School, the second home, plays a pivotal role in molding a well-rounded individual. Holistic
development is inevitable to mold better individuals. Hence, the school should provide a
conducive environment for children’s cognitive, social, and emotional development. It’s time to
read and understand the role of school in child development.

What is child development?

Child development goes beyond biological development. It is a much bigger term that
encompasses psychological and emotional development. Thus, child development is essentially
the maturation of physical, social, cognitive, and emotional faculties.
When it comes to social and emotional development, the role of community is crucial. For a child,
the first community experience she gets is from her school. Hence, the school culture influences
her overall development.

How do schools nurture young minds?

Through socialization

Interacting with peers ensures socialisation. Schools play a crucial role in nurturing social skills,
particularly in the context of today’s nuclear family setup. Schools provide an environment that development. For instance, skills like empathy, kindness, teamwork, respect for others, fraternity,
and communication can be inculcated in students through the school culture.

Through character building

Character is not something ready-made. It develops over a period of time and is the lynchpin in
the child development journey. The school can impart qualities like respect, integrity, responsibility,
empathy, and honesty, among other virtues that build a strong character. Besides, teachers should
possess good character traits. Then students start imbibing those qualities.

By preparing children for adulthood

The adulthood phase is important when it comes to a child’s development. Schools equip children
with essential skills such as goal setting, perseverance, civic engagement, etc. Learning and
making these skills a part of their character, they are building a beautiful adulthood phase.

By fostering interpersonal relationships

School culture influences a child’s relationship with her peers, parents, and teachers. If the school
provides a collaborative environment, it fosters strong interpersonal relationships. This is
paramount in child development. Therefore, a rapport between students, peers, and teachers is
important.

By ensuring emotional wellbeing

Emotional well-being has an important role in child development. Schools that think beyond
academics instill such qualities that foster emotional well-being. For instance, schools forge
healthy peer relationships, friendships, social skills, etc.

Moreover, schools often have counselors to help students address their emotional concerns.
Besides, when teachers encourage students to have open communication, they feel heard and
valued. All these are the essential building blocks of emotional well-being.

By inculcating confidence and building a sense of identity

Schools are important in nurturing self-confidence and building a sense of identity. Schools
arrange various activities and make students participate in various projects. These platforms give
students opportunities to express their creative and scientific thoughts and ideas. It leads to
fostering a strong sense of self. Similarly, a supportive environment boosts their confidence

By encouraging independence

Schools throw various challenges that demand the child to make independent choices. Through
extracurricular activities, seminars, exhibitions, projects, and academic tasks, schools present a
wide range of activities. These activities demand independent and innovative approaches that
cannot be spoon-fed. Eventually, the children learn to take responsibility and start thinking
independently. When they navigate through these challenges, they cultivate a strong sense of
independence. It eventually plays a major role in a child’s development journey.

By providing a conducive environment for learning

Learning is an important aspect of child development. Schools can create either a nurturing or a
challenging environment. A nurturing environment provides support and positive reinforcements.
Thus, students approach learning with enthusiasm. On the other hand, a challenging and
demanding environment puts pressure on young minds. High-pressure situations affect their
mental health and overall development.

Therefore, schools should come up with well-designed curricula that encompass interactive
lessons and hands-on activities. Moreover, educational games and diverse teaching methods can
instill a love for learning. Similarly, passionate and enthusiastic teachers are the need of the hour. They can make learning an engaging experience.

By providing the best for their cognitive development

Cognitive development has a vital role in child development. The structured learning environment
of schools facilitates intellectual growth. Whether it is reading, writing, problem-solving, or
language learning, they contribute to the cognitive development of a child. Thus, schools play a
major part in cognitive development.

Where do schools falter when it comes to child
development? Asoka World School’s nurturing environment for child development.

When it comes to academic activities, we embrace pursuits that go beyond the traditional ones.
We have well-structured STEM and Robotics activities. Thus, we equip students with the
necessary skill sets to excel in fields related to science and engineering.
As we move outside the classrooms, we conduct regular field trips to expand the horizons of
learning beyond classrooms. Similarly, to foster social skills, we have a student-run YouTube
channel, Cub Tube. It features various programs, including students’ interactions and
interviews with individuals from all walks of life.

To nurture the artist in each child, we have creative and performing arts clubs. Likewise, to
encourage co-curricular activities, clubs like science clubs and chess clubs are part of our
offerings. Further, we espouse the role of parents in the holistic development of a child. Hence, we
arrange workshops and activities that demand the active participation of parents.
Our ultimate goal is to build a community known as Asoka Cubs that transcends the borders of
traditional education. This community focuses on shaping well-rounded individuals who can make
the world a better place to live.