Education
At Home, At School, At Work
53CHAPTER
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Guided learning to help a child gain skills and understanding for meeting life’s needs is
called ‘education’. In Chapters 34 to 43 we talked about ways to help children with disabilities
and developmental delays to learn to control and use their bodies and minds, and to master
early basic skills for daily living. But as a child grows up, many additional skills and knowledge
are needed.
For nearly all children,
education begins in the home.
For some it continues in school;
for others in the fields, in the
forest, at the marketplace, on the
riverbank, or in the streets.
In the cities of most countries,
a school education has become
almost a ‘basic need’ for getting
a job or being accepted by
society. In many villages and
farming communities, however,
‘book learning’ still is much less
important than the skills children
learn through helping their
families with daily work.
In some rural areas, therefore,
it may be a mistake to think that
‘every child’ should go to school.
For the child who is physically
strong but mentally slow,
schooling may be a frustrating
and unrewarding experience,
especially if no ‘special education’
is available. The child may be
happier and learn more skills for
meeting life’s needs by helping
father in the fields, or mother in
the marketplace, than by going
to school.
For many children in rural areas, the most
important parts of their education may not take
place in school.
However, for some mentally slow children in rural areas, schooling can be important. If the
teacher and other children can be helped to understand the special needs of the child, treat
him with respect, and give him encouragement, the slow learner may benefit greatly from
school, both educationally and socially.