Masks and their associated rituals have been with us since before recorded history. They were used to entertain and to instruct, to invoke the spirits, to transform cultures and to reinforce communal values. The ancient Greeks brought the gods to earth through the use of masks. Their masked performances reinforced social values and maintained order. The mask transformed both actor and audience, taking them to a level beyond their ordinary lives.
Education works in a similar way.
In a traditional setting, teachers and students assume a particular mask and engage in set rituals. For example, the minute Mrs Brown enters the lecture theatre, she no longer wears the mask of harassed mother of three but that of muse, possessor of knowledge and leader to the Holy Grail. Students take on the masks and rituals that enable them to access the knowledge offered by Mrs Brown. The mask each one wears reinforces a sense of community and a system of values. In education, that value system is the arena for the sharing and pursuit of knowledge.