Education and Development
Education should not merely focus on impacting knowledge to the individual it should also strive to provide the students with a platform for character development. Character development is guaranteed through social and emotional education that can be integrated in the learning curriculum of schools (Gutek, 2010). Character development involves helping students to develop a better sense of self thus are in control of their emotions during their academic as well as career and future life. Character development helps individuals to communicate better and thus is able to handle stressful situations without excessive tension or sue of violence (Matula, 2004).
Character development involves development of skills that help students to identify, define and live in accordance to the generally acceptable core principles in the society. In the end the students will live as per the expected norms in the society and participate in the interdependence world. Effective and fruitful education thus does not merely focus on providing students about facts of life and the society; it also entails character and emotional development (Matula, 2004).
Social emotional learning is thus significant as it enables students to develop and sharpen skills essential in the management of emotions, peaceful conflict resolutions and responsible decision making. These skills are essential of success and survival in the world once the individual is done with education and joins the competitive world.
Significance of Emotional and character education
Confucius philosophy on education states that it should involve training and observance of the “li’ (Gutek, 2010). These are the rules of proper conduct and behavior within the framework of hierarchical human relationships. This is to say that the education curriculum should focus on not only giving intellectual knowledge but also social development. With social development students will be able to create and maintain positive relationships in the society. They will also efficiently correspond with others in the society thus effective management of different situations in the society.
Emotional and character education is significant in the education curriculum of students as it reduces the occurrence of violence and aggression in children. When faced with a conflict situation, the children exposed to emotional and character education will think of peaceful ways to solve the issue rather than confrontation. Emotional and character education also helps the students to focus on higher academic achievement striving for excellent performance to be better individuals in the society (Matula, 2004).
This form of education helps students understand that everyone is different, culturally, religiously and socially. by having a clear understanding of these difference the students learn to accepts each others. This enables then to interact, live and learn with people from different geographical and cultural backgrounds thus forming strong human relationships.
In conclusion, there is indeed room in 21st century education curriculum to teach appropriate and acceptable behavior. This should be integrated into other lessons and disciplines that the students will encounter. In the process of learning the facts of subject like history, they will able to also cover areas such as responsible citizenship and how to uphold law and order in the society (Matula, 2004). The students will thus acquire knowledge on emotional and character development while at the same time getting intellectual and factual knowledge.
Implementation of character and emotional development program in the educational curriculum will involve the establishment of an environment of trust and respect. This will enable the students to strive to work as one to attain common goals of academic achievement (Gutek, 2010). Implementation of character and emotional program also begins with the integration of empathy in education. This is instilling in the students the ability not look at a scenario /issue from different views. In education it enhances communications as it enables the students to think first before they act.
Reference
Gutek, G. (2010). Historical and philosophical foundations of education.
Matula, L. (2004). Character education and social-emotional learning. Why we must
teach the whole child. Retrieved from
http://www.projectwisdom.com/ERS/Reproducibles/CE_SEL.pdf
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