Importance – Then and Now
मातृ देवो भव।
पितृ देवो भव।
आचार्य देवो भव।
अतिथि देवो भव॥
In ancient India, knowledge was given utmost importance and the person imparting it, given God’s place, right after one’s parents. The education system was very robust and started pretty early in a child’s life. Through the passage of time, though the methods have evolved from Gurukuls to Schools, the importance has only increased.
Even though the formal education starts from Grade 1, kids start schooling from as early as 2 years. The period of 2 – 5 years is considered as a preparatory phase for the next levels of education. An early start gives the child a feel of the coming years, helps socialize with other children.
The new generation are not only given bookish knowledge, but there exists a drift towards creating a social awareness among the kids. They are taught about the environment, country as well as the festivals celebrated throughout the year.
Methods
Broadly, three methods are adopted for early education:
1. Kindergarten
Kindergarten from German, which literally means “garden for the children” is a preschool educational approach traditionally based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school.
2. Montessori
Montessori education is an educational approach developed by Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori based on her extensive research with “phrenasthenic” (mentally challenged) children and characterized by an emphasis on independence, freedom within limits, and respect for a child’s natural psychological, physical, and social development.
3. Homeschooling
Homeschooling, also known as home education, is the education of children inside the home. Home education is usually conducted by a parent or tutor. Many families that start out with a formal school structure at home often switch to less formal ways of imparting education outside of school.
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The homeschooling method of teaching has very limited presence in India (though the numbers are gradually increasing). So, the parents are actually left with only two choices – Kindergarten and Montessori. Kindergarten is the widely adapted method in top schools and accustoms the child to mode of teaching in higher classes.
Holistic development and child-centric teaching methods of Montessori are definitely appreciated and well received. Allowing the child to discover things by herself definitely boosts self-esteem and confidence. After initial 3 years, the child must adapt to the traditional method of education. OR the child MUST be taught in the same method for 10 years. A change in-between will make the transition very ruffled.
The method of early education plays an immense role in shaping the personality and thinking of the child. Every parent should be cautious in choosing the right method to place the young minds on the best suited path to knowledge.
Further Reading:
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-Montessori-and-kindergarten-school
http://ageofmontessori.org/ten-big-differences-between-montessori-and-traditional-education/
http://www.differencebetween.info/difference-between-kindergarten-and-montessori
http://www.stepbystepmontessori.com/Compare-Montessori-and-Traditional-Preschool
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/7317/montessori-versus-kindergarten.html
http://www.ourkids.net/preschool-vs-montessori.php
http://www.meritresearchjournals.org/er/content/2013/December/Tahir%20et%20al.pdf
http://montessorimischief.com/montessori_vs_traditional/
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Madhu S. Sastry
Madhu has been with Mauverick for 5 years. She currently heads the technical documentation vertical.
Madhu has over 12+ years of experience in development and technical writing. She was earlier a part of Accenture and has worked on Unix shell scripting, Core Java and J2EE technologies with domain expertise in telecom and Cyber security.
