The right kind of education consists in understanding the child as he is without imposing upon him an ideal of what we think he should be. To enclose him in the framework of an ideal is to encourage him to conform, which breeds fear and produces in him a constant conflict between what he is and what he should be: and all inward conflicts have their outward manifestations in society. If the parent loves the child, he observes him, he studies his tendencies, his moods, and peculiarities. It is only when one feels no love for the child that one imposes upon him an ideal, for then one’s ambitions are trying to fulfill themselves in him, wanting him to become this or that.
If one loves, not the ideal but the child, then there is a possibility of helping him to understand himself as he is. Ideals are a convenient escape, and the teacher who follows them is incapable of understanding his students and dealing with them intelligently; for him, the future ideal, the what should be, is far more important than the present child. The pursuit of an ideal excludes love, and without love no human problem can be solved. If the teacher is of the right kind, he will not depend on a method, but will study each individual pupil. In our relationship with children and young people, we are not dealing with mechanical devices that can be quickly repaired, but with living beings who are impressionable, volatile, sensitive, afraid, affectionate: and to deal with them, we have to have great understanding, the strength of patience and love. When we lack these, we look to quick and easy remedies and hope for marvellous and automatic results.
If we are unaware, mechanical in our attitudes and actions, we fight shy of any demand upon us that is disturbing and that cannot be met by an automatic response, and this is one of our major difficulties in education. (Extract with edits from ”The right kind of Education” by J. Krishna Murti)
What does the passage highlight as the quality of a parent who really desires to understand his child?
Correct Answer :
They observe and study the tendencies, moods, and peculiarities of the child
Solution :
The correct answer is: They observe and study the tendencies, moods, and peculiarities of the child
Step-by-step Explanation:
1. Analyzing the Question:
The question asks what specific quality or action characterizes a parent who truly desires to understand their child, according to the provided passage.
2. Locating Relevant Information in the Passage:
In the first paragraph of the passage, J. Krishnamurti writes:
"If the parent loves the child, he observes him, he studies his tendencies, his moods, and peculiarities. It is only when one feels no love for the child that one imposes upon him an ideal..."
3. Evaluating the Options:
• Option 1: "They look at their child through the prism of an ideal" — Incorrect. The passage states that imposing an ideal on a child prevents real understanding and breeds fear and conflict.
• Option 2: "They observe and study the tendencies, moods, and peculiarities of the child" — Correct. This directly matches the text from the passage describing how a parent who loves and wants to understand their child acts.
• Option 3: "They love their child to become someone great as per their ambitions" — Incorrect. The passage explicitly criticizes parents who try to fulfill their own ambitions through their children.
• Option 4: "They encourage the child to find out what she/he is and what she/he should be" — Incorrect. The passage notes that creating a conflict between "what he is" and "what he should be" causes inward conflict and fear.
Conclusion:
Thus, the passage highlights that a loving parent who genuinely wishes to understand their child observes and studies the child's own unique tendencies, moods, and peculiarities without imposing rigid ideals.
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