The concept of "happy education" can be traced back to the early 20th century, which was put forward by Herbert Spencer, a famous British educator.
At a time when the topic of education has attracted much attention, when it comes to British education, many people who don't know the inside story will have the stereotype of "happy education" and "easy education": frequent holidays, leaving school at two or three o'clock, no homework ... as if the learning career of British children is a relaxed and pleasant walk. However, is this really the case? Today, let's unveil the mystery of "happy education" in Britain and explore the true meaning behind it.
一、The Origin of "Happy Education"
The concept of "happy education" can be traced back to the early 20th century, which was put forward by Herbert Spencer, a famous British educator. He clearly stated in Spencer's Happy Education: "The purpose of education is to make children a happy person, and the means and methods of education should also be happy." This view is like a pebble thrown into the lake of education, with ripples and far-reaching influence, and has gradually become an important cornerstone of British education.
二、Misunderstood appearance and truth
(A) the syllabus and exams
Since kindergarten, British education has a rigorous syllabus and a fine learning schedule, and exams and quizzes are commonplace. Take the primary school as an example. Needless to say, the national unified examination SATs, and various quizzes are more frequent. But interestingly, these quizzes are often so low-key that parents and children are hard to detect. On the one hand, this is to skillfully reduce children's academic pressure and prevent them from falling into the quagmire of exam anxiety; On the other hand, teachers can grasp students' learning trends accurately and timely, so as to flexibly adjust teaching strategies and ensure that every child can keep up with the rhythm. British primary schools do not respect hard preparation for exams, and strive to restore the true state of children's daily learning. This "smooth and silent" test method is undoubtedly a wise move to grasp the progress of learning.
(B) the new connotation of hard work
"Happy education" is by no means discouraging hard study and abandoning the endless pursuit of learning. Its original intention is to reshape learning motivation and interest, and bid farewell to the tedium of single problem-solving in traditional classroom. It advocates bringing knowledge alive, integrating interest and exploration, and making students actively participate in learning and enjoy the process of learning, rather than passively suffering from learning. For example, in a history class, teachers may lead students to visit ancient castles on the spot, so that they can touch the temperature of history in broken walls and explore the traces of time in stories and legends. In this way, learning is no longer a book rote learning, but a wonderful adventure through time and space.
(C) The deep participation of parents
In the "happy education" mode, parents are by no means shopkeepers. Many British families arrange interest classes for their children from Monday to Sunday, which are full. Behind this is not blindly following the trend, but creating multiple opportunities for children to explore knowledge and experience learning fun with good intentions. Art, music, scientific experiments ... All kinds of interest classes are like colorful color palettes, allowing children to display their individuality, tap their potential talents, and make the road to growth colorful.
(D) Sports quality training
Don't think that British children are addicted to video games and TV after school and have nothing to do. British schools and parents pay more attention to sports quality than imagined, and it is by no means empty talk to start with dolls. Three or four-year-old children, tennis, football, rugby, golf and other sports have been quietly included in the growth plan. Public schools arrange compulsory swimming courses in the morning every week. After 3 pm, the physical education courses are rich and colorful, and football and basketball are full of energy. In private schools, from 12 noon to 5 pm, equestrian, cricket, baseball and other high-end minority projects have appeared one after another, and physical exercise time accounts for a high proportion. This will not only strengthen the body, but also temper the will, cultivate the spirit of teamwork and lay the foundation for children's future.
(E) The truth about homework
English children are not without homework. In primary school, one or two homework assignments a week are strictly controlled at 10-15 minutes per day, while in middle school, each subject takes about 20-40 minutes per day. Seemingly small, but carefully designed, focusing on quality rather than quantity. Most of the homework forms are research-oriented and open-ended questions, such as "exploring the evolution of ancient architectural styles in hometown and its influencing factors", guiding children to consult materials independently, visit on the spot, think deeply, and cultivate their ability to explore and solve problems independently, rather than simply repeating classroom knowledge.
三、Deep Connotation of "Happy Education"
(A) the formation of rules and self-discipline
"Happy education" is by no means unprincipled indulgence. On the contrary, it attaches great importance to the establishment of a sense of rules. From the daily norms on campus to the cultivation of social morality, children learn to be self-disciplined and understand the boundaries. Observe the order of speaking in class and be polite to others in public. These rules are like a growth track, ensuring that children can live in harmony with the rules and move forward steadily when they enter the society in the future.
(B) Forging a sense of responsibility
British "happy education" is a melting pot of responsibility. Letting children make their own judgments, decisions and bear the consequences is a key step to cultivate their sense of responsibility and self-care ability. From the organization of class activities to the persistence of personal interests and hobbies, children understand the weight of responsibility in every attempt and challenge, know how to pay for their actions, and grow into responsible social people.
(C) Multi-education system
The happy education system presents a trend of multiple integration. School education not only focuses on the consolidation of subject knowledge, but also focuses on the vast world of quality education and holistic education. The cultivation of critical thinking is integrated into subject learning, and students are encouraged to question authority and think independently; In quality education, art edification, sports competition and social practice blossom, helping children to grow in all directions, achieve their best, and race against themselves instead of falling into vicious competition.
四、Integration with elite education
Many people mistakenly think that "happy education" and "chicken-baby-style elite education are incompatible, but it is not. Top British schools take happy education as the core concept, but they also strongly advocate students to study diligently. It's just that the hard work we appreciate here is not a mechanical and dull study, but a learning drive full of enthusiasm, surging potential, active thinking and independent exploration. The road to cultivating elites is hard, but if children can forge ahead in happiness, their pace towards the peak may be more brisk and powerful. After all, children who love learning and enjoy growing up are more likely to stand out from the elite.
五、Enlightenment to us
British "happy education" opens a brand-new educational window for us. It reminds us that education should not be an indoctrination that suppresses nature, but a guidance that conforms to the law of growth; It is not the accumulation of single knowledge, but the shaping of multiple abilities; It is not the pursuit of short-term achievements, but the companionship of lifelong growth.
We might as well learn from its essence, innovate teaching methods in the classroom, incorporate interesting elements, and ignite the flame of children's knowledge; In the family, parents accompany with their heart, tap their interests and help their children's personality fly; On campus, improve the quality education system, so that physical education, art, moral cultivation and subject knowledge can keep pace. In this way, we can let our children gain the fruits of knowledge, smile happily and move towards a better future in their growth journey.
In short, the true meaning of "happy education" in Britain is to take happiness as a boat, take responsibility, self-discipline and exploration as paddles, and carry children to swim in the ocean of knowledge and sail to the other side of all-round development and self-realization.