The importance of school
education in child development
The children of today are gearing
up to become adult citizens of tomorrow. The growth is parallel to the future
of our country, reflected through quality of the present education system. A
school must stimulate curiosity in the young, impressionable minds and equip
them with tools to be better human beings.
It widely accepted that the
learning process is instrumental in shaping one’s personality and the way
he/she deals with situations of life. The shift of thoughts from bookish
knowledge to knowledge of life, in schools, has brought forth a sea of change.
People have warmed up to the idea of education being the key to a well-rounded
development instead of just a mean to acquire degrees and monetary success in
life. Education must facilitate the cultivation of a healthy thought process
and groom our cognitive abilities. In the present competitive world, education
is a basic necessity for human beings after food, clothes and shelter.
School education must focus on
the following aspects, which contribute immensely to the development of the
young minds as they step into adulthood.
School is the foremost fountain
of knowledge children are exposed to. It gives a chance for them to acquire
knowledge on various fields of education such as people, literature, history,
mathematics, politics, and other numerous subjects. This contributes to
cultivation in the thought process. When one is exposed to the influences
coming from various cultural sources, his/her on world and existence becomes
vast.
School is the first avenue of
socialising for a child. Up till then, parents and immediate family members are
the only people the child has human interactions with. And familiarity is a
breeding ground of stagnancy. With schools, children are exposed not only to
new ideas but also to same aged compatriots. This instils sociable practices
such as empathy, friendship, participation, assistance which turn out to be
important in their adulthood.
A child, after conception, goes
through various physical development. While home provides a restricted outlet,
in school, a child can channelise his energy into more sociable avenues.
Studies have pointed out that while in familiar environment, the child is is
equipped to deal with sudden bursts of energy, the learns to be at his/her best
behaviour only when exposed to same-aged individuals. Plus, familiarity leads
to taking advantage of situations, while in school, the playing field is
levelled. Also, the presence of activities such as sports, craft help children
direct their boundless energy into something productive.
Earlier, schools were considered
as places to learn events in history chapter, solve tough mathematical problems
or recite poems and sonnets. In current educational scenario, a child learns to
go beyond the traditional way of rote learning. They are taught to develop a
mind of their own and through the flexible curriculum, curiosity is promoted.
The child is freed of the shackles of mental blocks and lets his/her
imagination run its course. Importance of imagination is stressed upon
extensively. Play enactions and an encompassing curriculum leads to a
well-developed cognitive system.
Conclusion
Life is also about learning,
apart from living. While we can learn to a certain extent from our parents,
they tend to be unilateral. At school, children are exposed to various sources
from whom they can imbibe immense knowledge, instrumental for their
development. Hence school is necessary for children to inculcate “the workings
of life”
Education forms the foundation of
any society. It is responsible for the economic, social, and political growth
and development of society in general. The thread of the growth of society
depends upon the quality of education that is being imparted. So schools play
an important role in moulding a nation's future by facilitating all round
development of its future citizens.