Education transforms lives and breaks the cycle of poverty. Yet for hundreds of millions of children, access to quality education is just a dream.
School introduces kids to other kids from different backgrounds and helps them develop their personalities. It also teaches them to respect people from different cultures and get along well with them.
Socialization
Socialization is a major part of children’s education. It teaches them the values, norms and roles of their society. The most important agents of socialization are the family and school, though the media, religion, peer groups and workplaces also play a role.
The socialization process begins at birth, but its full impact on a child’s development may not be felt until the early childhood years. Sociologists recognize that gender, class and ethnicity play a big role in patterns of socialization. Working-class families usually emphasize obedience and conformity, while wealthy parents may encourage the development of judgment and creativity.
When children enter elementary school they are exposed to two sets of socialization agents: teachers and peers. The teacher, for example, has both the ascribed status of “classroom teacher” and the achieved status of “informal peer group leader.” Children’s interaction with their peers creates their own peer culture within school. The interaction also teaches them such skills as teamwork, classroom discipline, time awareness and dealing with bureaucracy.
Self-Esteem
Having a positive sense of self-worth is a powerful factor in kids’ happiness, well-being and success. It helps kids feel confident and capable, even in the face of challenges, so they’re comfortable asking for help when needed.
Kids learn a lot about themselves from their environment, including how they are treated and the messages they hear. Harsh criticism (“You’re so lazy!”), comparing them to others or praising only their results can harm their self-esteem. Instead, focus on the effort rather than the outcome and teach them to love themselves regardless of their wins or losses.
Encourage your children to explore their strengths and interests through play. They will gain a deeper understanding of their own values and build confidence as they complete activities independently. Allow them to give and help when they are ready, and let them know that their efforts are appreciated. This also teaches them that they are not defined by their weaknesses and builds resilience.
Academic Performance
Students’ academic performance is an important issue for all stakeholders. It impacts the student, teachers, parents and the society. Research has revealed that there are several factors that affect student’s academic performance. These factors can be classified as student, teacher and school based. Student factors include regular studying, self-motivation, punctuality and interest in a subject. Teachers’ factors include completion of syllabus and use of Teaching Learning Materials (TLMs). School based factors are availability of text books and modern laboratories.
Parental involvement also positively affects children’s academic performance. Studies have shown that children who have As and Bs in school report that their parents encourage them to do well. This is likely because children of upper and middle class families have better parental support for their education, while poorer children are often parented by single parents who work. The worthwhile long-term endeavours imagined by adult society that children’s education should achieve may conflict with children’s own perceptions of worthy endeavours that fulfil their short-term hedonic wellbeing.
Physical Health
Children are more likely to have a positive body image and learn healthy lifestyle habits early in life, if they regularly participate in physical activity. Taking part in team sports and other group-based activities, such as passing a ball or playing hopscotch, teaches them to work together towards a common goal and expend their energy while doing so.
Currently, physical education is the only opportunity that is guaranteed to reach nearly all school-age children and provide them with vigorous- or moderate-intensity, health-enhancing physical activity. High-quality physical education programs are characterized by instruction by certified teachers, a focus on learning and skill development, age appropriate tasks and activities, and group-based activity of sufficient duration for children to reap health benefits (see Box 5-5).
Recent physical education curriculums have evolved to connect body movement with its consequences and teach children the science of healthful living. Randomized controlled studies indicate that students in schools implementing a science-based fitness curriculum are more active than those attending traditional physical education classes.