“An attempt to analyze – why Nonsense, meaningless, non-logical, unnecessary and incoherent things and activities has importance in the process of Personality Development & Learning of Children”

Dr. Swatantra K. Richhariya

• Why are you doing this Nonsense/meaningless?
• Do not speak too much?
• Why are you screaming?
• This is non-logical?
• Do not talk about unnecessary/illogical things?

Often we can hear these questions/sentences by the elders during threatening for children. Psychology states that human behavior is combination of both logic and emotion, for human beings both logic and emotion are required. In socialization and personality development – meaningless with meaningful, useless with useful, all processes/activities are required. If we look at the initial period of children 0-5 years, we can understand that most of the time children spend in non-logical and incoherent work. These non-logical, incoherent, Nonsense and meaningless activities of children drive their learning process.

The child’s initial language begins with non-logical and unconscious sounds and voices, which later takes the form of an apparent language. Children’s sports activities are meant to be blissful rather than achieving success or achieving any goal. If we see children behaving independently around us, then we can know that children are usually screaming out of the absurd voices, they are jumping and running in an incompatible way in the playing, all this is the medium of enjoyment for them. It is often difficult for adults to understand these non-logical and incoherent, Nonsense things and activities of children on the basis of reasoning and discipline.

Failure, Depression and stress are some common words of today’s fast running post-modern society. Human beings continue to face conflicts many times in their life by these words, but today’s youth especially children and adolescents, are facing a lot of stress.

When we make the micro analysis of the anxiety and stresses prevailing in children and adolescents, then two major institutions of societies seem to be liable for this. Family and school are two most important social institutions, which primarily drive the process of socialization and knowledge development of children.

If we look at the processes and activities of these two institutions, then we can know that, today both the school and the family have structured themselves in this way, in which the opportunities for personal interest, independence and occult creativity for children are rarely found. Children spend 6-7 hours daily by the prescribed curriculum and rules of school. From prayer to school to the last hour, children are following the instruction of the teachers. In these 6-7 hours of school, basic expression and participation is rarely available to children.

“Children’s voices and experiences do not get expression in the classroom, often only the teacher’s voice is heard. The children speak only to answer the teacher’s questions or to repeat the words of the teacher. Sometimes you can see something yourself. They do not even have the opportunity to take the initiative. Instead of developing the ability to repeat the knowledge of books, curriculum has been able to find the children so that they can find their voice, nurture their curiosity, do their own self, ask questions, examine them, and connect their experiences with schooling.”(National Curriculum Framework, India 2005)

The French philosopher ‘Foucault’ keeps the school equivalent from jail, factory and hospital, and points out that it is the means of practicing discipline, power and authority, there are a variety of tools in which to stay involved. Their aim is to develop ‘humble body’ and ‘obedient consciousness’.

Until a while ago, when the children came home, they forgot the school’s over-disciplinary and stressful atmosphere, because they behaved their mind at home, they could do all they could to make them joyful, energetic. The home/family used to work as a safety valve to reduce school discipline and stress. But in this highly competitive era, where the ultimate goal is to become financially successful – the house has also been made as a sub-center of the school. Endless expectations of parents, end the possibilities of child’s original expression. Keeping children disciplined even in homes, the order passed by the parents, to do all that – Which can make financially successful in the coming time.

If there is a micro observation of the processes of school and home, there is a great similarity between the two, that is- very insistence only for just meaningful works. The school and the guardians expect children today to be attached to just such meaningful works and things that they can achieve success in the future. The school and the house are bent on eliminating the incoherent, meaningless, nonsense, illogical, unnecessary tasks and sports activities of their minds. The elders think that all the children who are doing this are all useless and the kids are spoiling the time.

Adults have designed children’s daily routine and parenting in this way, where there is no time and no place, In which children can do the work / activity of their mind. Observe carefully then we can know that in reality in 24 hours children have no time to do anything with their minds. Children are forced to behave just according to the rules, values ​​and expectations set by adults. What children want? Why their fundamental expression and independently behave is necessary? The concern of these important questions is neither to the school nor to the parents.

       “Children can learn in the same environment where they feel that they are considered important. Our schools still do not feel like this at all. Even with regard to learning and contentment of happiness, relationship with fear, discipline and stress if so, it is harmful to learn.”(National Curriculum Framework, India 2005)”

Not only the children, when the adults self-analyze their behavior, then they can realize that adults also do non-logical and unproductive tasks in their daily routine activities, to remove stress and over burden of daily routine life. According to modern psychology- for the balance of mental stability and personality – with logic and discipline as well as non-logical, incoherent, meaningless tasks also have its special significance.

While operating the learning process of children school, guardian forgets that- highly disciplined and over structured rules and activities affect the personality negatively. In this kind of environment, children lose their basic expression, to ask their questions, the tendency of curiosity starts to decline.

A few decades ago schools and parents established to a new concept in the name of an activity classes, to remove children from natural sports and opportunities to be happy. Activities like sports, music, singing, dance, painting, horse riding, swimming are operated in the name of personality development within the activity class of the school/children’s professional club. Adults feel that children are entertained in these activity classes and they are learning a new skill that will enhance their personality. Most of the time children do not participate actively in such activities because these activities are unable to provide real happiness for them.

Adult forgets an important thing related to children mind. Children feel happy while doing the same activities they choose by themselves. Instead of the natural selection of children – sports and other activities given by adults/school they look like others subject’s class.  Swimming, music or sports activity without his choice or mind they look obnoxious like mathematics or a science class.

In the first 5-7 years of learning, children are able to participate fully in those activities where they get enjoyment. Children do not work on the basis of being useful/beneficial, rather they choose any work, activity or sport only the basis of enjoyment- which they get. If children are in any kind of activity from discipline/fear, without their longing, then the learning process is interrupted, as well as the negative impact of children’s personality as well.

If the parents and the school want to operate the process of socialization and knowledge acquiring without stress, depression, then they have to change this highly-structured, highly-disciplined, over-meaningful insistence system in home and school. The children will have to provide such opportunities in the school’s teaching process and home- where children can express their feelings and desires fundamentally. It is known from various educational, psychological researches that children or adults are able to show their high abilities only when they are provided such an environment to work or to learn, in which they can radically display their feelings, desires, thoughts and views.

When creating the school curriculum, Along with classes of different disciplines, Special time must be provided for the basic expression of children. Just as a zero-hour has been included in the proceedings of the Parliament, in which any question can be asked by the relevant liable person. Similarly in the time-table of the school day, one class should be declared as a zero class, in which the children could ask for all their incoherent, ridiculous, unrealistic, illogical fundamental questions, So that they are able to fulfill their endless curiosities, like the seaside waves that arise in every moment.

In this zero class of school, Children should be allowed to do all the irrational things, including screaming, speaking and dancing, which they cannot do in the usual thematic classes and in school routines. In addition to the school, parents also have to provide such opportunities at home in which children can demonstrate their original expression. The house will have to work like that safety valve, in which children can reduce the stress generated by society and educational process.

Considering as their mandatory moral obligation of society, school, and parents, in this highly structured, highly-disciplined, highly-meaningful arrangement of the home and school, children will have to provide some time for basic expression, So that children can be saved from stress and depression. In the process of personality development and learning, along with logical, disciplined and systematic processes and things – must be understand the importance of incoherent, non-logical, meaningless, unproductive things and activities in life. Appropriate balance between logic and emotion are required for children wellbeing. Only then will we be able to ensure the real all-round development of children.