Philosophy of Education

Study Notes

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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