School education has been an essential part of child development for human society for hundreds of years now. Even when the modern education system did not exist, in the medieval ages for instance, there were some or the other form of education system resembling schools. This just goes to show how irreplaceable schools are for every community.

Children are the future and so, it is essential that they be trained well for their responsibilities as adults. Childhood experiences more often than not determine how well adjusted an adult is and whether or not they can be productive members of the society. 

For many people today, school has become a one dimensional affair. They assume that school is simply about learning tables, reading about history and memorising knowledge.

However, Vidyanchal School Pune believes the research into child psychology, education and childhood development has taught us that schools are much more than just that. Schools impart values and skills that are not limited to the acquisition of knowledge or being literate.

This is why we say that schools provide education and not simply literacy, since education is a much more holistic term. Here are the major aspects that schools develop in children:

Mental aspect

The first and foremost thought that is associated with school is the acquisition of knowledge. Children learn to read, write, solve maths and learn about various disciplines in schools. Furthermore, through this process of learning, they hone their cognitive abilities such as higher order thinking, problem solving, memorisation and logical reasoning. All these constitute the mental aspect of development and contribute to the formation of an intelligent, rational and well balanced mind. 

Social aspect

School is the first place that children really develop social skills. Before preschool begins, most kids only interact with their family and a few relatives. Most of them do not get the chance to interact with non-family members, especially those of their own age. Thus, school provides them with a platform to learn and develop their social skills. By being around other children who all hail from different backgrounds and have different personalities, children also learn the values that form the foundation of society – empathy, tolerance, acceptance, love, compassion and togetherness. Thus, it is school education that integrates children into the community. 

Physical aspect

A child goes through various stages of physical development in their childhood. As they learn to crawl, walk and control their limbs, they also learn motor coordination, depth perception and spatial understanding, all of which is essential in them growing well physically. While some stages of this growth such as walking and talking happen at home, school too, is a site for physical development. Playing indoor and outdoor sports can help children gain balance, agility and stamina, while participating in arts, crafts and music helps them hone their fine motor skills, dexterity and concentration. Furthermore, school provides an unrestricted environment for children to expend their pent up energy, which the home cannot always provide, thus ensuring they do not become restless or lethargic.  

Emotional aspect

One of the most overlooked aspects of child development is the emotional aspect. As young children go to school and start to gain cognitive, social and physical skills, they also start to develop emotionally. Emotional development is a vast and never ending process which can be hard to pinpoint or observe. However, as children interact with a variety of other people, as they learn to coexist with each other, as they learn and read about history, art and music, they tap into their emotional depth and learn to identify and control their own emotions. They also learn what are appropriate and inappropriate emotional responses. Furthermore, by making friends and learning effective communication, they build a base for long term emotional stability and develop the vocabulary to deal with emotional crises that may arise in the future. 

Conclusion

Many times, the role of schools can be belittled by focusing only on the literacy or memorisation that comes with studying. However, it is important to always remember that schools are much more than that. They help the all round development of a child and allow them to gain mental, social, physical and emotional stability along with giving them experiences that would never be forgotten. Imparting literacy is just a small part of what schools do and it falls under a much broader umbrella of imparting a holistic education.