5 essential characteristics of Child Centered Education

Child-centered education is a sort of revolt against subject-centered education. Child-centered Education

seeks to provide natural flow of activity and spontaneous growth of the child. He must be allowed to enjoy
complete freedom of action subject to the condition that he should not interfere with the freedom of others.

The teacher’s role is that of an interested observer and at best that of a guide who encourages, advises and
stimulates the child, if and when needed. The child is stimulated to activity by his own felt needs and inner drives.
Learning takes place as he strives to meet his needs and gives expression to his drives. Here immediate purpose
and interests are the motivating factors, which may go on changing with the situation, Modern education is child-
centered.
The great philosophers and educationalists like Rousseau, Tagore, Froebel, Pestalozzi and Montess or
have given emphasis on the child-centered Education at different times.

Characteristics of Child-Centered Education:

As child is the Centre of Education, development of mind, body and spirit of the child should be reflected
in the programmed and planning of education.

Rousseau advocates that child should be allowed to learn from nature in his natural way without any
interference from the adult, that nothing should be taught to him until he is capable of understanding it, that his
individuality should be respected, that his natural interests like play and curiosity should form the basis of his
education, and that books should be avoided particularly at the early stage and more emphasis should be given
to the child sensory and natural development.

The stress laid by Rousseau on the individuality of the child means that the child should be respected, as
he is with all his abilities, and drawbacks, that in educating him these should be given due consideration and that
all children cannot therefore be treated alike. So child should be treated as the center of education.

The following points need be considered for promoting child-centered education.

(i) Freedom:
Pestalozzi added a new dimension to educational thought and practice by insisting that education was not
the privilege of any single class but the right of every child belonging to different classes.
Freedom was granted to the child to discover things than getting secondhand information through books.
Emphasis was as they like given on the freedom of children to learn and create.

(ii) Self-activities:
Froebel developed plays, games and songs and occupations, designed especially to stimulate the child’s
self-activity. He laid great stress on self- development of the child and child’s activity should stem from his own
interests.

(iii) Process of spontaneous development:

The child progresses at its own speed in a subject. The role of the teacher is to understand the child. The
child’s freedom and individuality have found expression spontaneously in the lap of nature.

(iv) Development of interest and needs:

The education of child depends on his interest and needs. The physical, social, moral and spiritual
development of the child is “the main objective of the child-centered Education.

(v) Education-based on experience:

The main objective of child centered Education is to enable the child to learn through experience which is
permanent. The course and subjects should be experience- oriented to meet the need of the child.

Conclusion:
Child is the center of the whole education process. The great philosophers at different times emphasized
on it. The role of teacher is like a guide and observer to provide complete freedom to the child to grow naturally.
Child-centered Education is the ideal system to manifest the latent talent of the child. In this process education is
not an extra venous imposition but natural stimulation for development of the child.

On what points should the life-centered curriculum give emphasis

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The life-centered curriculum should give emphasis on the following points:

(i) Child-centered education,
(ii) Community-centered education,
(iii) Preservation, promotion and transmission of culture,
(iv) Teaching of science should be emphasized to make the child creative,
(v) Emphasis must be given on the integrated growth of personality.

Short essay on the concept of child-centered education

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Child at the Centre- stage:

The concept of child-centered education implies that the child occupies the central place in the
educational process. The old concept of education emphasized the importance of the teacher who always
remained at the giving end. The modern concept of education gives the pride of place to the child and places him
at the centre-stage.

Capacities, Needs and Interests of Child:

As noted above, in child-centered education, the child is the centre of activity. This means, all
programmes are geared to his requirements. In the Dictionary of Education, Prof. P.M. Lohithakshan elaborates
the concept of child-centered education by saying that in this type of education “educational activities are
designed and implemented on the basis of the capacities, needs and interests of children. Curricula, teaching
methods, evaluation, co-curricular activities, etc. are all planned accordingly.”
In the words of Prof. G.L. Arora, “Child-centered education means that for the organisation of different
processes of education, child’s point of view-his needs, interests and aptitudes should get precedence over the
teacher’s, curriculum developer’s or evaluator’s point of view.”

Educational programmes meaningful to Children.

In child-centered education, educational programmes make learning more interesting and meaningful to children.

Children-active participants
In child-centered education, children become active participants in the teaching-learning process. “They
receive ample opportunities for active learning, social interaction, problem solving and creative work in the
classroom”, says Prof. Lohithakshan.

Caters for individual differences

Child-centered education caters for individual differences. Psychology and experience tells us that
children differ in their innate capacities. So, child-centered education compels the teacher to plan his educational
methods to suit individual differences. This means, a teacher cannot employ a particular method without taking
into consideration the needs and requirements of children.

Child’s balanced development

Child-centered education leads to balanced development of the child’s potentialities and his personality.
This results from satisfaction of basic needs of children.

Summing up:
To sum up, the concept of child-centered education is “based on the assumption that individual’s life is
self-contained and self- sufficient .That the individual is the end and not the means. According to this view, social
institutions exist only to make the individual life better, richer and happier.” Child-centered education fulfils this
mission.

10 essential Characteristics of child-centered education

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In the light of what has been said above, the following may be regarded as the characteristics of child-centered
education.

1. Dignity of the Child.

The spirit of child-centered education upholds the dignity of the child in the academic and social fabric.
Such a system of education gives due respect to the individuality of the child.

2. No Discrimination.
Child-centered education is above caste, creed, sex and economic and social background of the child.
There is no place for discrimination of any kind in child-centered education.
3. Education-
The Fundamental Right. Child-centered education regards education as the fundamental right of every
child. Every child is educable, no matter whatever is his social and economic background.

4. Curriculum, Syllabi, Teaching.

In child-centered education, curriculum, syllabi and teaching are organised in accordance with the needs
and interests of children.

5. All-round Development of Child.

Child-centered education aims at total, all-round development of children. So, teaching styles and
techniques should be geared to the well being of the child which leads to his cognitive, affective and conative
development.

6. Positive Discipline.
Child-centered education aims at positive discipline. While enforcing rules of discipline, child’s dignity and
individuality must be respected. The modes of punishment should not violate the basic human values.
Teachers who indulge in such inhuman acts of punishment must be brought to the door of justice. Child-
centered education condemns such misbehaviour on the part of inhuman teachers.

7. Continuous Evaluation.
Under child-centered system of education, the evaluation procedures should be continuous and remedial.
Child’s deficiencies are identified and remedial measures are instituted in progressive manner.

8. Helping Every Child to Acquire Minimum Level of Learning.

In child-centered system of education, teachers are more inclined to help children actualize their potential.
In the words of G.L. Arora, “A teacher making use of child-centered approach ensures that each and every child
acquires the minimum level of competencies in all the subjects.”

9. Not Soft-Pedagogy.
Child-centered approach is not ‘soft- pedagogy’. It is creating a child-centered ethos in the school under
which child’s right to education must be recognized. He should be helped to nurture and realize his creative
potential.
10. Child-
the Nucleus. In child-centered approach to education, j it is child who is the nucleus of the whole system.
It is child who is to be educated. The teacher and all other agencies of education are really means to educate the
child.

11. The Teacher is Important Too.

The child-centered approach to education in no way minimizes the importance of the teacher. In a way,
the teacher’s importance is enhanced, and his functions become varied and complex. He has to study the child
psychologically and has to adopt his methods of teaching to suit individual differences. In spite of transmitting
knowledge alone, his function now is to develop the entire personality of the child.

Summing Up:
We may sum-up the status of child-centered approach to education in the words of Dr. G.L. Arora:
“A massive programme of human resource development for school teachers will have to be mounted to equip
them for creative and imaginative transaction of curriculum. More particularly, an attempt should be made during
these programmes to develop skills and competencies among teachers for:
(i) Creation of child-centered ethos in the school;
(ii) Nurturing creative potential of child;
(iii) Development of appropriate syllabus and text-books; and
(iv) Showing respect for the child’s rights

What are the Chief Characteristics of Child-Centeredness?

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The role of education is to modify the behavior of a child. Child is the central focus in this system. Without
child, the entire educational system is meaningless. Therefore, modern educations give importance to child-
centered curriculum.
The programmes of education must be as per the requirement of a child. In this system child’s interest,
need, capacity, abilities, aptitudes, etc. are to be taken priority at the time of preparing curriculum. It gives less
importance to subject and teacher-centeredness in education.

The Chief Characteristics of Child-Centeredness are-

 (i) The child is the centre of education.
(ii) The teacher require to know or understand the child than subjects.
(iii) Children are given freedom to read newspapers, reference books.
(iv) They should allow to go on excursion and use instructional materials available in the school.
(v) Flexible curriculum provides opportunity to the child for free participation.
(vi) Child-centered curriculum gives much attention on social interaction.
(vii) Child-centered curriculum is related to life of the child.
(viii) Children develop their interest and develop accordingly.
(ix) Child’s ability, interest, capacity, aptitude and intelligence are taken into consideration.
(x) Child-centered education facilitates learning.
The child-centered education implies that the child occupies the central place in the educational process.
Education gives more importance to child than teacher. The child has the potentialities. The teacher is there to
develop the potentiality-creating situation. Rousseau, Montessori and Gandhi gave emphasis on child and
developed child-centered curriculum in different forms.

Advantages of Child-Centered Curriculum:

(i) It gives emphasis on interest on problem of the child than subject matter.
(ii) It gives importance on experience before expression. The teaching and learning is in the form of direct
interaction.
(iii) Learning by doing is given importance. The child learns through active participation, which is based on learning
by doing.
(iv) The child learns to apply the learned knowledge in its day-to-day life.
(v) The teacher is guide not instructor.
(vi) All educational activities should be learnt through play activities.
(vii) Maximum freedom is provided to the children for free expression.
(viii) Children are trained to be self-disciplined.
(ix) The teacher stimulates the child with praise and blame.
Therefore, child-centered curriculum is treated as a suitable educational structure for the child.

Essay on the Role of the Teachers for Special Child of Gifted and Talented
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We, as a teacher should provide them extra work where they could use their both convergent and divergent
thinking. Such kind of students may have superiority complex in themselves. These feeling may arise some
emotional problems. Teacher should understand these emotional problems and then try to solve them.
Sometimes these gifted and talented students may be criticized in the group. Teacher should solve this problem
by giving them group activities so these special children could not make poor self-concept. Role of the teacher for
special child with socially disadvantages: As we know that economic poverty can still be a constraint in the
educational development of educationally backward sections of Indian society.
Their parent’s motivation towards education. They have low self concept and inadequate mutational
facilities and the low expectations by the teacher. We, as a teacher would develop an awakening in them towards
education and motivate them.
We, as a teacher should present acceptance and recognition; teacher should understand their problems
and then try to solve them so that eye could study at a level with normal children.
Role of the teacher for special children from the deprived sections of e society (SC, ST). These children
think that education is not for them and ear upward mobility is not possible so they drop out of school. We, as a
teacher should fill the feeling in them that education is for them. We should provide them special facilities.
We should motivate them toward education; he students of Scheduled Tribes may use local dialects for
communication. We, as a teacher should provide and ensure a non-discriminatory attitude and environment in class
and school. We as a teacher should become responsible or the developmental activities both educational and
social in the tribal areas.
We as a teacher should have a major role in motivating parents and the community for sending their children
to school and they should be informed them time to time about special schemes for them.
Thus teacher can lot to bring these special children psychologically at a level with normal children. It is the
main responsibility of us, as a teacher to understand their special needs and problems and then we should try to
solve them so that these special children could take part in teaching learning process whole heartedly and aim
fully.