A 2019 research conducted by Mellon Foundation, an acclaimed private foundation, reports that humanities education is helpful to society because it helps preserve and curate culture. It also contributes to maintaining democracy by teaching crucial skills, such as critical thinking, idea evaluation, and debate.
Humanities education encompasses a wide range of human creativity and thought, including language, music, literature, philosophy, theatre, music, and performing and visual arts. In school, primary school students will gain fundamental knowledge in all of these and be given the opportunity to learn more about the subjects that are most appealing and useful to them. This reinforces their knowledge and instils skills that will help them succeed in their professional lives, in addition to giving them a well-rounded education.
Why should we expose humanities subjects to younger students?
Aside from those mentioned above, humanities matter in the lives of young students because they teach children to:
- Have a sense of care for themselves, other people, and the environment.
- Wonder about the meaning and purpose of life.
- Learn about sustainability, global citizenship, and democracy.
- Explore their own values, beliefs, identities, and concepts, such as space, faith, and time.
- Have empathy for people like them and those who are different from them, allowing them to appreciate diversity, challenge prejudice and bias, and explore common ground.
- Expand their imaginative and cultural horizons.
- Establish habits and skills, such as critical and creative thinking.
Exposing humanities in school, and with the help of private home tuition, helps young children develop skills that will be beneficial to them no matter the role or field they choose to pursue in the future. But of course, it would be best to ask yourself questions to determine which tutor is suitable for the matter.
Benefits of humanities
Humanities education offers the following benefits:
Become effective communicators
An essential benefit of humanities education in primary school is that it helps students develop skills and proficiency in writing, reading, and critical thinking. As a result, they can become effective communicators, allowing them to convey their ideas effectively and absorb other people’s contributions. Anyone who has not read, understood, and discussed the great orators and writers who came before could not fully understand the intricacies of the English language.
Solve problems creatively
Creativity is an essential tool to success and one of the critical leadership competencies. The modern workplace values creativity more than ever because creatives are exciting, trendy, and offer valuable input. And what better way to teach students creativity than through literature, art, theatre, culture, and music?
Become good citizens and better leaders
Humanities education in primary school teaches children about the past. It encourages young individuals to be more engaged and become an informed electorate in the future to develop into good citizens. Students need to learn and understand how certain events took place to be more conscientious and more motivated to contribute to the betterment of the community.
Be more engaged in academics
Students who are given a solid education in humanities develop an in-depth knowledge of history, literature, and art, making them well-rounded individuals with a comprehensive education in humanities. Aside from that, they are able to study more effectively, have the opportunity to deal with important issues, think critically about complex questions, and discuss relevant source materials. Moreover, humanities help young people read better, write better, engage more in school, and think critically.
Conclusion
Humanities is an essential component of the secondary school curriculum. However, the current primary school curriculum only includes four core subjects: English, maths, science, and mother tongue. These subjects frequently rely on rote learning, which inhibits students’ ability to express creative thinking.
Thus, as parents, we can do our part to encourage our primary school children to appreciate humanities by exposing them to it through the help of a Singapore private tutor from Tuition Family Singapore. Hiring one assists young students in improving their study habits and becoming more confident and responsible. Additionally, engaging 1 to 1 home tuition in Singapore offers personalised student learning with measurable results. Contact us today to get your child started on their humanities journey and to learn more about our home tuition rates!