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With more and more people becoming aware of the loopholes in the institutionalized educational system and traditional forms of evaluation that judges students on the basis of quantitative ideals, the traditional academic approach has begun to face serious challenges, however, it is nowhere at the verge of getting reformed.

Before talking about why reforms are needed, it is important to talk about what is holistic development. We hear a lot about child development these days, and how it is not just related to academic and intellectual development. It pertains to various facets like emotional well-being, mental health, social skills, interests, aptitude, personality and various others, that make up for a healthy individual.

While traditional academic approach just takes into account the learning and mental capacities of the student, a holistic approach calls for a need to give importance to various aspects of the personality including the growth of individual’s uniqueness.

Apart from growing school franchise opportunities, a number of reasons call for school’s attention to holistic development in equivalent terms with education, some of them are discussed below.

 Practical Application

Learning is just not limited to memorizing concepts and theories. It goes well beyond the ability of mugging up and reproducing on paper. Practical application of learned concepts into different situations, is one of the teaching method which is quite less adopted in schools.

It not only ensures an in-depth understanding of curriculum but also enables the individual to apply their problem-solving ability in real-life situations-ensuring an overall development of the individual.

 Interest, Aptitude and Personality

While taking into account individual differences, giving importance to one’s interest, aptitude and personality can provide a deep understanding of one’s overall learning pace and calibre. A number of psychometric assessments are available, which can be effectively administered with the help of counsellor. These assessments help the school’s obtain information not only about an individual’s interest and potential, but also help in giving students a direction about his/her career.

For instance, if an individual belongs to an outgoing and extrovert personality type, he/she is comfortable in communications and interactions and also has an interest in such jobs, the school can provide him with proper guidance in choosing appropriate careers like Journalism, Media, Sales and Marketing etc. Thus, it helps in making them realize their potential for adequate growth.

 Recognizing Creativity

In the traditional schooling method, there is no room for creativity. We all grew up attending boring lectures and route learning to sweep through exam. However, these lectures have never proven beneficiary for an individual’s overall development.

As interest gives birth to creativity and creativity gives birth to innovation, a scholastic approach which values learning and teaching in ways different and novel in comparison to traditional forms, should be given a trial. It will not only ensure more concentration on the part of students but will also ensure better practical applicability of this newly acquired knowledge.

 Mental Health

Emotional and social well-being, good familial and social interactions, good media influences, positive association with the teachers-all account for a good mental health state. A disturbance to any of these areas causes a decline in a student’s overall development. While he/she might score well in the exams, they might not be indicative of her stress levels or his/her social relations.

As academics is not the only field around which life revolves, educators need to take care of the students state of mind and take appropriate measures if he/she is found to be suffering in these spheres.

With more and more schools realizing the importance of all-round development, co-curricular activities other than sports and mainstream activities are included to the list. Rather than forging identity of students based on their degrees, holistic development, ensues an identity which the student decides for himself/herself and which is indicative of his/her whole personality.

Ensuring student’s overall well-being while also setting a path for attaining knowledge which is just not limited to pen and paper is the essence of holistic development and, hence, should be the future of educational institutions.