Holistic Education

Holistic education is coming along to revitalise learning and education. One of its fundamental concepts is that of wholeness . A person is regarded as a whole : having a multi-dimensional personality consisting of emotional, social, intellectual, physical and aesthetic aspects. A holistically-educated person is one who has cultivated a harmonious balance among these aspects. Striking this balance requires investment in human relationships, multisensory learning, exploration and connectedness to the entire world all of which are pillars of holistic education.

If you would like your children to grow up to be smart, emotionally intelligent, creative, confident, resilient, well-rounded and happy people bursting with passion, here are five things holistic education suggests you do:

1) Teach your children human values such as respect, love, empathy and compassion. These values are vital for them to nurture healthy and loving relationships with the people within their social circles. This will then pave the way for their emotional stability and resilience.

2) Give them reasons for what they do and get them to ask why things are the way they are. This will allow their intelligence to flourish. Their thinking and reasoning will improve. They will be able to connect concepts and ideas and put any scattered knowledge together.

3) Encourage them to participate in pastimes such as playing musical instruments, sports, dancing, reading, creative writing, scientific forums, language camps, outdoor activities, etc. As a result, their self-awareness will increase and they will discover their passions and abilities. The latter is essential for them to build up their confidence which will follow them for life and be the key to their success.

4) Persuade them to physically engage with the world as much as possible through activities, projects, excursions, volunteering and travelling, to name just a few. Experiences are crucial for the knowledge they acquire at school to be complete. Learning should be a multisensory process. The more diversified their undertakings are, the more enriched the knowledge they obtain and the more creative they become.

5) Motivate them to foster strong bonds with nature and with people around them. Everything is interconnected and interrelated in our society. Every action of every individual ripples throughout the entire planet. Realising this will improve their understanding of the world and allow them to appreciate its magnificent diversity and beauty. This will subsequently add meaning to their lives and instil into them a reverence for life and a thirsting for learning. Self-motivation will spring out of them like a blooming flower.

Holistic education teaches us to value children s consciousness, freedom of expression and freedom of choice. It prompts us to not simply teach young people what to learn, but also how to learn. We, their mentors, educators and parents, should be providing them with the tools to navigate the world in the way they desire and all we have to do is love them unconditionally and support them in their life journeys. They should be the ones who create themselves. Only then they will be the kings and queens of their choices the only path towards their happiness.