The idiom of education is that it is enough to build up the
information base and that action is then easy. It is not. The skills of
action are every bit as important as the skills of knowledge. That
this is not recognised in education is a tragedy. For convenience I
have coined the term 'operacy', which is derived from 'operate' and
'operational' and thus indicates 'the skill needed for doing'. I
believe that operacy should rank alongside literacy and numeracy
as a major aim of education.
We need to change our conceptions about thinking and action. To
effect this change we need a concept such as operacy which gives
status to the thinking involved in doing. We need to appreciate
effectiveness and not just intellectual games. De Bono's Thinking Course, 1985, British Broadcasting Corporation,
London. Pages 112 and 136.
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