Commonius

EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT

Lesson 13: Western philosophers and their contributions for ECCE

Contributions of John Amos Commonius (1592 – 1670) to ECCE

Commonius is generally regarded as a “Father of modern education”. He wrote books extensively on religion and education topics. One of his books called ‘The Great Didactic’ gives hints to teachers regarding the aims of education, curriculum, text books and methods of teaching. He wrote 6 books for children, one of his famous books was ‘The World in Pictures’. He wrote books based on the needs of the children, including the use of pictures to arouse interest and to catch attention.

Bibliographical note: He was born in Moravia Province of Czechoslavia. He grew up in a small community of Moravians and was so much influenced by the religious ideas of those days and their impact was seen on his educational ideas. When he was working as a school master in Poland, he produced his educational writings.

His Ideas and Contributions:

1. He objected to the frightening method adopted for teaching students. He believed that punishment was sometimes necessary but should not be associated with school work.
2. He proposed a system of schools covering the period from birth to maturity. The whole period must be divided into 4 distinct grades - Infancy, Childhood, Boyhood and Youth, each grade should be covered periodically with greater importance to infancy.
3. He suggested shorter school hours, longer play, sound health, better bodily development and less strain.
4. Children should be encouraged to play games.
5. Teachers should make school work interesting and keep children relaxed. Desire for learning must not be forced but kindled.
6. He favored group teaching- teaching comprising of ten students in each group.
7. He laid more stress on practical than theory. He said that what has to be done, must be learned by practice.
8. He believed that learning will take place through the senses. Hence education should stimulate the senses of sight, hearing, smell, sound and touch and develop the child’s powers of observation.
9. He also emphasized that education should be natural and lively. There is no use in dumping the mind with dead ideas and words.
10. The school should be a pleasant place, colorful and attractive with pictures inside and outside.
11. The school should have an open place and a garden should be attached to it.
12. Commonius believed that the children should be told “spiritual’’ and “secular” (not related to any religion) stories.