Holistic education is the way of the future

Other prominent philosophers and thinkers associated with holistic education are the French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau; the Italian educator Maria Montessori; the famous John Dewey, who was known for his emphasis on experiential learning; the Brazilian educator Paulo Freire; and the psychologist Abraham Maslow, who stressed self-actualisation.

There are diverse principles and concepts associated with holistic education such as students finding their own meaning and identity through linking education to life, communities, nature, and humanistic values; reverence for life; concern for social justice; and a passion for learning. 

The three “Rs” of holistic education are commonly referred to as relationships, responsibility, and reverence for life. With its emphasis on reverence for all life, holistic education mirrors Buddhist education.

It is common for advocates of holistic education to be critical of much of contemporary education, which fragments individuals. Such fragmentation is considered a disease and is seen as dehumanising and mutilating.

Having reviewed briefly the historical evolution of holistic education, I would now like to share my own personal vision of holistic education.

To do so, I will utilise the tetrahedron model from physics, introduced to me by the late scientist, leader, and educational reformer Dr Sippanondha Ketudat. The tetrahedron is a figure comprised of four complexly intertwined factors.

The four factors representing genuine holistic education are left-brain development, right-brain development, development of the heart, and development of the body.

Left-brain development:

Much of education is preoccupied with the development of the left brain and students’ ability to think critically and logically, and to develop high-level numeracy and literacy skills. 

In relation to this domain, Dr Kowit Varapipatana, the father of Thai adult/non-formal education, articulated the important concept of khit-pen (to be able to think), or the development of higher-level thinking skills.

Unfortunately, we in education do not always do a good job with this. Often the curriculum is too big with too much focus on knowledge and information transmissions in many areas, which quickly become out of date. Instead, we should be stressing the development of wisdom, imagination, problem-solving skills, and a passion for life-long learning.

Another element of left-brain development is financial/economics literacy. Students need to learn to be able to make wise and prudent financial decisions. Currently, the level of household debt in Thailand is an alarmingly high 86 per cent of gross domestic production. Highly relevant here is the concept of the self-sufficiency economy (setakit popieng), developed and promoted by HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

A final important element of this domain is what I term “software of the mind”, which draws on a concept introduced by the cross-cultural social psychologist from the Netherlands, Geert Hoftstede. By software of the mind, I mean knowledge of other societies and cultures.

Right-brain development:

This relates to the development of creative thinking and the study of fields such as arts, architecture, design, and music. It is extremely valuable for students when learning to read and play music. Integral to right-brain development is the appreciation of beauty and aesthetics.

Interaction skills such as social and cultural intelligence are also a part of this domain. Students need to be able to interact effectively with individuals of diverse cultures. These competencies and the related development of software of the mind are particularly salient with the advent of the Asean Economic Community later this year.

Best-selling American author Daniel Pink argues that right-brain thinkers will rule in the future. His books include “A Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers Will Rule the Future”.

Heart development:

This relates to moral and civic education. It is critical that students become honest and responsible citizens. Japan excels in the area of moral education. The Thai educator Dr Somwung Pitiyanuwat has done important work stressing the need for better civic education in Thailand.

Related to earlier concepts of holistic education, what is also integral to the development of the heart is being compassionate, kind, calm (high emotional intelligence), and having deference for life in all forms, which shares commonalities with peace education (see the work of Dr Chaiwat Sathat-Anand at Thammasat University).

This area is also reflective of what in Latin America is termed una buena educacin, which has nothing to do with levels of formal schooling, but instead an individual having good character, being respectful and thoughtful, and demonstrating proper and polite behaviour.

Body development:

It is critically important that the body and related nutritional education be included for education to be holistic. Students need to develop a commitment to life-long exercise and an understanding of the benefits of an active lifestyle. They need to know about the dangers of consuming tobacco, drugs, excessive carbohydrates, and alcohol in excess.

Michael Murphy, a holistic psychologist and founder of the Esalen Institute at Big Sur, California, wrote an inspiring book, “The Future of the Body”, in relation to this important domain.

At the university level, Stanford University in the US is an inspiring example of an institution emphasising the development of both the mind and the body. For 20 straight years it has won the Directors’ Cup for being the best university or college in collegiate sports in the US. Academically, it is one of the nation’s top universities, with the lowest acceptance ratio – 5 per cent – in the nation. Harvard University, also one of the world’s leading academic universities, offers 42 National Collegiate Athletic Association sports – the most in the nation (the average is 17).

Related to this tetrahedron model of holistic education is Harvard-based professor of cognition and education Howard Gardner’s valuable concept of multiple intelligences, in which he delineates nine such intelligences: verbal/linguistic; logical/mathematical; naturalist; musical; intrapersonal; existential; visual/spatial; bodily-kinesthetic; and interpersonal.

A major challenge facing educators across the globe is to enable their students to realise their distinctive intelligences and their full potential in developing their minds, hearts, and bodies.

 

Gerald W Fry 

Distinguished international professor 

College of Education and Human Development 

University of Minnesota 

[email protected]