Emphasis On The Aims And Values Of Primary Education Essays Example

Philosophy of primary education

Philosophy of primary education

Introduction

Education contributes significantly to the well-being and quality of modern society. In this regard, a necessary consideration would be to address the agenda that embraces the several requirements and the diversity necessary for determining the societal aims for education. In setting out such a framework, it would be essential to provide a philosophical foundation that exceeds a theoretical exercise related to educational practice. An essential component to consider in relation to the aims of primary education is its relativity to human life. Education draws its material from many philosophical bases, most of which influence a variety of aspects of education. These aspects are inclusive of the educational processes, procedures, policies, and the implementation of planning initiatives that emanate from the practical and theoretical aspects of education.
The philosophical debate on the aims of primary education appears to assume two primary lines. In this case, the debate relates to the objectives of primary education in the modern society. On one hand, some individuals feel that the adoption of clear indicators of philosophical thinking reinforces the education processes that facilitate evaluation and assessment. For instance, Shuayb and O’Donnell (2008, p. 6) argue that the aims and values of primary education assist in the assessment of the effectiveness and impact of the educational process. In this case, the aims should support the principles of rational learning that represent the modern society. An individual could argue that educational systems that do not contain the implicit and explicit objectives risk the exposure to extrinsic factors such as industry and ideology.
On the other hand, some people claim that overemphasizing on aims and values can reduce primary education to a functional and technical process. Such a situation will mean that the primary educational process might lead to propaganda, thereby limiting the autonomy that the primary educational process provides. For this reason, the entire process will focus on the achievement of outcomes and ends, rather than focus on the child as an object of the primary educational process. In relation to this position, Shuayb and O’Donnell (2008, p. 6) refer to an argument by Dewey, who suggests that aims limit the learners’ cognitive development since they focus on the achievement of predetermined objectives. However, it would be essential to recognize that general educational aims are sensitive to the needs of individual pupils, which is an essential element in the determination of the philosophy of primary education.

Primary education comprises of the basic objective necessary for the creation, establishment, and the provision opportunities for all children regardless of their gender, race or ages. This goal is essential in ensuring that children achieved a balanced emotional, psychomotor and cognitive development. For this reason, policies that make primary education compulsory for every child promote the emphasis of strategies necessary for assisting children in learning. These strategies enable children to develop their creative and critical thinking abilities. Conversely, one of the basic responsibilities that primary education seeks to achieve includes assisting children to become acquainted with the national traditions and civilizations. Such an assistance enables the children to become aware of their national heritage and identity.
Modern society emphasizes on the awareness of multicultural trends. Such an orientation promotes the intercultural awareness, respect for otherness and tolerance among the pupils. An orientation towards fostering educational aims and the sensitivity towards the needs of individual pupils enables them to act in a culturally appropriate manner. Besides the expected behavioral positioning, the pupils would be able to read, write and perform basic calculations that are necessary for daily living. The achievement of such skills comprises some of the basic tenets that define the aims of primary education. Even though some pupils learn these skills with more facility than other do, it would be plausible to argue that the aims of primary education serves as a social mechanism that sort the enormous impact of an individual’s economic fate. In a more abstract perspective, the societal aims for education focus on providing skills and substantive knowledge that enables children to participate in the pursuit of their personal goals. Conversely, aims enable individual pupils to participate in the communal life as autonomous and full-fledged citizens.
The arguments provided in previous sections relate to the societal economic and social progress. However, it would be critical to consider the other primary idea guiding the philosophy of primary education, which includes the provision of a child-centered education. An individual can argue that time separates the two philosophical positions. Shuayb and O’Donnell (2008, p. 24) indicate that the child-centered philosophies were more applicable in the 1960s and the 1970s than they are in modern society. The child-centered philosophies were focusing on whether education could bring social change and equality to the society. In this regard, the ethos of this individualism and equality had a substantial impact on the changing attitudes people had towards students requiring special needs. The impact was also evident on children with different ethnic backgrounds.
Subsequent developments saw the need to emphasize on primary educational aims that were reflecting on the significance of education in generating social change. In addition to this emphasis, the new philosophical viewpoints supported the emphasis on education as a tool for fostering economic improvement. A recognizable alteration in this regard was inclusive of the diminishing of the child-centered educational philosophies. Additionally, the changes saw the standardization of pupil performance in subjects such as literacy, science and numeracy, which were increasingly being prioritized in the primary stage. This trend was particularly apparent in countries such as England and New Zealand (Shuayb and O’Donnell (2008, p. 25).
The survey by Shuayb and O’Donnell looks into the contrasting view of primary educational philosophies in England during the late 1980s and the early 1990s. During this period, the authors indicate that the goals driving primary education in were inclusive of the aspect of vocational objectives. The school system in this country at the time comprised of the incorporation of the child-centered education into the aims of primary education. However, in spite of the call for a return of the basics of education in, holistic education continued to flourish. In this case, the basics of education comprised of science, numeracy and literacy.
In recent years, it is possible to recognize the adoption of a hybrid system that relates to the aims of primary education. The modern society, across the countries surveyed by Shuayb and O’Donnell, focus on the personalization of learning. These countries seem to encapsulate an almost contradictory hybrid of socially and economically motivated philosophies, as well as the child-centered philosophy. In this regard, the current aims of the philosophy of primary education combine a requirement necessary for preparing children for their economic role in the society. This role comprises of the identification of their individual strengths and weaknesses, which are initiatives that support the achievement of predetermined educational targets (Kiss & Euben, 2010, p. 9). Conversely, the countries prepare the children to the fulfillment of their economic role in the society.
Some of the factors taken into consideration cast an individualistic perspective on the philosophical disposition of primary education. However, it would be essential to consider the societal viewpoint. It emerges that in some of the pluralistic societies, which are inclusive of the Western democracies, some groups do not support the development of autonomous individuals. Such people support a broader philosophical sense in education that emphasizes on the social stability of life. Historical issues that raise the debate over primary school educational aims relate to different views about the perfectibility of individuals (White, 2010, p. 32). In this regard, the debate focuses on the transmission of knowledge versus the idea of fostering the ability of individuals to reason and obtain inquiry skills. Such skills are conducive to developing autonomy among the pupils. The question that the aims of education should answer relate to whether the attainment of these skills should be part of the domain of the philosophy of the primary school curriculum (Wilson 2008, p. 86).
The aims of education that meet the needs of individual pupils seek to create, support and promote the societal conditions within which education can realise its potential. The democratic character existing in a society necessitates education as a vital component necessary for embracing diverse traditions, values and the beliefs of the people. For this reason, objectives of education should serve the interests of a variety of partners in education. Conversely, the objectives should support the distinctive character of every pupil. Such considerations are necessary for the fulfilment of the general obligations that determine the rights of a democratic society. Developing the skills and knowledge among individuals is an essential source of wealth since it is a depiction of some of the more traditional forms of capital accumulation. Such an orientation indicates that the social and economic well-being of modern society depends on the central role of education and training. This identification supports the promotion of goal-achievement as a factor influencing the philosophy of primary education.

Conclusion

The aim of the debate relates to the aims of education in modern society. Essential components concerning the aims of education recognize that general educational objectives are sensitive to the needs of individual pupils. A logical outcome necessary for increasing the centrality of educational goals emanates from the consideration of education as a factor that shapes the economic and national organisation of a particular society. The emerging trend of long-life learning also connects to the economic aspect of education. This trend implies that democratic societies should emphasise on the developing objectives that for primary education in order to enhance economic growth. The other factor influencing such an emphasis relates to the improvement of social cohesion. The educational goals should align to the principles of rational learning that are characteristic of the modern society. An individual could argue that educational systems that are devoid of implicit and explicit objectives risk the exposure to extrinsic factors such as industry and ideology. For this reason, it would be vital to develop goals that govern the primary school curriculum, which is a consideration that will take care of the economic and social positions of a democratic society.

References

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