HYBRID EDUCATION AND EDUCATIONAL NETWORKS: AN IVAN ILLICH PERSPECTIVE

This paper addresses the theme of the deschooling of society proposed by Ivan Illich in his work Deschooling Society (1971), analyzing its visionary relevance to the contemporary educational landscape, particularly in the context of hybrid education and digital learning networks. Conducted as a bibliographic study, this research examines Illich’s critique of the compulsory school system, which, according to him, perpetuates inequalities and suppresses the intrinsic capacity to learn, advocating for the abolition of the school’s monopoly on education in favor of social deinstitutionalization. The study delves into the 'learning webs' idealized by Illich, conceived as decentralized and convivial alternatives that would allow for the free association of individuals in search of knowledge and the exchange of skills, without the coerciveness of a formal curriculum. It is argued that the advancement of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and the internet has enabled the realization of this utopia, evidenced by the popularization of online platforms and the adoption of hybrid education models. Such models integrate face-to-face and remote instruction, creating digital learning ecologies that promote collaboration, student agency, and personalized learning. The concluding remarks highlight the bold and prescient nature of Illich’s ideas, which, although they did not foresee specific technological evolutions, anticipated the need for collaborative education, pointing toward a current movement that suggests a society beyond schooling.