FACULTY OF EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Assignment No 1

Name ELESTINA SHAMUDZARIRA

Programme BACHELOR OF EDUCATION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD

AND DEVELOPMENT

Module title & Code HISTORICAL & PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATION IN

EARLY CHILDHOOD (BEE .

Module Tutor/Lecturer .

Due Date .

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QUESTION: - Examine the significance of Rousseau’s ideas on the relationship
between mother and child to the early childhood development (ECD) program
ANSWER

Our modern society’s system for early childhood education has been influenced by
many changing ideas over the years of its development.  Jean-Jacques Rousseau,
John Locke, and Maria Montessori all contributed philosophies concerning early
childhood education in their times; some of their ideas have lasted throughout history
and have made it into our system today, while others have not lasted.  Some of
these lasting patterns have been beneficial to our modern system, while others have
not been as strongly encouraged due to changing times and developments.  The
ideas that have lasted from these philosophers’ times to ours are descriptive of each
individual’s beliefs.  Allowing children to focus on physical education and their natural
inclinations stems from Rousseau’s writings.  Encouraging educators and parents to
teach a love of learning to children comes from Locke, and scientifically-influenced
curriculum that takes into account the way children learn how information is
processed in their minds from Montessori.  These theories on education have lasted
throughout history to make up the education system we see in the United States
today and have been beneficial for the way we teach young children and how we
understand their learning processes.  Utilizing these ideas that have proven their
worth over time strengthens our education system for the benefit of individual
children.

Rousseau presents his ideas about early childhood education in his work titled
Emile, the story of a fictional child and his transitions through education.  Rousseau
communicates that he believes the best way for a child to learn is in stages that
focus on virtue as their life progresses.  His work outlines a specific plan for each
stage in a child’s life, beginning with infancy to 12 years, then 12 to 19 years,
followed by 20-25 years, and finally the Age of Happiness.

The first stage of education according to Rousseau is characterized by physical

education and learning.  Rousseau states that the child cannot wear tight clothing
and that they must be breast-fed by their mother.  The child must also play outside to
gain a better understanding of nature.  Rousseau, in Emile and his Confessions,
references his beliefs that the modern man must also be a natural man who remains
uncorrupted by his society.  In regards to the natural man in his Confessions,

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Rousseau employs metaphors and personal experiences to summarize that it is a
man’s education that can nurture him towards a virtuous life.

The second stage, from 12 to 19 years, focuses on further augmentation of physical

capabilities along with hand-brain coordination.  This is about the time when the child
reaches puberty, so Rousseau believes that while their body is changing, their
perception of the world must also change.  It is suggested here that the male
children learn a trade to encourage an inner development of skills.  This is also the
time when the child must begin their formal education with a private tutor trained to
determine the child’s unique skills.  The child must only study and read what is
naturally interesting to him.  By this form, Rousseau believes that Emile will educate
himself and develop a natural love for all things beautiful.  In addition, this is the time
in the child’s life when they are ready for the beginning of their religious education.  
This portion of a child’s education is portrayed through Rousseau’s work The Creed
of the Savoyard Priest.

This particular work outlines what Rousseau believes to be the proper relationship
between a virtuous man and God, scripture, and the church.  Rousseau believed that
children and young adults should approach religion as a skeptic and free thinker who
should be able to question religion while still discovering the greatness and truth of
God through his own discovery not through the force of the church. The final learning
stage of life, from 20 to 25 years, must be focused on studying history and learning
about how society corrupts the natural, educated man.  It is at this point in Emile’s
life that he encounters Sophie, his female counterpart.  Here, Rousseau briefly
discusses his beliefs on educating the young female child, which communicate that
females need less education and should be taught how to be a mother and wife after
8 years of age.

Rousseau, through his work Emile, communicated his beliefs that early childhood
education should circulate around physical development that coordinates with mental
development, a love of the natural world, and nurturing a virtuous man adapted to
their society.  During his time, his work was not popular because it rejected religious
ideas that were overall accepted by those around him.  His work later prompted an
arrest order against Rousseau by the French parliament, but popularity eventually
rose enough to make Emile a well-known work in educational philosophy. 
Rousseau’s ideas are prevalent in today’s educational system through Waldorf
Schools, which are focused on students cultivating a “lifelong love of learning as well
as the intellectual, emotional, physical and spiritual capabilities” (Association of

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Waldorf Schools of North America) that come with encouraging a child to be true to
their personal path in life.  Philosophies from Rousseau’s time are clearly
incorporated into today’s system in these schools by encouraging young people to
have an “enthusiasm for learning”.  This teaching style promotes an overall love of
learning for children as well as developing teaching styles that best adhere to every
child’s learning style and preferences. In terms of how an individual should raise their
children, Locke believed that parents should nurture a child’s natural aptitudes and
curiosities.  He writes that parents should “observe what their native stock is, how it
may be improved, and what it is fit for” (Locke, Some Thoughts).  Children should
nurture their physical habits before pursuing their academic education.  Locke
agreed with Rousseau that a child’s education must be focused on encouraging
virtues and developing an individual that remains untainted by society.

Locke believes that it is the responsibility of the parents and teachers to teach a child
how to learn before a formal schooling system is introduced.  Locke writes that the
instructor “should remember that his business is not so much to teach [the child] all
that is knowable; and to put him in the right way of knowing and improving himself”
(Locke, Some Thoughts).  He communicates that selecting a proper teacher for their
child will benefit them by teaching them the ways of their country and how to function
as an adult once the child leaves their family.

Locke was also known for being at the forefront of the Scientific Revolution in
England.  He encouraged an emphasis on science and practical professional training
for children.  He believed in teaching geography, astronomy, and anatomy along with
recommending that every male child learns a trade.

Locke’s pedagogical suggestions marked the beginning of a new education system

that defined Britain in the 18 th and 19th centuries.  The main focus of his works were
on male children but believed that the education for boys and girls should be
basically the same and that both genders should be taught to be rational and
virtuous.  While this contrasts with Rousseau’s beliefs on the differences between a
boy’s and a girl’s education, the fundamental goals are similar.

Locke’s essays were well-received by those around him at the time of their
publication and were respected as noble philosophies on education.  Locke’s beliefs
centralized around three major philosophies: that education truly determines how a
child will be in their adult life, that it is crucial that parents find a proper teacher for
their child who is the most educated they can find so that their child will be clever,

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and that if a child’s education is “successful,” they will be virtuous adults who love
learning and who can function in society.  If Locke was correct in believing that
education is the true determinant of how a child will be in their adult life, then his
methods of teaching with the intention of creating a virtuous individual seem
beneficial and applicable to today’s educational system.  We see examples of
Locke’s philosophies through artistic education in schools today.  In preschools,
teachers are faced with the dilemma of teaching art in a “product oriented” fashion or
a “process oriented” fashion (National Association for Educating Young Children). 
While both these processes are beneficial to the overall learning for the child, a more
process-focused experience will be more beneficial.  Through this method, the child
will create personalized and specific work that reflects their emotions and
preferences.  This process teaches children “open-ended play” that makes learning
more enjoyable for the child.  There are connections between Locke’s philosophies
on education and the process-oriented teaching method in that children should be
focused on play and their free will rather than inflexible instructions and plans.

Finally, Montessori developed her ideas concerning early childhood education with
the aid of psychiatry and an understanding of how children learn in 1907.  She is
known for having immersed herself in the knowledge of many topics before focusing
on education, skills and information she later used in her curriculum.  Montessori’s
curriculum focuses on the educator having respect for the child, understanding that
the child has an absorbent mind, that each child will have sensitive periods,
providing a prepared environment, and the idea of auto education: that children are
capable of educating themselves (Montessori Northwest).  Her method began in her
first school in Rome which began the spread of her philosophies all over the world.  It
is clear that her method is extremely popular in many countries and will continue to
be in use in educational systems.  Her influences were present in the 1900’s
educational system where she was most directly relevant and have lasted through to
today’s system.  This system was very well received in the United States in 1911 and
was described as “intense and positive” (18 Montessori International).  The
Montessori education system has had a global impact by implementing this teaching
system in many places around the world while putting into use a researched and
developed teaching style that has clearly, positively impacted children in their early
educational experiences.

It may seem like Rousseau’s, Locke’s, and Montessori’s methods will only make a
significant impact on today’s educational system if they are globally implemented in a
way that fully includes all children.  Despite not all schools in the United States not

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immediately using these techniques, if these ideas are taught to teachers and more
children as generations pass, the continued use of these methods will positively
influence our system.  In addition, while some schools teach vocationally and teach
trades, it is important to implement Rousseau’s, Locke’s, and Montessori’s ideas into
educating teachers on how to encourage children to gain a love of learning.

All three of these philosophers agree that children must pursue a physical, natural
education through playing outside and finding their natural talents before beginning
their formal education later in life.  They all also generally agree that education
should be focused on the ever-changing idea of virtue.  Rousseau’s ideas are still
present in today’s educational system in terms of a natural and physically-oriented
way of learning and playing with physical objects that promote hand-brain
coordination.  Today’s preschool curriculums are focused on “cognitive and social
development” and “complex play” that encourage higher “thinking ability and
language development” (NAEYC).  Locke’s beliefs that educators and parents
should encourage a love of learning, education, and knowledge rather than facts and
lists is encouraged for students but does not always last throughout their education. 
Children are not as strongly encouraged to focus on what they are naturally curious
about but are more directed towards learning many subjects.  Locke’s ideas are
present in a liberal arts education setting in terms of nurturing a “well-rounded”
individual with knowledge about many things rather than choosing one topic.
Montessori’s curriculum is the most present in today’s educational systems with
22,000 schools in 110 countries (Maria Montessori Biography) labeled as
“Montessori Schools” that teach her system.  All three of these philosophers have
strongly influenced our modern educational system in regards to early childhood
education.  Their methods of teaching children have proven their reliability by their
remnants in today’s system.

It is important for schools today to more strongly incorporate Rousseau, Locke, and
Montessori’s ideas into our education system.  All three of these philosophers
promoted a natural form of education where children are free to show interest in
many different things and can learn through experiences.  Today, children are limited
in their activity and are losing time to “play, and explore on their own, as they were in
the past and are designed by nature to do,” (Psychology Today).  While their ideas
are present in our educational system in terms of general beliefs and goals, more
educators and schools should incorporate these timeless philosophies in order to
fulfill the philosopher’s intentions of nurturing a virtuous individual who can function
in society and remain uncorrupted by society.

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Reference

 Gray, Peter. “K & Preschool Teachers: Last Stand in War on Childhood?”

Psychology Today. N.p., 8 July 2015. Web. 14 Nov. 2015.
 Maria Montessori Biography. American Montessori Society. N.p., 2015. Web.
10 Nov. 2015.
 Modern History Sourcebook: John Locke (1632-1704): Some Thoughts
Concerning Education, 1692. Internet History Sourcebooks. Fordham
University, Aug. 1998. Web. 10 Nov. 2015.
 Theaetetus. The Internet Classics Archive. N.p., 2009. Web. 14 Nov. 2015.
 The Project Gutenberg EBook of Emile, by Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
Gutenburg (n.d.): n. pag. Apr. 2004. Web. 10 Nov. 2015.
 Waldorf Education: An Introduction. Why Waldorf Works. N.p., n.d. Web. 17
Nov. 2015.
 Whitescarver, Keith. Montessori in America-The First 100 Years. Montessori
International (2010): 18-19. Web. 11 Nov. 2015

 Barry, B. (1967) The Public Interest, in Quinton, A. (ed.) Political Philosophy,

Oxford: Oxford University Press

 Bloom, A. (1991) Introduction to Rousseau, J-J. (1762) Emile, London:

Penguin.

 Darling, J. (1994) Child-Centred Education and its Critics, London: Paul

Chapman.

 Dent, N.J.H. (1988) Rousseau: An Introduction to his Psychological, Social

and Political Theory, Oxford: Basil Blackwell

 Melzer, A.M. (1990) The Natural Goodness of Man: On the Sytem of

Rousseau’s Thought, Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

 Miller, J. (1984) Rousseau: Dreamer of Democracy, London: Yale University

Press

 Quinton, A. (1996) ‘Philosophical romanticism’ in T. Honderich (ed.) The

Oxford Companion to Philosophy, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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  Soëtard, M. (1995) ‘Jean-Jacques Rousseau’ in Z. Morsy (ed.) Thinkers on
Education Volume 4, Paris: UNESCO.

 Stewart, W. A. C. and McCann, W. P. (1967) The Educational Innovators.

Volume 1 1750–1880, London: Macmillan

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