Competing Models of Early Years&Key Stage: Philosophical Views - Essay Example

THE ROOTS OF COMPETING MODELS OF EARLY YEARS/ KEY STAGE 1 PROVISION Name Institution Professor Course Date Part A: Trace the roots of competing models of Early Years/ Key Stage 1 provision back to different philosophical views of childhood and how children learn. Introduction The early years of a child are very important. The basis of a child’s life is established in the first years of his/her life where weak foundations hold detrimental and permanent effects in a child’s long-term development. A child’s prospective attainment, happiness, resilience, wellbeing and choices are intensely influenced by the quality of care, love and the guidance they get during their early years. Quality first year’s provision hold a huge effect on a child’s long-term upshots. A child’s experiences in his/her first years influence his/her upshots in his/her life across diverse areas from social behaviour and health to educational and employment achievements. This essay highlights the roots of competing models of Early Years and Key Stage 1 provision based on the views of different philosophers. The essay also assesses how close modern models provision match philosophical views on childhood and how children learn. The Roots of Competing Models of Early Years/ Key Stage 1 Provision A child benefits when he/she receives consistent presence and support of caring adults, parents and care givers from the earliest probable age. A child is viewed as imperfect and immature by philosophers from ancient to contemporary times. Aristotle viewed as child as an immature specimen which, by temperament hold the ability to grow into a mature specimen with the function, form and structure of a standard or normal adult. Aristotle viewed children as property of their parents. John Locke, on the other hand, considered a child as inherently neither good nor bad but instead as tabula rasa or a blank slate. In this regard, a child can be shaped by all forms of experiences in the course of his/her life (Desai 201, p.11). According to Locke, the authority that parents hold over their children comes from duty, which is present on them to take care of their children in the course of the imperfect childhood state. According to Freud, a child is the voice of neurosis. Freud claimed that adulthood is a successful resolution of childhood psychosexual stages (Desai 201, p.11). Rousseau claimed that if a child is left to discover things for him/herself and be educated with respect to the natural recounting of his/her character, the child would do well. A child should be treated as a child because children hold their own ways of feeling, thinking and seeing. Adults should allow children to become their own masters (Naftali 2014, p.7) Child development and human competence entails an age function. Piaget and Erikson categorised childhood development as a linear and orderly progress from incompetence to competence (Desai 201, p.11). A child transforms from an immature being to mature adult; irrational to rational conducts; simple to complex and dependent people to autonomous adults. As a result, children are immature beings in developments and training state for competent adulthood. Children hold human agency in the sense that they are not considered as contributing to the attainment of results or a purpose (Desai 201, p.11). Understanding how a child develops assist teachers and parents to meet the difficulties of educating and rearing children. Aristotle and Plato deemed long-term societal welfare as being dependents on proper rising of children. However, Plato stressed on discipline and self-control while Aristotle stressed on fitting children rearing to individual child’s needs. Plato maintained that a child is born with knowledge while Aristotle maintained that children get knowledge from their life experiences and in social contexts. The significance of early years to a child’s lives is beyond question. A good starting to life is acknowledged as the basis for prospective development, wellbeing and heath in early years as well as throughout life. Based on diverse views of different philosophers, how children learn or the contents that they should learn are shaped and informed by their social environment. As a result, early education pioneers developed practice based in personal theories and philosophies. According to Rousseau, good education includes exact physical activities and close link with the natural world. Rousseau maintains that children learn through being allowed to explore the world to find answers (Stremba and Bisson 2009, p.113). Enlightenment and classical philosophers claim that child learning and development take place between the child and the environment. As a result, idea education exists in a social context. Given that Locke view a child’s mind as a blank slate that can be written by adults, children learning comes from external sources such as teachers, parents who pass on their understanding in some kind of direct teaching (Krogh & Slentz 2001, p.42). However, Rousseau claimed that children are inherently good and are preprogrammed for development. Therefore according to Rousseau writing and reading takes place when a child is ready and interested to learn but not when pushed to learn. Part B: How close do any of our modern models of provision match these philosophical ideals? John Locke subscribes to the belief that, education is what makes a man and is used to determine whether someone turns out to be good or bad in life. Education plays a major role in shaping the behaviors of a child in what Locke considers whether a child turns as a good or a bad person. The belief in associationism of one’s childhood education to have a lasting effect on shaping the individual the child later becomes in life is in line with the modern models provision of education. The interactions that students have with various subjects in schools are the ones that later on shape the career paths that the learner later becomes in life. In reference to John Locke, the external influences that determine the child’s learning such as teachers, parents, and resources that help children in school is in line with modern models of provision of education with Locke’s philosophical ideas. The interaction of the learner with teachers and students from diverse background makes it possible for the student to learn not only what he or she is taught in class, but also what other students have to offer. Modern pedagogy models view the learner as an individual being capable of developing in his or her own. This is clearly evident in the way, schools shifted from the traditional method of teaching where the learning was teacher centred to modern method of learning where the method of learning is student centred (Nielsen 2014, p. 197). This arguments Rousseau philosophical ideas that; children should be left to discover concepts, ideas and develop on their own further strongly supporting or showing the close relationship that modern models of provision share with proponents like Rousseau. In this regard of child discovery, through modern models of provision, there is the introduction of group work in schools, online discussion, group assignment among others instead of the teacher guided approach and this encourages self discovery and students becoming self directed (Nielsen 2014, p. 199). Plato’s philosophical ideas of education included a holistic approach to education, that is education that natured both the physical, spiritual and also encouraged mental development (Brooke & Frazer 2013, p. 88). His ideas are almost in sync with modern models of provision in that, nowadays, schools emphasises the physical development, mental and spiritual development, otherwise termed as an all round development of the learner. There are extracurricular activities for instance sports and music festivals, mental development through counselling and also, spiritual development through the schools upholding the religious backgrounds of the students. Also, by introducing subjects related to learner’s religious backgrounds and which learners are free to choose. In reference to Plato, he believed that education should be made available to all children, at least, the primary education cementing his belief on the equality of both boy’s and girl’s education and also the belief that, children go through the same stages of education in life. Aristotle also believed in learning through stages (Adeyinka n.d., p. 6). A practice which is commonly observed in schools through the way students of the same age are put together in the same class. He also believed that tests were an important element at various stages of a learner’s education in order to determine whether the learner was ready to advance to the next stage which is in line with modern models provision of learning. Plato is in agreement to a large extent with Piaget and Erikson that childhood development is a process of linear and that is orderly until a learner moves from being incompetent to competent (Desai 201, p.11). Schools administer tests also to evaluate whether a learner should advance to the next stage. However, it is also paramount to note that, teachers also give out tests to evaluate whether the learner has grasped the concepts being taught in a particular topic (Soled 1995, p. 3). This is in contrast to what Plato initially thought tests were to achieve. One of the major philosophies that Aristotle held is that, education should be the affair and the responsibility of the government. This philosophy is close to modern models of provision where in most countries there are schools which are owned and provided for by the government. In such cases, it is the government responsibility to cater for the schools to the extent of some offering free education. He is therefore credited with being one of the earliest proponents of the state controlling education (Adeyinka n.d., p. 6). Conclusion In conclusion, modern models provision of education has close ties with the philosophies of early proponents like Aristotle, Rousseau, Locke and Plato. Not only are these proponents considered as contributing to the modern models of provision, but building blocks upon which modern models are laid on. The modern models provision of education has very close ties and links to the philosophies of Aristotle, Plato, Rousseau and Locke among others as this discussion has demonstrated. References Adeyinka, A. A. n.d. The Educational Theories of Plato and Aristotle: Their Relevance to Educational Policy and Practice in Africa Today. Retrieved from, https://www.unilorin.edu.ng/journals/education/nijef/march_1992/THE_EDUCATIONAL_THEORIES_OF_PLATO_AND_ARISTOTLE_THEIR_RELEVANCE_TO_EDUCATIONAL_POLICY_AND_PRACTICE_IN_AFRICA_TODAY.pdf, on 6th January, 2015. Brooke, C. & Frazer, E 2013, Ideas of Education: Philosophy and Politics from Plato to Dewey. New York, Routledge. Desai, M 2010. 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