Noddings’ Advocates, Essay Example

A reflection on issues of caring Noddings’ advocates

Nodding argues that there have been enormous changes since World War II, in many aspects of life. However, education system has not responded to the social changes and thus a need is there to rearrange the education offered for children. Nodding has come clear that we do not need training that is more academic so that we can stop crimes, poverty, and other evils.

I support her idea that education should promote the theme of care and morality among children. It is evident that this has been neglected so much considering the evils befalling the society at present. There is a lot of violence against humanity, animals, and the environment at large. The main purpose of education at present is not to produce caring people, but for adequacy in academics. Indeed, education should focus at making learners care: for fellow humans, for self, for associates and acquaintances, for intimate others, for animals, for distant others, for objects and instruments, for the physical environment and plants, and for ideas. An education, which aims to foster all these will be one of high quality, holistic and admirable. This will help in solving social problems facing humanity at present. Considering the rate of crime, divorce, domestic violence, murder, wars, terrorism and other vices against humans, we must do something that can bring a change in the society. The curriculum we have centers a lot on ideas, but it lacks I that the ideas are put together in a poor manner. We should have in mind the fact that learners entail a people versed in various capacities that need development.

The themes of morality and care help people to be responsible for their actions towards others. Education should put emphasis on ethical relations. Learners should learn to mingle with people of diverse backgrounds. Girls should learn how to relate to boys. Education should prepare them to be future parents well shaped for life challenges in the present society. The education we have has failed in that it ignores family issues such as the care of children. It has taken the traditional notion that it is women’s responsibility to take care of the children. An education that allows discussion concerning   parents’ role in the care of children is needed to solve problems in families. We should know that caring for children by both parents is not only ethical but also rewarding.

There is a need to de-emphasize standardization in school curricula. Standardization is an admirable thing, but we should not overuse it. This has led to a trend of setting standards for students entering colleges. Thus, some students who do not perform well in tests do not proceed to college. All should honour honest work, which is well done. Schools have children with different and crucial capacities in life. Some are students talented in academics, some in sports such as athletics, some in music and other fields. Standardization has made educators dwell on academics more than other areas that matter in the children affairs. Emphasis has always been on success in academics. When a student fails in class, the society views it as the end of everything. However, we need to envision education differently. We should tailor curricula in a way that it accommodates all capacities among our children. Structural and organizational changes are necessary to effect a change in morality. Education’s main aim should be to produce caring, competent, lovable, and loving people, and not just academics.

Noddings’ ideas are desirable, realistic, and suitable for educational needs at present. Moral decay vast in the society today, and we should question what has caused it. Where did we go wrong? What can be done in order to restore morality and respect for humanity? One of the tools used to shape human behavior is education. Therefore, something has to happen to education. It must adapt to the social changes that have occurred overtime or else we stand to face the consequences constantly. The ideas are beneficial because, Noddings has suggested a holistic educational approach, which addresses pressing needs in the current society. My view is that, if we give a chance to the education type suggested by Noddings, we will to some extent phase out some violence embedded in the society.

Implementation of an education that considers multiplicity of capacities faces many challenges. These challenges include a fear of intellectual mission loss. The educators may be unwilling to give up their teaching to meet standards, unless the states are willing to de-emphasize on standardization. Restructuring and reorganization of educational programs may take a long time, and the educators may take long to succumb by them. The prevailing education system is deeply ingrained in students and teachers, and bringing students and teachers together will not be easy. It needs some time before students and teachers learn to talk freely about crucial social issues. Parents have had a tendency to neglect their responsibilities. This is especially in the case of childcare, which dwells in the woman’s most according to tradition. It will take time before we weed out the tradition that makes men neglect their moral obligation to care for children.