Proposed by Salman Asif Siddiqui,
founder and director of ERDC and Published in DAWN on 5th May, 2013.
Children learn best when they are respected, and this respect is every child’s right. If we take a look at the quality of experience that children undergo during their education, we will arrive at the conclusion that it is filled with feelings of fear, insecurity, rejection, embarrassment, humiliation and guilt.
I often ask teachers if education
without insults is possible and a lot of them wonder at my question. I have
asked many students, who have been top performers in their schools, if they
have ever experienced a fear of disapproval and most of them say ‘yes’. Quality education cannot just be referred
to the conceptual coverage of curriculum. Quality education needs to be
redefined as making learning meaningful and enjoyable with making children feel
unconditionally respected and recognized.
Recognizing children is to accept and
acknowledge them as what they are. Children should not be recognized
conditionally on the basis of their test scores, mastery of a foreign language or
show of obedience. They must be recognized wholly just because they are human
beings and created as the best creation by the best of all creators.
Children’s self-respect is something
that remains at risk throughout their childhood. There is an acute need to have
a national consensus on the protection of this basic children’s right. I would
like to propose a Charter of Children’s
Recognition for this purpose that is based on three fundamental principles.
As per the dictionary definition, ‘charter’ is a document describing the rights
that a particular group of people should have. The charter which is introduced
in the following can serve as a practical guideline for teachers and parents to
work with children.
1st principle of children’s recognition:
Listen to and acknowledge children without losing your temper.
Listen to and acknowledge children without losing your temper.
How do
you feel when you are not heard or acknowledged? You feel unimportant. Sometimes
you feel disgraced. We feel recognized when we are heard. Listening can be a
very powerful tool to make children feel important and recognized. Children
bear tons of things to share ranging from interesting and weird questions, to
realistic and hypothetical ideas, to a variety of sentiments and feelings.
Encourage
children to express in whatever language they feel comfortable and listen to
them without being impatient, judgmental or losing your temper. When you will allow
them say whatever they want to say in their preferred language, you will find a
world that was hidden before. After having listened to children it is
appropriate to acknowledge them by simply rephrasing what you have heard.
Acknowledging a child’s point of view does not mean agreeing with him or her.
The act of acknowledging makes children feel understood and respected.
2nd principle of children’s recognition:
Recognize the individuality of every child instead of comparing children.
How would you feel if you are compared with your colleagues? You would feel humiliated. We
would not like to be compared with anybody, so as with children. Every child is differently creative. Expecting children to be alike is unjust. They can be similar in some ways but actually they are unique and therefore different from each other. Comparison between children communicates that you are not accepting children as what they are rather demanding them to be what their peers are. It shatters their self confidence and they view themselves as incompetent.
When we believe that every child is uniquely intelligent and creative, only then will we understand that it’s perfectly fine if they learn differently. Expecting all children to learn in the same way at the same pace and respond invariably is absolutely inappropriate and ridiculous. Children show phenomenal development when they are accepted with their individual learning styles and pace. Children must be recognized for what they do instead of what they have not done.
Recognize the individuality of every child instead of comparing children.
How would you feel if you are compared with your colleagues? You would feel humiliated. We
would not like to be compared with anybody, so as with children. Every child is differently creative. Expecting children to be alike is unjust. They can be similar in some ways but actually they are unique and therefore different from each other. Comparison between children communicates that you are not accepting children as what they are rather demanding them to be what their peers are. It shatters their self confidence and they view themselves as incompetent.
When we believe that every child is uniquely intelligent and creative, only then will we understand that it’s perfectly fine if they learn differently. Expecting all children to learn in the same way at the same pace and respond invariably is absolutely inappropriate and ridiculous. Children show phenomenal development when they are accepted with their individual learning styles and pace. Children must be recognized for what they do instead of what they have not done.
3rd principle of children’s recognition:
Treat children with unconditional respect and trust.
How children are treated when they are young has a huge influence on the type of people they will grow up to be. Children are born pure and innocent with delicate self-esteem. Their sense of self-worth grows through approval from outside. What children need most are respect and trust, and not costly toys.
Respect is their basic need which comes prior to education. Quality education is to understand and treat children respectfully irrespective of their academic performance or behavioural state. One more reason for which children should be respected is that respect itself is reciprocal. Children who are treated respectfully learn to be respectful and treat others respectfully, too. Respecting is natural when children do something which is desirable and socially acceptable. Respecting becomes more challenging for many when children do something undesirable. We must remember that even in the later case, we should disapprove the wrong doing but not disapprove of child. This is to treat children respectfully and reject the bad behaviour, if there is any.
Dr Muhammad Iqbal in his magnum opus work Javidnama introduced a clear vision for educators. He says, “The purpose of knowledge is nothing but to show you the splendors of yourself”. Education that compels children to understand the curriculum and does not understand and recognize the child can not serve the child. The education process must not be impersonal because it dehumanizes and demoralizes learners through which the purpose of existence is adversely affected.
Treat children with unconditional respect and trust.
How children are treated when they are young has a huge influence on the type of people they will grow up to be. Children are born pure and innocent with delicate self-esteem. Their sense of self-worth grows through approval from outside. What children need most are respect and trust, and not costly toys.
Respect is their basic need which comes prior to education. Quality education is to understand and treat children respectfully irrespective of their academic performance or behavioural state. One more reason for which children should be respected is that respect itself is reciprocal. Children who are treated respectfully learn to be respectful and treat others respectfully, too. Respecting is natural when children do something which is desirable and socially acceptable. Respecting becomes more challenging for many when children do something undesirable. We must remember that even in the later case, we should disapprove the wrong doing but not disapprove of child. This is to treat children respectfully and reject the bad behaviour, if there is any.
Dr Muhammad Iqbal in his magnum opus work Javidnama introduced a clear vision for educators. He says, “The purpose of knowledge is nothing but to show you the splendors of yourself”. Education that compels children to understand the curriculum and does not understand and recognize the child can not serve the child. The education process must not be impersonal because it dehumanizes and demoralizes learners through which the purpose of existence is adversely affected.
Masha Allah beautiful article clearing the minds of we people who are making life of children miserable
ReplyDeleteSubhanAllah what an absolute Charter of Children's Recognition.
ReplyDeleteI truly appreciate the philosophy of this Charter which has centralised the parents' nurturing prior to child's upbringing.
May Allah SWT keep increasing your knowledge to the height where the rays of your wisdom penetrates deep rooted to bring the best in every child in its own unique way.