Do you know the difference between holistic learning and a more traditional approach? Perhaps you have heard schools talking about taking the “whole child approach” but not really sure exactly what this means. Holistic education offers a promising solution by bridging the gap between the inherited education system and the evolving needs of today’s society and is becoming increasingly mainstream. To help you get up to speed, here, Tiago Mateus, Chief Executive of Immerse Education takes us on a deep dive on the topic of holistic learning in education.
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Education is one of the most powerful tools our society has to influence, shape and prepare children for their future – second only to parenting. Quality education does more than simply impart knowledge; it develops the core skills needed to thrive in everyday work and life, including critical thinking, creativity, resilience and emotional intelligence.
Yet, most schools continue to offer a traditional, one size fits all approach to learning, a historic system that was designed to prepare young people for an economic landscape that looks incredibly different to the present day. It poses the question – are traditional schools effectively preparing children for their futures in the modern world?
Holistic education is an approach that seeks to bridge the gap between the education system we inherited and the demands of the modern world, in order to better prepare students for a future filled with personal, professional and social success.
The history of education
Outside the aristocratic class, formal schooling as we know it today has its roots in the Middle Ages, when its primary purpose was to teach literacy, numeracy and religious doctrine to a privileged few: namely, young boys who were destined for careers in the church, government or trade. Schooling was primarily conducted in early grammar schools funded by merchants, or in religious institutions, where the teachers were monks or religious scholars.
A widespread schooling system emerged when education was made compulsory during the Industrial Revolution, giving poor children access to schooling for the first time. However, this system was designed to develop the skills needed for a manufacturing economy: obedience, punctuality and discipline, with the basic literacy and numeracy skills required for factory work. In this ‘factory model’ of education, students were expected to sit still for long periods of time, follow strict rules and routines, and memorize information. The curriculum focused heavily on reading, writing, and numeracy, with little emphasis on critical thinking or creativity.
While contemporary schooling has evolved to include a wide array of subjects in the curriculum, from creative and performing arts to STEM, its emphasis on conformity and rote learning remains. These are inherited from an education system that was not designed to develop the creativity, critical thinking and ‘soft’ skills sought after in our digital economy.
Looking at current educational practices
To develop a schooling model that is fit for purpose, we need a clear vision of what we are preparing young people for. Is the goal to prepare students for jobs relating to the core subjects – English, Mathematics and Science? Or should schools prepare pupils for careers in a wide range of sectors, including creative fields such as art, fashion, and design, or the emerging technical professions such as coding, web development and artificial intelligence?
In the current economic climate – amid fears that artificial intelligence will soon replace human labour, a decline in physical and mental well-being and the threat of climate change requiring creative solutions – the traditional schooling model is no longer fit for purpose. This begs the question: is there a better approach?
Holistic learning & education
Holistic education is an approach to learning that develops the ‘whole child’: not just their academic outcomes but also their personal, social and physical needs. It is a broad-based educational philosophy that emphasizes the interconnectedness of all aspects of well-being and seeks to create a learning environment that is inclusive, compassionate, and nurturing, in order to promote personal growth, self-awareness and well-being, in addition to academic excellence.
Holistic education is student-centred, where the teacher acts as a facilitator rather than the imparter of all knowledge. A holistic curriculum is flexible and adaptable, based on the individual needs and interests of each student – the Montessori approach is an example of this methodology.
The holistic classroom provides students with the tools and support to enquire, practice and learn through real-world experiences. It encourages critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. It aims to provide students with a broad range of experiences that promote their physical, emotional, intellectual, and social development.
Holistic learning in practice
In recent years, Immerse Education has become a pioneer in moving away from traditional education practices with more focus on a holistic approach to learning. We’ve seen the direct results of holistic education, with students becoming more engaged, eager to participate in class discussions and better retain what they’ve learnt. By the end of their courses, they demonstrate a clear understanding of the subject matter and application of the skills taught by the end of their courses.
Examples of holistic learning at Immerse Education include daily hands-on workshops where students apply the theory they have been taught in academic sessions to practical, real-world learning experiences. Medicine students get the chance to practice suturing on real organs while coding students learn how to write and test their own code while building an app.
Further, as social growth and development are a fundamental part of holistic education, students frequently collaborate with their peers on group projects, discussions and debates, in addition to learning how to form peer relationships in an enriched social programme that reflects real-world working environments.
Conclusion
Quality education is vital to equip young people with the skills and knowledge they need to lead successful and fulfilling lives beyond school. The traditional approach to schooling has failed to keep pace with the rapid changes of our modern society and economy. We must see more educators adopt a holistic approach that considers the whole child, is adaptable and encourages critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. Only then can we adequately prepare students for personal, professional, and social success, and support them to be competent and confident leaders of tomorrow.
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