Martin Luther King Jr. famously said - “Intelligence plus character; that is the true goal of education.”, and we cannot repudiate.
The importance of school and education in carving the disposition of children is paramount. The learnings that schools impart go beyond the realms of the classroom. They penetrate deep into the fibers of the psyche and continue in existence, influencing every step a child takes. Let us explore the pivotal role of school in child development and how it impacts their future.
School education encompasses an all-inclusive approach that sculpts children into solid characters. Here is how school shapes the lives of children:
School nurtures academic development and cognitive skills. The primary aim of schools is to impart education to children. It creates a viable learning environment so that the students can learn and thrive.
School is responsible for imparting essential skills, including reading and writing. It exposes children to the vast world of knowledge and makes them receptive.
The school's well-designed curriculum enhances the cognitive skills of students. Children learn several skills, such as problem-solving, comprehension, linguistic knowledge, etc. The structured system allows for their assessment to ensure that they are performing well academically and inculcating cognitive skills.
The role of schooling in life is not limited to enhancing cognitive abilities to facilitate academic achievements. Education also preaches cultural inclusion.
Schools foster social and cultural values in children. It is where children engage with other children coming from different backgrounds and cultures and who hold different beliefs, values, and perceptions.
Schools play a big role in broadening the outlook of children. Multi-lingual schools give a cross-cultural experience to students helping them learn about different ideas, social behavior, customs, and ways of life of various societies across the world.
Meeting and learning with a diverse set of children assists the development of empathy, respect, and tolerance in children. By celebrating different cultural events, schools introduce children to the concept of cultural diversity.
By virtue of their diversity, schools prepare global citizens. Furthermore, children may also interact with peers with different abilities in schools. Learning in an all-inclusive environment with differently-abled children contributes to the development of empathy, tenderness, and a sense of responsibility in children at a very young age.
A school is a place that fosters social interactions. It provides a guarded environment to children where they interact, meet, greet, and make new friends.
By studying, playing, and eating together, children learn to create positive relationships. As they grow, they also learn teamwork and understand the importance of collaboration. With group activities, children acquire skills that are pertinent for teamwork and develop attributes like patience and empathy.
Honesty, empathy, courage, kindness, generosity, loyalty, respect, discipline, humor, accountability, and resilience – a character is defined by these virtues. Children tend to develop these characteristics in school.
A school doesn’t just impart education it also imparts values and principles. Students imbibe several positive attributes from their teachers, who are their role models during their formative years.
Moreover, as they nurture their cognitive skills, they also espouse a conscience and get an understanding of good and bad, right and wrong. A healthy conscience and a strong moral compass further strengthen their character.
Children spend their formative years in schools. Hence, schools play a critical role in shaping their persona. Children explore themselves, their passions, and interests with all the co-curricular activities they indulge in. Moreover, their social interactions, subjection to emotions, moral sense, and their growing self-assurance shape their personalities.
Schools provide children with a safe, secure, and supportive territory where they can explore themselves and grow. For these reasons, the role of school in child development becomes imperative and noteworthy.
By helping children inculcate empathy, kindness, courage, and resilience, schools play a big role in nurturing their emotional intelligence. When children indulge in various activities and interact with their peers, they experience several emotions, including happiness, affection, passion, and sometimes anxiety and fear. It is during this synergy that they learn to handle their emotions.
Schools provide a platform for children to demonstrate their skills, not only in academics but also in other spheres. Their performance in academics and extra-curricular activities is acknowledged and appreciated.
All these things make children confident and give a boost to their self-esteem. Social interactions further nurture their self-assurance. Children who grow up with assertiveness are better at facing risks and obstacles. They lead a successful life.
School tests children on various skill sets. By conducting examinations, contests, debates, sports competitions, etc., the school helps children to learn facing obstacles.
Whether it is overcoming their fear of public speaking or inability to face negative results – schools teach children to accept challenge and conquer all their fears, preparing them for a tougher tomorrow.
Furthermore, children acquire several skill sets, such as collaboration, problem-solving, stress tolerance, self-management, time management, technology use, etc., during their learning years. With all these attributes in their arsenal, they get ready for their lives outside of their school. The ultimate role of school in child development is to assure their lives flourish once they pass out.
School teaches a sea of new things to children, which incites their curiosity. By offering them hands-on knowledge, school helps children to tap into an unknown world, where everything is a mystery for them.
As they embark on their learning journey and understand everything layer by layer, they get animated, which keeps their spirit high and enhances the learning experience.
The engaging and interactive environment boosts their hunger for learning, which goes far beyond their classrooms, turning them into curious individuals.
On the one hand, science experiments, field trips, excursions, etc., make children curious and excited, on the other hand, arts and crafts and other activities help children explore their creative side.
As children graduate to higher levels each year, they tend to get more independent. They learn to shoulder the responsibility of their studies and assignments all by themselves.
Sports and extra-curricular activities further boost their confidence and add a sense of responsibility to their disposition. Overall, schools help children to maintain their personal growth graph.
School exposes children to a sea of activities, from academics to arts, sports, and other co-curricular activities. With all these things at hand, children learn to juggle their time between studies and other activities.
They develop their individual system to divide their time equally between self-studies, homework, projects, assignments, and playtime. Their time management skills help them in the long run.
School contributes to the development of interpersonal skills. As children spend most of their days surrounded by their classmates, they foster a bond of friendship and learn to express and share.
Children who face difficulties in social interactions and expressions also learn to express their feelings and thought processes through different avenues, such as arts and crafts. The role of school in child development nurtures them both mentally and emotionally to prepare with highs and lows of life.
School never restricts children to their classrooms. It allows children to let loose in the playgrounds, endorsing physical fitness and development. Schools provide a robust sports infrastructure to the students, encompassing large playgrounds, indoor sports facilities, swimming pools, etc.
Playing outdoor and indoor sports not only encourages physical development but also imparts valuable life lessons. It is on the playgrounds that children learn the value of team spirit.
They learn hard work, self-motivation, perseverance, and determination with individual sports and team sports teach them skills like strategy formulation. These skills help them throughout their lives. Furthermore, children also learn to handle their failures, manage extreme emotions, and rise after defeat.
Schools lay the groundwork for a successful and flourishing career. The vocational and technical courses offered by schools expose children to different industries and help them determine their inclinations. Under the guidance of their teachers and counselors, children are able to make well-calculated and informed career decisions.
The role of school in growth and development of a child can never be underemphasized. Schools prepare children for their adulthood. Schools endow children with life skills that turn them into well-rounded individuals and capacitate them to face the tough challenges of life. To ensure all the skills that children acquire in their schools stay with them perpetually, you have to choose the best educational institution for your child.
