ESSENTIALISM IN EDUCATION
This approach assumes that we all have common and essential characteristics that are inherited from our forefathers and culture. Essentialism is a belief which states that common essential knowledge, skills and ideas belonging to a certain culture should be taught to all citizen at the same level especially in primary level. People living in a same culture have many things in common like communication ways, way of dressing and the way of getting knowledge which they practice in that culture. It ensures to teach students the traditional disciplined knowledge to be passed from teachers to students. Essentialism believes that all the students in a culture are taught basic ideas and skills that have been taught there for long period of time. Essentialists believe that common knowledge and skills must be transmitted to people of that culture to have same thoughts and beliefs which is good for a society. It is a conservative stance that urges to teach students the knowledge of society and the culture through a common core curriculum.
Benifits
Essentialism may have many good impacts on students. It is helpful to instill students toward the goal and prevents the distraction as essentialism promotes to provide the common core knowledge for all. In an essentialist classroom all students are taught same core curriculum and there is not any discrimination among students they all learn, gain and grow equally. Effective teaching cannot take place in a disorganized class, it is very necessary to make an effective teaching because it helps to create an organized atmosphere in a class. In a class the teacher act as leader who acts to take all essentials, sets the tone off class and makes an organized atmosphere. Disciplined and punctuality is necessary to groom up the personality and become successful person, all students are bound to the rules and regulations which helps them to be disciplined and punctual not only in classroom but also in every field of life. In an essentialist’s class curriculum is designed having traditional and basic knowledge according to a culture and students are taught the same things which their parents want and they are always happy with this belief. A student can become a good person of that culture because he is taught according to the society needs. He will behave and act as the whole society because he is taught the same traditional and cultural behavior and the common core knowledge as all, there will nothing be new or strange which would be strange or difficult for the society to digest.
Criticism
Criticism in Educational essentialism is that it does not give importance to co curriculum activities as it has big impact on a student’s carrier especially in this modern era where sports and other co curriculum activities are valued internationally and would be perceived as a carrier for life time. The time and trends have changed. However Education is very important for everyone and everyone should get education but it is not important for everyone to perceive education as carrier, now many other fields are there which are not going to be a bad choice for carrier and by perceiving them one can be more successful in terms of finance and can serve the society well. Every is born with innate abilities, some are good at sports, some are good at learning fast and all have different specialties which are recognized with the passage of time when they get chance to have such activities related to their interest and natural abilities. Essentialist bound the students and they are allowed to get limited the knowledge which is taught by the system therefore it does not help students to recognize their interests. If a student a good in music and has good sense of it is hard for him to work learn and work according to his own interest It is a big draw back in educational essentialism.
Solution
Drawbacks of essentialism can be reduced by ringing some changes in a system. The co curriculum activities should be the part of system and these activities and get students participated in these activities so teachers would come to know the interest and abilities of students. Teachers should find such ways through which they can create a friendly environment in class which will help students to learn more. Activities which improve communication, writing and health should be promoted. Traditional way of treating students like punishment must be abolished and a friendly environment should be created because a good bond between a student and a teacher cause learning and give more outcome in efficiency of a student’s capabilities. In a nutshell, essentialism is somehow important to traditional common knowledge and to instill a student towards a goal until it does not hide the innate and natural abilities of a student. Minor changes in an educational institution must be taken to prevent the drawbacks too.
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#Essentialism in Education
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