Prepare the CHILD for the path, not the PATH for the child.

The implications of holistic education

This excerpt taken from the International Baccalaureate position paper by John Hare introduces the concept of 'wholistic' education which we will refer to from now on as 'holistic' an adjective derived from the Greek word 'holos' defined as “relating to a whole, including or involving all of something; for WholeSchools®it relates to the whole child.

"Holistic education is a clear departure from the knowledge transmission approach to education that has been familiar in the past. Holistic education prepares a student for lifelong learning in which the educational focus moves towards the life skills, attitudes and personal awareness that the student will need in an increasingly complex world. The commitment to the subject knowledge of the student is maintained but is complemented by learning how to learn, the critical evaluation of knowledge gained and the use of this knowledge in a broad range of contexts; it is these that represent the education currency of the future.

Consequently there is an emphasis on a broad educational approach that addresses the intellectual, personal and interpersonal development of the student and puts in place many of the values, attitudes and skills that will serve the student well throughout life. Such a broad development cannot be claimed by the knowledge-laden education systems that have dominated for so many years. It brings closer the realization of “learning to be” and “learning to live together” that have been identified in the Delors report (UNESCO 1996: 14)."