REFLECTING GROWTH: A STUDY OF CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT IN CHILDREN OF PAKISTAN

Abstract

Parenting, the initial and foundational educational process within the home environment, entails the guidance, teaching, and nurturing of children. Experts do not agree on a specific definition of education, most believe that education should combine ethical and moral values with practical skills for the future generation. For example, Paulo Freire, Lisa Delpit, and Horace Mann defined education as a comprehensive process in their essay, which includes the sharing of cultural values, learning new information and developing practical skills, encouraging social justice, responsible citizenship, and an appreciation of different viewpoints. Building character is an intellectual and behavioral process that involves creating, modifying, and incorporating fundamental moral and civic values. This research is supported by a survey that shows that elementary-aged children's character development in primary school as well as within the home environment is crucial since it influences societal norms and happenings. Contemporary societies can leverage the evolving role of primary education to facilitate students' character development. Therefore, societies nowadays should focus on primary education for character building because, at the primary level, it is easy to mold students and build their character. Students’ disciplinary concerns in postcolonial Pakistani culture are influenced by their parents' upbringing and social standards. In general, addressing disciplinary concerns at the primary school level as well as in homes requires focusing on factors, like parental upbringing, cultural changes, and technological advancements that affect students' character development As highlighted by Syed Abdul Quddus in his book, character building at the primary level was practiced in the sub-continent but after British colonial rule in Pakistan, there is a pressing need to address the quality of education both in primary schools and within families because the culture has been demeaned a lot affecting students’ charactershaping. It is imperative to recognize that both parents and teachers play crucial roles in this process, and collaboration between them is essential.