Education, Training and Information

6. Education, Training and Information

The fifth principle states that co-operatives provide education and training to their members, elected representatives, managers and employees so that they can contribute effectively to the development of the co-operative. Co-operatives also inform the general public — particularly young people and opinion leaders — about the nature and benefits of co-operation.

This principle rests on a simple truth: a co-operative can only be as good as the people who run and use it. Members who do not understand co-operative values, or a managing committee that lacks the skills to run the society, will weaken even a well-designed co-operative. So the movement treats education not as an optional extra but as a duty.

The principle works on two fronts:

1. Education and training for its own people. The society educates and trains its members (so they understand their rights, duties and the co-operative way of working), its elected representatives (so they can lead and govern well), and its managers and employees (so they can run the society efficiently). This may take the form of meetings, study circles, courses and training programmes.
2. Information for the public. Co-operatives also spread awareness about co-operation among the general public — especially the young and opinion leaders — so that the idea and benefits of co-operation are widely understood and the movement continues to grow. …