What is Holistic Education?

Holistic education is a philosophy of education based on the premise that each person finds identity, meaning, and purpose in life through connections to the community, to the natural world, and to humanitarian values such as compassion and peace. The holistic approach isn’t just about mental development, but it encompasses psychological, social and emotional growth which all contribute to your child realising their full potential.

When it comes to rethinking our current educational system, a holistic education offers an exciting alternative. In recent decades, a significant amount of social and psychological research has been conducted which has greatly enhanced our understanding of child development. This understanding has allowed us to look at ways that bring out the very best of each child in an educational setting and has brought with it a holistic teaching methodology.

Today, parents and educators alike want more from their children’s education. They are looking for an approach to education that is in tune with each child’s unique needs and skills, and one that prepares the child to become a well-rounded adult. As such, holistic education is based on the idea that children can be taught in a more natural and engaging way. The holistic approach seeks to empower children to use their academic learning as a foothold for their emotional and social development.

The holistic approach not only teaches core subjects necessary for future success, but also teaches children how to learn, how each child can realise their own individual potential using alternative methods that encourage learning in all children. After all – no two children are the same! Each child is unique, and therefore has a unique way of learning. The holistic approach brings this into consideration and allows the child to play centre stage. A holistic approach motivates children to learn about a subject. It instills curiosity and allows children to learn naturally and creatively. It is also attuned to each child’s individual persona and learning style.

The result is a child who develops better communication and social skills, and better confidence. They feel good about learning and challenging themselves with certain subjects because these things offer positive associations. Intrinsic motivation, in turn, propels them to be curious, inquisitive, and eventually be innovative adults in the workplace. Overall, the holistic approach to education offers each child a gift to realise their potential in mental development, along with psychological, social and emotional growth. Since 2017 Dr. Anish K. Joy is serving as the Educational Strategist at Poornodaya Vidyanikethan.

Our goal is to connect Holistic Educational institutions from around the world in order to provide a space for sharing ideas, stimulating perpetual growth and development.

Below you will find a list of the institutions we have thus far managed to network with as part of our goal.

If our vision resounds with your own organizations values and you would like to be a part of our platform for development, please get in touch via our contact page.