellectualism into which the philosophy of education can fall.

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Richard Pring devoted himself for more than 50 years to the study and practical implementation of philosophical questions that are fundamental to the good development of education: clarifying the goals of this task with a special focus on promoting democratic coexistence; defending critical realism; studying the role of teachers as experts in the field of education, simultaneously educators and researchers; the need for philosophical reflection when taking prudent decisions regarding educational policy, etc. In recent decades (conscious of the increasing pace of social change), he identified and fought the risk represented by introducing ideas, terms and procedures characteristic of an entrepreneurial business mentality into educational language, and he underlined the need to refocus the educational task so that it can fulfil its objectives. Richard Pring’s thought daringly asks questions about what it means to be an educated person in the twenty-first century; the possibility of providing a vocational education that simultaneously has a humanistic, liberal character; establishing the content and curriculum design; and the need to develop a philosophy of education that studies educational reality to influence action effectively, enhancing teacher training and the development of educational policies that respect its nature without being motivated, or at least not exclusively, by economic or partisan criteria. He was highly knowledgeable about John Dewey’s thought and the discussion about the Common School and its suitability for creating a common culture in democratic society was one of the topics that accompanied his intellectual journey. In the last decade (coinciding on this point with the proposals of T. H. McLaughlin and J. Sacks), he championed the need to establish a third way: a common school system that envisages the existence of educational centres with their own ethos, promoted by different family, civil or religious institutions. He was an advocate of maintaining different voices deriving from traditions that have rational roots, wisdom, and ethos, within the increasingly multicultural contemporary society.

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Richard Pring was a philosopher of education who enjoyed rightful international renown and has left a decisive mark in this academic field. But in addition, and above all (and this is confirmed unanimously by his colleagues, his students, and so many others who had the privilege of interacting with him and enjoying his friendship), he was an excellent person. Generous with his time and his knowledge, he worked selflessly in favour of education, the family, and social justice. Among other aspects, his humble affability stands out: he never gave himself airs, even when his fame preceded him. He was a friendly, kind, hospitable person, a good friend to his friends, an excellent conversationalist, with a sharp and intelligent sense of humour. He loved the university and the city of Oxford. And it was common to see him cycling between his home on Banbury Road; the emeritus professors’ room in the Department of Education, which Pring jokingly called the geriatrics’ room; the vegetable patch he tended with Faye in Port Meadow; his local pub The Rose & Crown on North Parade, which saw so many moments of joyful philosophical conversation; and the church of Saint Aloysius on Woodstock Road, which he attended at least weekly. He took part in 27 marathons, and his family and friends will not forget the celebration for his 70th birthday after running the London Marathon in 2008. A tireless worker, he stayed fit and active until he started to experience mobility problems and his memory started to fail him a few months before his passing. He was an excellent academic host and enjoyed inviting those of us who were staying in Oxford to formal dinners at Green College, because he knew that we enjoyed this experience of the university. And he enjoyed sharing the produce from his garden at more familiar dinners in his home, after a glass from the bottle of Tío Pepe that I brought from Madrid following a little tradition that emerged spontaneously. I am not the only person who laments having lost someone who was a point of reference in his field, an interlocutor, and a good friend on this Earth. But, for those of us, like Richard, who are convinced that the story does not end here, this is not farewell but only “Many thanks, Richard, and until we meet again!”.

Works by Richard Pring

• Education, social reform and philosophical development: Evidence from the past, principles for the future. Routledge, 2021.

• Challenges for religious education: Is there a disconnect between faith and reason? Routledge, 2020.

• The future of publicly funded faith schools. A critical perspective. Routledge, 2018.

• Una filosofía de la educación políticamente incómoda (edited and translated by M. G. Amilburu). Narcea, 2016.

• The life and death of secondary education for all. Routledge, 2013.

• Education for all: The future of education and training for 14–19 year-olds in England and Wales. Routledge, 2009.

• Common school and the comprehensive ideal: A defense by Richard Pring with complementary essays (edited with M. Halstead & G. Haydon). Wiley-Blackwell, 2008.

• John Dewey: The philosopher of education for the 21st century? Continuum, 2007.

• Comprehensive education: Evolution, achievement & new direction (edited with M. Hewlett & M. Tulloch). The University of Northampton, 2006.

• Evidence based practice in education (edited with G. Thomas). Open University Press, 2004.

• Philosophy of education: Aims, theory, common sense and research. Continuum, 2004.

• Philosophy of educational research. Continuum, 2000 (3rd edition, 2015).

• Affirming the comprehensive ideal (edited with G. Walford). Falmer Press, 1997.

• Closing the gap: Liberal education and vocational preparation. Hodder & Stoughton, 1995.

• Academic respectability and professional relevance: An inaugural lecture delivered before the University of Oxford on 8 May 1991. Clarendon Press, 1991.

• The new curriculum. Continuum, 1989.

• Personal and social education in the curriculum. Hodder & Stoughton , 1984.

• Knowledge and schooling. Open Books, 1976.

• Social education and social education (edited with J. Elliott). UCL Press, 1975.

Books in honour of Richard Pring

• Thinking philosophically about education: The selected works of Richard Pring. Routledge, 2018.

• Education, ethics and experience (edited by M. Hand & R. Davies). Routledge, 2016.

Citación recomendada | Recommended citation

Amilburu, M. G. (2025). Richard Pring (1938-2024): A realistic and profound philosophy of education. Revista Española de Pedagogía, 83(290), 261-270. https://doi.org/10.22550/2174-0909.4442