What do you think should be the purpose of primary education? - Hollie Monks

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This post will outline what I believe to be the purpose of education and what my pedagogical beliefs are. Pedagogy can be defined as “the method and practice of teaching, especially as an academic subject or theoretical concept” (Stevenson, 2010, p.1309) but Donaldson (2015, p.63) argues that pedagogy is much more than the practise and method used while teaching, he believes that “pedagogy is about more than ‘teaching’ in the narrow sense of methods used in the classroom. It represents the considered selection of those methods in light of the purposes of the curriculum and the needs and developmental stage of the children and young people.”

I believe that education is the development of skills and spiritual growth within primary schools and that it should be prioritised, Dewy’s (1983) concept of what primary education is agrees with this idea as he also believes that children should grow upon their personal growth and skills for them to be able to transform themselves and expand on their knowledge within school: “the process of growth and improvement and progress, rather than static out-come and result becomes the significant thing. Not health as an end fixed once and for all, but the needed improvement in health—a continual process—is the end and good. The end is no longer a terminus or limit to be reached. It is the active process of transforming the existent situation. Not perfection as a final goal, but the ever-enduring process of perfecting, maturing, refining is the aim in living.” (Dewey and Ross, 1983, p.181)

                                     

However, I also agree with Rousseau (1762, p.126) who believes that education is the development of creative thinkers and autonomous, he say's “teach your scholar to observe the phenomena of nature; you will soon rouse his curiosity, but if you would have it grow, do not be in too great a hurry to satisfy this curiosity. Put the problems before him and let him solve them himself. Let him know nothing because you have told him, but because he has learnt it for himself.” I believe that education should be applicable to the students as it will help them to develop upon their creativity and knowledge. Faire (1996, p. 65) says that “problem posing education bases itself on creativity and stimulates true reflection and action upon reality, thereby responding to the vocation of persons as beings who are authentic only when engaged in enquiry and creative transformation. “This relates to the Donaldson report (2015, p.29) as he is implementing ‘creative contributors who connect and apply their knowledge and skills to create ideas and products’, I believe that this element should be carried out as it will able children to learn ‘co-construction between and with children frequently involving real-life contexts for learning’ (Craft et al. 2014, p.22)

                                                   

Overall my pedagogical beliefs are that children should be taught in a creative way so that they enjoy what they are doing in school while building upon their skills, creativeness and spiritual growth. Freire (1985, p.79) said that “teaching kids to read and write should be an artistic event. Instead, many teachers transform these experiences, into something without emotions, without invention, without creativity-but with repetition. Many teachers work bureaucratically when they should work artistically. “I agree with this statement and also believe that using creative pedagogy will allow children to make progress in different learning areas subconsciously and will encourage them to want to learn more in different creative ways.

References

•       Stevenson, A. (Ed.). (2010). Oxford dictionary of English. Oxford University Press, USA.

•       Donaldson, G. (2015). Successful futures: Independent review of curriculum and assessment arrangements in Wales. Welsh Government.

•       Dewey, J. & Ross, R. G. (1983). The Middle Works, 1899-1924: 1921-1922 (Vol. 13). SIU press.

•       Freire, Paulo. (1996). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Penguin. London

•       Craft, A. Cremin, T. Hay, P & Clack, J. (2014). Creative primary schools: developing and maintaining pedagogy for creativity. Ethnography and Education, 9(1), 16-34.

•       Freire, P. (1985) The Politics of Education. Macmillan, London.