Holistic Education: An Alternative Approach in Education

By: Franky A. Nahur
English Education Study Program
Faculty of Teachers Training and Education
Sanata Dharma University, Yogyakarta
May, 2010

It is undeniable that today our world has multidimensional crisis. Ecological problem with its damaged forest issue is causing global warming. Technological impact is changing human attitudes and causing moral decadency. Monetary crisis and political problems bring nations to poverty and egotism. Many other problems are happening like a chain; a problem links to another and so forth.
These complicated problems are relating to the bad impacts in our society. Everyday we listen to bad news about terrorism, oppression, violence, murderous, vengeance, militarism, unhealthy competitions and many kinds of injustice. What we can reflect from the situation is that besides the improvement in knowledge and technology we also experience those serious problems. Crime seems to grow as well as the development of our civilisation and education. The question is what really happens in our society? What really happens in educating our new generation? If we want to slow down these problems, what should we do?
Education’s Common Problem
Educating activity causes one knows what to do, how to do something and why s/he does it. What I mean here is the process of how one is educated either formally or informally. We should criticise it base on the problems (proofs) above. This article reflects the system of education that had stolen children from their instincts of harmony.
Nowadays the system of education emphasize on intellectual (hard skill) achievement as the most. In many countries, the system of education is generally designed as if the world is merely an intellectual arena. This is what so-called as the crisis of knowledge. Miller (1999) writes that there is a main problem in the system of education. He calls it as epistemological crisis. The lack of holistic understanding about the knowledge itself causes the problems on the surface. Referring to Douglas Sloan’s proposes Miller agree that people tend to simplify knowledge to be so “technicist.” David Orr also proposes “technological fundamentalism”. Other proponents call it as “reductionist” or “mechanistic” ways of thinking.
Alternative Education
As the central problem, the epistemological crisis must be viewed. The philosophy of knowledge should be emphasized especially on how to attain knowledge because it relates to learning activity. The educators should be able to apply the kind of knowledge so that the activity of attaining knowledge involves all aspects of life. Apparently, based on this understanding, some experts have improved some types of alternative education which are holistically applied in some schools.
A philosopher, Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) proposes the concept of holistic education. Steiner considers education as an art of improvement of mental, psychological, emotional, spiritual and moral of the learners. Steiner believes that “every child is more than a future employee, and every person's being is much more than just what he or she is at that particular stage of his or her life.”
Maria Montessori (1870-1952) emphasized her method of learning on inner power of every child to learn in a prepared environment. The children are free to expose their own destiny and interest. In this process they are able to maximize their self-exploration and guidance. They are to be followed in interacting with environment from which they make interconnection with the nature/world. In assisting them, the teachers should accompany them base on the principle of liberation and accommodation (Montessori Method, Wikipedia)
Another education expert is Howard Gardner (born July 11, 1943 in Scranton, Pennsylvania). In his theory of Multiple Intelligences he distinguishes human intelligences into eight: verbal, musical, logical/mathematical, visual, physical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist. According to him, everybody has their mastery in certain intelligence. The particular ability greatly influences how a student leans. So, we cannot justify a person stupid (Smith, 2002, 2008).
Daniel Goleman (born in March 7th 1946) destroys an old paradigm when people adore intellectual intelligence (IQ) as the only criterion of successful. Goleman proposes Emotional Intelligence (1996), Social Intelligence (2006) and Ecological Intelligence (2009) as other determining factors of success. These three later aspects mostly determine one’s maturity. Another spiritualist figure is Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895-1986) who emphasizes more on spiritual dimension in education.
A Holism Approach
Holistic education may be considered as an approach of education. It is based on holism philosophy which leads the students to interconnection with the world. In this interconnection atmosphere, they will able to improve their care within the environment where they are living. The students are asked to realise that they are dependent either on each other or on the environment around them. By knowing this, they are insisted to respect and care about each other and the nature. The important thing is that they have to experience it by themselves.
Miller (1999) writes that holism involves three meaningful words those are soul, spirit and cosmos. Soul gives human vital requirements of acknowledging mind, feeling, ambition and ideals that move our personality. Meanwhile spirit is more that a material wealth. It is an awareness that controls and forms religiosity and/or norms. The cosmos is relating to the universe in general in which the wholeness and interconnection happen.
Through this concept, holistic education offers a greater possibility in learning and understanding the entire world. It may apply any theory of learning. Educators may apply any appropriate and possible theory (cognitive or behavioural, or reflective, or mystical) in order to achieve the interconnection. Reflective and mystical theories of learning are the special characters in holistic education.
Curriculum Design
The objective of holistic education is to increase the students’ sense of connection which leads them to create a harmony world. The condition is achieved through the competence of deep reflection, discerning ability and caring.
However, according to Miller (1999), this kind of education has no single method. It is because it has no specific narrow point of view. The point of view is the holistic itself which is larger than any specification. Therefore it is possible to use any method according to the need in a certain situation. The curriculum is emergent curriculum which formed through the interaction among the students, teacher and the world. It does not mean that it is an incidental learning.
There are two principles in designing the curriculum. The first is learner centred principle. This principle emphasizes on the learners’ unique characteristics and freedom. It is proposed especially by Montessori in her school. The students are the starting point of learning. The second is response the students. The teachers are suggested to respond the students’ needs. They may learn whatever they want in order to find their destiny. But, at the same time, the teachers are insisted to accommodate the world into the students understanding. In this principle, the students are not only free but also, at the same time, controlled by their teachers.
Implementation in Indonesia
Holistic approach has been well-known in Indonesia. There are many alternative schools now. As the consequence, they are not applying national curriculum. Some have their own curriculum which they design according to their special purposes. In Bali we will find some international schools which base on this approach. Pelangi School (Yayasan Cahaya Pelangi Bali) in Ubud, for instance, has a special curriculum. It is based on British National Curriculum that is combined with Indonesian National Curriculum. The school is located on a very beautiful and natural environment where the students can be close to the nature. Their mission is “to inspire creative confidence, and caring individuals with a love of learning and life.
Another example is Green School in Sibang Kaja, Bali. In this school the students are given relevant holistic and green education which is supported by its green location. It adopts Steiner’s idea on holistic education which is applied within Cambridge International General Certificate in Secondary Education and International Baccalaureate Courses. Base on these courses they design their detail curriculum for each grade from Nursery and Kindergarten to Upper Secondary grades.
Indonesia has a great possibility in developing this approach in its education system. It is because Indonesia has great spiritual potencies as a religious country. In addition, Indonesia still has greater supportive area and environment in which we can apply this approach. Shall Indonesian government optimize these potencies? Why don’t we try from now on, from ourselves, family and neighbourhoods.**

REFERENCES:

Daniel Goleman. Wikipedia. Retrieved May 20, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Goleman
Greenschool Bali Indonesia. Retrived April 27 2010, from http://www.greenschool.org/school_curriculum/main.htm
Pelangi School. Retrived April 15 2010, from http://www.pelangischoolbali.com/curriculum.html
Miller, Ron .(1999). Making Connections to the World: Some Thoughts on Holistic Curriculum. Pathsoflearning. Retrived March 20, 2010. from http://www.pathsoflearning. net/articles_Making_Connections.phpMontessori Method. Wikipedia. Retrived May 22, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montessori_method
Smith, Mark K. (2002, 2008) 'Howard Gardner and multiple intelligences', the encyclopedia of informal education, Retrived May 22 2010, from http://www.infed.org/thinkers/gardner.htm.
Waldorf Education. Wikipedsia. Retrived May 22,2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldorf_education
What is Holistic Education?. Retrived May 22, 2010, from Max Stibbe Wadorf School: http://www.max stibbe.co.za/et-holistic-education.htm