Sodobna družba je privzdignila pomen znanja. Govorimo celo o družbi znanja; znanje je tisto, ki zagotavlja družbeni razvoj in pomembno vpliva na položaj posameznika. Na njegovo zmožnost, da je subjekt družbenega delovanja v sicer kompleksnem svetu. Prav zato se zdi naravno, da ima šola, ki je bila ustanovljena za posredovanje znanja, v sodobni družbi poseben položaj. Posebnost njenega položaja se kaže v tem, da je v večini držav obvezna za določen del populacije, in to celo vse daljši čas. Po drugi strani se šola še nikoli ni soočala s perečimi vprašanji absentizma, šolsko neuspešnostjo, nemotiviranostjo učencev za učenje, upadanjem radovednosti, želje po novem znanju. Šola naj bi v preteklosti mnogo laže načrtovala, kakšno in katero znanje učenci potrebujejo. Danes pa se zdi, da mladi preprosto ne pristajajo več na opise sedanjosti (sveta), kot jo prikazujemo starejši. Kako v spremenjenem dojemanju našega bivanja (prostora in časa) in ob še večji kompleksnosti prihodnjega sveta premišljati o tem, kaj naj bo dediščina in popotnica mlajšim generacijam? Kako v tem svetu razumeti poslanstvo pedagoškega dela?

The modern society has elevated the signifcance of knowledge. Nowadays we can even talk about the society of knowledge; for knowledge is the driving power for social development and considerately influences the individual’s standing and his/her ability of being a social active subject in complex world. For this it seems naturally that educational establishment, which was founded to mediate the knowledge, has a unique position in the modern society. Its specialty is expressed by its obligation for a particular part of the population in many countries, and the time of education has been even prolonged. On the other hand, in school man has to struggle with absenteeism, failure, pupils’ unmotivated to study, decline of curiosity and desire for new knowledge. In the past, it was supposedly easier to plan the variety and quality of the required knowledge. Today it seems that young people refuse to accept the description of the present time and world as given by the older generations. What should be the heritage to younger generations in changed comprehension of our being in time and space, combined with even larger complexity of the world in the future? In this situation, what is the mission of the pedagogical work/ activity.