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Life Sketch

Froebel was a German. He was born in 1782 at Oberweissback. His mother died when he was a mere child. His father married another lady and did not show any interest in his upbringing.

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When Froebel could not enjoy and love of his parents, then he felt miserable and started wandering in jungles. Long living in jungles developed in him a love for Nature. When Froebel was of ten years, his maternal uncle took pity on his miserable condition and got him admitted in a school. School education could not captivate his mind.

Hence, his maternal uncle sent him to a forester to make him earn his livelihood. Here too he failed to work, but during that period he studied Nature in details. Froebel's father was a clergyman. As such, Froebel had inherited a religious mentality which later developed into Idealism. He arrived at the conclusion that natural phenomena have an inherent unity. At the age of eighteen, Froebel was sent to Jena University where he was greatly influenced by the Idealistic philosophy of Fichte and Schelling.

Due to financial stringency, Froebel had to leave Jena University and for four years he wandered here and there aimlessly.

During this period Froebel taught in a school run by Gruner at Frankfort. When he became twenty years of age, he made up his mind to become a teacher.

Hence, to become a successful teacher he went to the school of Pestalozzi at Yverdon where he learnt and taught also for two years. After that he engaged himself in sundry jobs, but finally opened a school at Keilhau under the influence of Pestalozzian ideology. This school was also closed for financial hardship. But Froebel did not lose hope.

He worked in many schools and wrote his famous book "Education of Man" in 1826. To translate his concepts into practice. He opened a school at Blankenburg and named it as Kinder Garten. The school met with admirable success.

Under its impact many such schools were opened at different places. Unfortunately in 1851, the Prussian Government, thinking Froebel as a revolutionary closed all Kinder Garten schools. Froebel was so much pained at this that he breathed his last in 1853.

Froebel's Faith in Spontaneous Growth

It was Froebel who for the first time applied the idea of unity and spontaneous growth to education. Froebel believes in an internal law which governs all things. He sees a unity in all

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diversities. To him this unity is the unity of God. God is Almighty. Everything comes from Him. Throughout his whole life Froebel was endeavouring to see a unity in all things.

He believed that there was some link binding things into a unity. He says, "Man, Particularly in boyhood, should become intimate with nature—not so much with reference to the details and the cuter forms of her phenomena as with reference to the spirit of God that lives in her and rules over us." "All things live and have their being in and through the divine unity, in and through God.... Nature, as well as all existing things, is a manifestation, a revelation of God."

Froebel believed that the principle underlying all creation was one. Hence, he concluded that there must be continuity in the universe. Accordingly a change or a growth must be continuous. Froebel believes that by the will of God everything develops through higher and higher stages External interference does not change the creation which develops from within spontaneously according to its own laws.

Leibnitz Theory of Organic Growth

Froebel adopted Leibnitz's theory of organic growth that the seed contains in miniature the whole plant. Likewise the germ-cell contains in miniature the whole animal. The growth of plant and animal is organic. They have their own laws of growth. Their individual parts and limbs are interdependent. They do not grow independent of each other.

Theory of Inner Growth and Education

Froebel says that to an acute observer the child indicates what he is or what he is to become. All this lies in the child and can be attained through development from within. Had this been true, the ideal of education had been a passive

noninterference. Froebel is not right when he says that the child, the boy, the man should know no other endeavour but to be at every stage of development what that stage stands for.' But this principle of divine unity and organic growth does not work undisturbed. Everywhere there are various kinds of obstructions which disturb our inner growth. Our original nature becomes very much changed because of the vicissitudes of life.

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Hence education is needed to check this deviation from the right path. We are liable to fall victims to various temptations if we do not receive proper education "Education is needed to lead and guide man to clearness concerning himself and in himself, to peace with nature, and to unity with God, hence, it should lead him to a knowledge of himself and of mankind, to a knowledge of God and Nature and to the pure and holy life to which such knowledge leads."

Nature study should be included in the curriculum as it will acquaint the children with the handiwork of God.

Mathematics will make clear to them that the universe is governed by its own laws.

Froebel on Mental Development

To Froebel mental growth is organic. In order to make a plant grow we induce it to become active in its own natural way.

We may seek to abridge the time or modify the result but we have to act through the plant's own activity. The activity of a thing's own self may be called self activity.

Knowing feeling and willing are the three major activities of the mind. Exercises directed towards mental development must be in complete accord with the process of knowing, feeling and willing and at the same time proportionately balanced accordingly to their strength. We find the result better if the activity is that of the whole mind.

In other words, knowing, feeling and willing must all take their rightful share in the exercise, and in particular, feeling and willing—the mind's powers of prompting and non-tishing, of maintaining and directing its own activities must never be neglected.

"A divine message or eternal regulation of the universe there verily is, in regard to every conceivable procedure and affairs of man; faithfully following this, said procedure or affair will prosper not following this,... destruction and wreck are certain for every affair."

These words of Carlyle aptly express Froebel's thought on education. We must first of all ascertain the diving message before we attempt to educate. Froebel believes that this divine message may be learnt by studying the nature of organism.

Each human being must "develop from within self active and 232

free, in accordance with the eternal law. This is the problem and the aim of all education in instruction and training; there can be and should be no other."

In the term self activity may be summed the general method advocated by Froebel. To him the soul itself is an activity. To be active is inherent in our nature. With our birth we bring certain tendencies which always prompt us to action. Thus mind is a propulsive activity.

Froebel believe that mind is a unity just as life is also a unity. Mind has no independent faculties. All its power and forces are organically related like branches and leaves to a tree. For sound mental growth of the child Foebel suggests that there should be no gulf between home and school. The influence of the two should be organically connected, otherwise purpose of education is sure to be defeated.

Froebel contends that the unity between the various stages of mental growth—infancy, childhood, youth, manhood—

should not be lost sight of, otherwise education would be of no avail. There should be a connection between the various activities of the mind and the various aspects of life. Froebel calls this relation between the two interconnectedness. The realisation of this interconnectedness should constitute one great aim of education.

Educational Views of Froebel

Froebel was the first person to formulate Kindergarten method for the education of small children. According to him a child is repository of all good qualities. We should develop those qualities to the fullest extent so that he develops into a dynamic citizen of his country.

According to Froebel each child carries within itself the seeds of its fullest development. Hence education should be so organised that a child develop himself by his own efforts. Just as a full grown tree lies embedded in a tiny seed, in the same way, a full grown man lies concealed in an infant.

As a harmonious and conducive environment develops a seed into a full grown tree, in the same way proper and

conducive environment develops a child into a full grown adult. Hence, Froebel compared a school with a garden, a child with a seedling and a teacher with a gardener.

Just as a seedling which develops into a tree under the 233

care and supervision of a gardener who helps to provide conducive environment, much in the same way, a child develops

into an adult under the loving care and supervision of a teacher who tries to create a conducive environment. The two processes are in accordance with the natural laws and processes of growth and development.

Aim of Education According to Froebel

According to Froebel there is a divine power operating behind the whole world. This power expresses itself in the conscious state of Nature as well as man. Hence, education should create such an environment that the child realises this divine presence and is able to identify himself with this world and the Nature.

According to Froebel inspite of apparent differences and distinctions, all things are basically one and same having an underlying unity. All these things are developing towards their ultimate form, the Supreme Divine Being through their own internal laws and processes.

Hence education of child is to be organised in such a manner that he realises this fundamental unity in diversities of external objects and phenomena. In accordance with Froebel all things are developing according to specific divine laws.

Hence, there should be no external interference in this process of development and children should be given full freedom to develop according to their nature.

The Function of Education

To Froebel education is a stage in the evolution of the child. Education helps him to elevate him to a higher level and be a useful member of the society. By education he understands that he is a part of nature. Through education, he becomes conscious of his unique existence and begins to seek his own place in the human society. He becomes ambitious to play his own part in the interactions of the society. Instruction should not be arbitrary. It should not aim at making the child mind a store of informations which he can utilise for his immediate purpose. It should always be slow, continuous and gradual in leading child from the simple to complex, from the concrete to the abstract. The informations to be imparted to the child should be so natural and suitable

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to the present requirements of the child that he goes to school as if he is going to the playground.

The Childhood is a Period of Play

The childhood is a period of play and not of work. "The play is", says Froebel, "The highest phase of child development

— of human development—at this period; for it is selfactive representation of the inner, representation of the inner from inner necessity and impulse. Play is the purest most spiritual activity of man at this stage.... It gives, therefore, joy, freedom, contentment, inner and outer rest, peace with the world. It holds the source of all that is good."

If play is to have any educative value is should not be a purposive activity. But the play needs to be organised and controlled on definite materials in order to harmonise the feelings and the activities of the children while engaged in the activities. "Without rational conscious guidance," Froebel is reported to have said, "Childish activity degenerates into aimless play instead of preparing for those tasks of life for which it is destined."

The Child's Own Individuality: Self Realisation

The same divine principles work in every individual in a different manner. The child is not a blind follower. He does not accept everything told to him. He does only that which is related some how or other with his own way of doing things. To an observer he may appear to be imitating but in reality he does what suits his purpose in relation with his interests and impulses.

No two children develop in like manner even if they are kept in the same environment. Each child grows in his own way.

Self realisation may be described as an individual's development of natural inclination towards right direction. It is through the self activity that a man can realise himself.

Hence neither a teacher nor an artificial atmosphere can be regarded as the sure means to arouse self activity in the child.

As a matter of fact it must be determined by the child's own natural tendencies to action, only then it can produce some permanent effect. Active participation by the child is very important in the process of his self realisation.

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Self Activity is Creative

The result of education consists in what the child gives out from within himself. It does not consist in what the child learns from outside. Each child has a tendency to make new forms and combinations which suggest the new ideas and images arising in him. The child produces something which may appear to the adult as absurd and meaningless. But the divine principle is active also in the child as in the adult. So whatever he produces must have some meaning or other.

Thus Froebel concludes that the development of self activity is essentially creative. He devoted special attention to this attribute of creativeness in the child.

School an Instrument of Progress

Man is social being. He is dependent on the people among whom he lives. This suggests the value of home, school, brotherhood, and society. We do things being influenced by others. The individual and race make one great organic life.

Froebel regards, the home, the school and the institutions higher unities. The school is a place where the child learns in what way he is related with society in general. Thus school is an instrument for the progress of the individual as well as of the society.

Kinder-Garten Method

Froebel opened a school for small children at Balckenburg to put into practice his own ideas and principles of education.

He called this school as kindergarten which means in German language as garden of children. In this schools, he provided full and free opportunities for full self activites, freedom of self experiencing, sociability and provision of various playful activities as means of education and development.

In his Kinder-Garten method he provided self expression as the main expression of the inner self of a child. According to him, the directions of this self expression are song, gesture and construction.

In the Kinder-Garten, Mother's play and nursers songs together with gifts and occupations are used as means of education.

Mother's play and Nursery rhymes'—is a small book 236

which contains about fifty simple songs. These songs establish affectionate bonds between the child and its mother, develop his sense organs and help in the physical, mental as well as spiritual development.

Froebel has laid out a scheme of about twenty gifts of which there are six prominent ones as cylindrical objects, spherical objects and cubic objects. When these objects develop the thinking power of children, then they are led to other forms of self expression and self activity as paper cutting, wood-craft, picture-drawing, making a garland, sewing, singing, dancing, knitting a carpet and other occupations.

Merits of Kinder-Garten Method

1. Kinder-Garten method is child centred. Hence is valuable for the education of children.

2. In this method creativity, self-reliance and self-expression of children are stimulated and developed.

3. This method develops the imaginative and creative capacities of children.

4. Kinder-Garten method gives sense training.

5. This method develops mental, emotional, social and spiritual qualities in children.

6. Here children are treated with love, affection and sympathy.

7. This is very simple, interesting and attractive method.

Demerits of Kinder-Garten Method

1. This method requires a number of gifts, occupations and specialized teachers which cannot be provided at all times, in all conditions and in all schools.

2. This method entails a lot of expenditure. Hence, poor countries cannot take recourse to it.

3. Children of early age do not comprehend the principle emphasised by Froebel.

4. Froebel's pictures and rhymes are old. They are not suitable to all places and to all times.

5. The scheme of gifts and occupations imposes restrictions of the method itself. It goes against Froebel's philosophy of freedom and natural growth.

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6. Before entering such a school, a child gains knowledge of various colours, shapes and sounds of many objects. Hence, repetition of such activities becomes a waste of time, energy and resources.

Curriculum According to Froebel

Froebel assigned prominent place in the curriculum to Religion, Religious instruction, Nature study, Arithmetic, Language, Arts, Handicrafts and emphasised that all subjects should possess internal unity and correlation. In the absence of this underlying unity and correlation, the curriculum will be able to achieve anything worth while.

Method of Teaching According to Froebel

Froebel has laid stress upon the following principles:

(1) Principles of self activity. Froebel wished to achieve a free and full development of a child's individuality. Hence, he emphasised the importance of self activity and experiences. Self activity according to him means those activities which a child does in accordance with his own interests and likings. In other words, a child develops freely by his own self initiated activities and tries to solve various problems, adjusts himself to environment and realises the divine unity underlying all the different things of world and Nature. In this way, self activity has a powerful influence upon the development of child's personality.

(2) Principle of learning by play. Froebel laid great importance to the play activities of a child in his education. According to him, a child is immensely interested in play activates. If his education is organised according to his interests in play, then he will learn many things easily and eagerly. In short, a child's self activity finds expression in play. Hence learning

(2) Principle of learning by play. Froebel laid great importance to the play activities of a child in his education. According to him, a child is immensely interested in play activates. If his education is organised according to his interests in play, then he will learn many things easily and eagerly. In short, a child's self activity finds expression in play. Hence learning