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Pestalozzi: The Man and His Work

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This is a book that really should be read by the layman, specially parents. Pestalozzi was one among many human beings who came to this Planet and did his best in order to help mankind to move ahead in terms of social and moral progress. For him education is the main tool that will drive one to be fully integrated as well as an active participant of his own community. Many scholars and educational expertise throughout the world have written so much about his ideas and teachings. Nevertheless, it sounds like most of them give too much importance to the technical aspects of a structured method, and forget about the simplicity and the essential point in his teachings. According to his ideas the family is an undeniable path to acquire education in a wide sense. A healthy family will enable one to reach "the satisfaction of natural wants that creates inner peace" and as the author of this book enphasizes "develops unconsciously the child's capacities for love, confidence, gratitude, even before the notions of obligation and duty are understood." His method actually relies basically on family values under a perception of a true relationship among its members, all guided by a true sense of love. His precept "Love is the eternal basis of education" gives the direction to be followed on the parents' effort to help the child on his moral development. "The child must be educated to be not only a skilled laborer, or an artisan, or a scholar, but a satisfactory husband to his wife, father to his son, citizen of his country. He must be able in his particular place in the community to be self-reliant and to help the others", reinforces the author. Pestalozzi also understood the profound influence and the very important role that religion plays in the educational process, although he did not take any formal religion for grant but acknowledged the importance of a true Christianity, undrstanding this to be "not only a doctrine but also a way of life". In his thinkings the relationship which exists between mother and child will develop in the latters's soul the idea of God. From that perspective Pestalozzi believed that "the feelings of love, trust, gratitude and the readiness to obey must be developed im me before I can apply them to God. I must love men, trust men, thank men, and obey men before I can aspire to love, trust, thank, and obey God. Although the author struggles to fully interpret Pestalozzi's method and often points to some incorrectness perpetrated by the schoolmaster, which makes the reading a little tough, this book allow us to take our own trip through a moving story and make our own interpretation and decision about guiding our sons. The Pestalozzi's ideas on education matter, undoubtedly is an ifficient remedy for the societies' illness that still reigns in our days. Unfortulately this is an out of print book and one has to struggle to death in order to buy it. Anyhow, it is worth trying.

This book was very informative. It was written in clear, accessible English language. It gives a very good insight for academic studies given that it creates a vivid understanding of the man's life, his thoughts, his why's of life and how it affects our present day education.