Universal education relates to a system where every child is given an opportunity to learn irrespective of the seeming capabilities of the said child based on set standards. In many cases, the standards for education are preset then children tested to see if they can attain these standards. The capacity to match the standards then becomes the determinant of whether or not the child is to have a formal education. A careful analysis of educational systems has, however, proven this system as faulty based on the fact that many capable children are left behind simply because they could not attain the right standard. Friedrich Wilhelm August Froebel was a victim of such circumstances when he was pulled out of school and into a mundane institution meant for girls as the set systems considered him a failure. The label of failure would then follow him almost throughout his life. In his early fifties, however, Froebel was to discover a philosophy developed by John Amos Comenius relating to universal education. This philosophy can be reduced to the understanding that all children deserve a chance thus if the system disqualifies a child, do not get rid of the child, instead, change the system itself.
Quote Identified
"Eureka! I have it! Kindergarten shall be the name of the new Institution.” (P. 82)
Professional Meaning of the Quote
Froebel discovered many things in his life relating to the education of little children, yet he only uses the celebrated world “ Eureka ” when he speaks about the name of the school. This quote , therefore, places major emphasis on the name “kindergarten” in outlining the general concept of the kind of school Froebel had in mind. A garden is mainly made up of dirt just like any other piece of ground. What makes the difference between a garden and any other piece of land is the plants that have been planted in the garden. It would thus be accurate to state that it is never about the garden itself but rather the plants that have been planted in the garden. By extension, it means that school exists for the children and the children within the school are its focal point. Nothing should be given precedence above the children themselves, not even the curriculum. Secondly, a garden can have different kinds of crops growing within it, and with good husbandry, all these crops can thrive together. In this regard, the kindergarten can have a future mathematician, a slow learner, a quick learner and a future technician all thriving together, as long as the gardener, who is the teacher is handling them properly. These two are among the many positive deductions from the seemingly mundane Froebel quote above.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Contribution to the Profession
Among the many contributions by Froebel to the teaching of young children, the concept of self-teaching clearly stands out. This is the concept that the best teacher to the children at a tender age is the children themselves. Instead of seeking to implant information in the minds of the little children, the instructors, according to Froebel ought to provide a learning environment where the children can interact with nature and learn from it.
Meaning of the Contribution
The philosophy developed and put into practice by Froebel follows the concept used in modern day learning for children that what they hear, they forget, what they see, they remember, and what they do, they understand. This concept of learning that is only now being empathized upon had already been practiced with great success over two centuries ago by Froebel and with remarkable success. Implementing it fully as part of the modern curriculum would not only help the children learn more efficiently but also enable those children who are considered as below average to have learning opportunities that are at par with those children who are considered as average by the system.
Issue Identified
Froebel spent most of his life researching on the education of little children and even conducted experimental teaching to correct a wrong that had been visited upon him. Upon the death of his mother and remarrying of his father, Froebel was neglected and frustrated which in turn resulted in poor grades in school. This resulted to in him dropping to the bottom of his class and eventually being kicked out of his school. The issue identified herein is that the capability and intelligence of Froebel were judged based on his grades in general and specifically how this grades compared with those of his peers. The secondary factors affecting these grades including his family plight were, however, not put into consideration.
Professional Meaning of the Issue
Contemporary early education systems including the celebrated Early Learning and Child Care Program are sometimes all about numbers. Prominent within them are two sets of numbers the first being age and the second scores. There is an underlying belief at a certain age ; this child should be at a certain level and at par with the child’s peers who are also at the same level. These systems do not take into consideration the individual circumstances of children which has a major impact on their cognitive and empirical development. The environment within which a child grows up is a major bearing factor in cognitive and empirical development. In turn, this development affects the capabilities of a child to learn in and out of school. All the children who are of a similar age will be considered as the same and treated similarly by the system. This will result in some children being considered as more intelligent than others, a mark that they will actively or passively carry with them in their future education. This is a serious issue that is reflected in the history of Froebel and ought to be handled in modern early-childhood education.
