Philosophy of Education

Aims of Education

• Education should produce knowledgeable individuals with practical skills, rather than just theoretical knowledge
• Focus on practical education, such as mathematics, sciences, and business studies, to provide necessary skills for a secure and happy life

Curriculum

• Organized according to subject matter, covering the whole spectrum of culture
• Includes both arts and science subjects, as knowledge of the natural world is essential for adjusting to and progressing in the environment
• Core curriculum contains essential truths, with an incremental approach

Methods of Teaching

• Teaching from simple to complex, and from concrete to abstract
• Using practical examples before rules and words
• Encouraging learners to analyze issues, and using their home language as the medium of instruction
• Repetition is necessary for retention, but rote-learning is discouraged
• Emphasis on questioning and understanding, with positive rewards for good behavior
• Critical reasoning through observation, experimentation, and demonstration
• Mastery of facts through recitation, drills, and exercises
• Consideration of learners' background, and promoting learning through direct and indirect experience

Role of the Teacher

• Source of knowledge and wisdom, but remaining impersonal and objective
• Friendly and approachable, with a role model and motivator
• Exposing learners to problems of life and the world, and guiding them towards hard realities
• Should be educated, and teach one subject at a time
• Using straightforward methods of teaching, and defining simple rules for learners
• Finding children's interests and teaching accordingly

Role of the Learner

• Children are seen as tabula rasa, or blank slates, with their own interests, feelings, and desires
• Children are important factors in the learning process, and learn through reasoning and the laws of learning (stimulus response theory)

Discipline

• Teachers should be skillful and sympathetic in treating children, and maintain discipline by rewarding efforts and achievements
• Teachers should be strict but not rigid, and corporal punishment is discouraged

Merits of Realism

• Using the five senses in teaching to encourage learning
• Holding enlightened and progressive views on discipline
• Moving from simple to complex knowledge

Demerits of Realism

• Excessive stress on practical education may be undesirable, and may lead to a neglect of humanities
• Stress on sciences may be at the expense of humanities, and the conception of education as preparatory for adult life may be inconsistent