Thecla Pereira
School is more than just a place where children go to study. Rather, it is a place where a child lives for almost half of his waking hours during 12 formative years of his childhood. The entire child body, mind, heart and soul is immersed in the school environment and is dynamically interacting, influencing, and being influenced by its various aspects.
Hence, when we call for a child or learner-centric education, we must realise that we are saying that the whole child should be the locus of the learning process, and not merely his cognitive aspect. Reciprocally, all aspects of the school environment matter (classroom climate and dynamic, the school physical environment, the curriculum, the quality of human relationships, peers and teachers) all play a role.
This environment may be safe, nurturing, supportive, and stimulating or limiting and stifling to one or more aspects of the child’s personality. Hence, the prism that we use to measure the outcomes of our investment in education should be widened to include all aspects of the learner (physical, mental, emotional and social well being) and all aspects of his/her learning environment (prevalent human relationships amongst students and between students and teachers; students psychosocial well being; school climate, values and culture; teaching learning approaches and methods; student engagement; school community). We have to confess to ourselves that we have made much headway when it comes to child protection. Children continue to be exposed to trauma and abuse in schools and their own homes
Are we failing our next generation? It could be too few of us were valued as children. It could be that the government lacks the will to take child protection seriously. Despite our progressive laws and policies we are at a crises point to the care and protection of children .Children molested, raped and killed by predators what kind of country are we?
Where are the children in the political manifestos for 2019 elections? We lack a political campaign for children.
The grim reality is that we have wonderful rights‚ policies and laws but in implementation we are grossly lacking.”Despite our progressive laws and policies we are at crisis point in relation to the care and protection of children. Three children are murdered abused and kidnapped every day. What kind of country are we?
