Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Holistic development and equity
I think of Einstein and his contemporaries and wonder if 'holistic development' was important in their times. Today, we claim it to be essential and we do not necessarily understand why and how.
In Bhutan, we talked extensively about 'wholesome education' for many years. We believed in a school environment and curricula that would allow individuals to develop physically, cognitively, emotionally, socially and spiritually. In other words, we meant 'holistic development.' If you take a good look around and analyze, you'll probably realize that the brainy students of school days of the 1960's and 1970's are today struggling to earn themselves a decent position in the society. They are in some corner, all by themselves most of the time, hidden from the world. It's as if they've withdrawn into a deep dark hole underground - in the Saddam or Laden style. They appear to have promised themselves that they'd spend the rest of their lives in isolation, till "death do us part." They read a lot and think too much, too deeply, but interacting with others is almost like a taboo for them. The world around them seems to be degenerating, shedding itself of all values that were once glorified full blast. They think they do not fit anywhere outside of the four walls of their homes, thus confining themselves to the little world of their own. But, are they happy? They alone have the answer to that. We can only make guesses and at the end get nothing out of it, so why even try? In some people's discerning eyes, they might appear failures with no material wealth to boast of nor a status worthy of mention.
But, we know that the theory of Multiple Intelligences provides solutions to this in many ways.
Today, more than ever before, Bhutan discusses early child care and development in the light of its preparation of children for further development and also formal education. It's viewed as something that is inherent in good parenting and we tend to think that our illiterate parents do not know how to take 'good' care of their children at the early ages of 0-5 in particular. Some argue that our traditional social structure better allows development of the child in the emotional domain, whereas that of the western world deprives the child of parental care by treating him/her as an independant individual from the infant stage. Each position right in its own territorial and philosophical domains!
I remember in the late 1980's when children (urban) were brought to school the first time, they would shout, scream and cry, begging their parents to take them back home with them. I think it was the unfamiliar surrounding/environment and people that they feared. Was there really any reason for them to be scared? No! They had just gotten used to growing up in the comfort zone of their parents and immediate family members. They suddenly felt lost and insecure when thrown into a totally new environment. It might've been thought that it would be easy for them to at least mingle with their own age children, but that wasn't so. Making friends, talking and playing did not come easy to them.
Today, many pre-school age (under six) children in urban centres, such as Thimphu, have managed to enrol themselves into day care or early learning centres. What is to happen to the struggle for equity between the rural and urban? Is the education gap at the early stage of child development going to actually pose a greater challenge to equity? Something to seriously think about and act upon NOW.....
In Bhutan, we talked extensively about 'wholesome education' for many years. We believed in a school environment and curricula that would allow individuals to develop physically, cognitively, emotionally, socially and spiritually. In other words, we meant 'holistic development.' If you take a good look around and analyze, you'll probably realize that the brainy students of school days of the 1960's and 1970's are today struggling to earn themselves a decent position in the society. They are in some corner, all by themselves most of the time, hidden from the world. It's as if they've withdrawn into a deep dark hole underground - in the Saddam or Laden style. They appear to have promised themselves that they'd spend the rest of their lives in isolation, till "death do us part." They read a lot and think too much, too deeply, but interacting with others is almost like a taboo for them. The world around them seems to be degenerating, shedding itself of all values that were once glorified full blast. They think they do not fit anywhere outside of the four walls of their homes, thus confining themselves to the little world of their own. But, are they happy? They alone have the answer to that. We can only make guesses and at the end get nothing out of it, so why even try? In some people's discerning eyes, they might appear failures with no material wealth to boast of nor a status worthy of mention.
But, we know that the theory of Multiple Intelligences provides solutions to this in many ways.
Today, more than ever before, Bhutan discusses early child care and development in the light of its preparation of children for further development and also formal education. It's viewed as something that is inherent in good parenting and we tend to think that our illiterate parents do not know how to take 'good' care of their children at the early ages of 0-5 in particular. Some argue that our traditional social structure better allows development of the child in the emotional domain, whereas that of the western world deprives the child of parental care by treating him/her as an independant individual from the infant stage. Each position right in its own territorial and philosophical domains!
I remember in the late 1980's when children (urban) were brought to school the first time, they would shout, scream and cry, begging their parents to take them back home with them. I think it was the unfamiliar surrounding/environment and people that they feared. Was there really any reason for them to be scared? No! They had just gotten used to growing up in the comfort zone of their parents and immediate family members. They suddenly felt lost and insecure when thrown into a totally new environment. It might've been thought that it would be easy for them to at least mingle with their own age children, but that wasn't so. Making friends, talking and playing did not come easy to them.
Today, many pre-school age (under six) children in urban centres, such as Thimphu, have managed to enrol themselves into day care or early learning centres. What is to happen to the struggle for equity between the rural and urban? Is the education gap at the early stage of child development going to actually pose a greater challenge to equity? Something to seriously think about and act upon NOW.....
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