What is child education?
Child education involves cognitive (thinking skills), linguistic (language skills), physical and psychosocial (emotional and social) needs. Child education is one of many ways to develop children as they grow. It involves using an array of skills, systems and tools to pass on the necessary knowledge to children to enable them to develop a working understanding of how systems in the world work and how to relate to people, cultures, institutions and various systems.
Early childhood education relates to the teaching of young children (formally and informally) up until about the age of eight,
Child education recognises that each child is unique. It also recognises that children are active participants in their own education and development.
Children’s ideas, preferences, learning styles and interests are considered.
In recent years, there has been a reemphasis on child-related education. Society is becoming more interested in the whole child and efforts to address all of children’s need.
Why get involved?
Research has shown that children benefit from parent involvement. By actively participating in child education you can help a child achieve:
- Better grades
- Better attendance
- Higher graduation rates
- Better self-esteem
- Less violent behaviour
A focus on child education can help a child choose their classes wisely- thereby setting them up for a clear career path.
It can also help them to learn how to manage their time wisely and to also develop research skills.
In South Africa, 7% of the gross domestic product (GDP) goes to education, which means that 20% of total expenditure of the country goes toward education.
Studies have shown that countries that invest the most in quality education processes and systems are more likely to achieve economic growth. Child education is an important factor to consider and is a key factor in ensuring that a country’s nation continues to thrive.