Born to Learn

We all agree that we are born with a limitless capacity to learn. Children are insatiably curious, we can see that in their inquisitive eyes. They observe the world and, as soon as they acquire and master language when they turn three or four years old, they question everything. Humans are so much more inquisitive than other creatures, we are born to learn. Why does school sometimes go so badly wrong with some students? Are schools built on the assumption that children were born to learn or that children were born to be taught? The tension between teaching and learning has filled thousands and thousands of pedagogical books. For so many children the wonder of learning has been replaced by the tedium of trying to memorize what they were taught about things which really didn’t interest them very much in the first place. To follow the children’s interests and to respect the rhythm of each child in a class of 25 is impossible. It seems obvious that reducing class sizes it is the first step. Confucius famously said: ‘Tell me, and I forget; Show me, and I remember; Let me do, and I understand.’ Learning is a consequence of having to work things out by yourself. In school we have to promote independent and creative thinking to solve problems. Learning to do is one of the four pillars of education, to enable students to acquire competence and skills. Promoting work experience, becoming apprentices for a day or a week, transforming the class into a workshop, visiting museums and expositions often, these are good ideas for fostering learning. Children are born to learn, let’s make it possible in school!