Impact of early education on children is formative, says Omani educator

Muscat: Educating children the right way is important, as the lessons they learn when they are young will play a major role in the contributions they make in the future, an Omani with more than 15 years’ experience in the field of education has said.

Balqees Suleiman Al Hassani said that educators need to understand the tasks entrusted to them, and treat all children as equals.

“Educating is simply about impacting the lives and shaping the future leaders of any nation,” she said.

“It has a great opportunity to fundamentally make the world a better place. It’s so rewarding to see future leaders grow before your own eyes and shape their personality for a better future. Educating students is indeed a very meaningful job as it will always leave the long lasting impression in learners’ lives.

“Furthermore, as an educator, you will have bigger responsibilities because you are preparing and equipping leaders with the right tools they need to be professionals, and adding a great value to their communities,” she added. “You see that glow in their eyes when they can transfer that knowledge into a useful life skill.”

Recently appointed the President of Knowledge Oman, Al Hassani said that education needs to change with the times, a process that is not easy, but one that requires the student to be at the centre of education. For this to happen, she added, there needs to be a strong connection between a teacher and a student, and the need to regularly adapt to new styles of teaching, without which both children and teachers might lose interest in learning.

“I see modern education similar to remodelling a house: we aren’t just changing the paint of the house, but updating the parts and making it more modern and efficient and fixing what doesn’t seems to be of benefit,” she said. “Gone were the days when some students can excel high and others can just stroll through class and merely do well. Our society needs all our students to excel at a high level by engaging students in their learning journey like never before.

“This is student centred learning,” explained Al Hassani. “It incorporates students’ skills and interests into the learning process, making the experience of learning more personal, and involves students in thinking about their future. What makes this work is personalised learning and that happens when there is this connection which enables teachers to address the needs of the students.

“Learning is competency based, it is about the information and skills which students have mastered and not just moving forward as part of a curriculum,” she said. “Learning happens anytime and anywhere today. Students take ownership by actively engaging through the process to ensure the impact is lasting and meaningful. We also have seen the strong impact of technology in our education system. This has made our learning journey more interesting than ever.”

With schools in Oman temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the routine that children once had has been unbalanced. The transition to online classes and a reduction in social interaction that is common with children might cause stress in children, according to Al Hassani, who has advice for parents on how to guide their children during these testing times.

“Children respond to stress in different ways, by being anxious, angry or agitated,” she explained. “Parents should respond to their concern in a supportive way by listening to their concern with attention and love. I would definitely want to focus on students’ wellbeing at the moment during this period, more so than ever before. If children are mentally focused, only then learning can take place.

“Encouraging students to have a daily routine is one of the best tips to remain focused,” she added. “Having enough sleep (aiming for at least six to eight hours), and introducing physical activities will for surely increase their focus span. By, we’ve had more screen time during this period than we’ve had previously, so having regular breaks, moving your eyes away from the  screen will result in more focus.
Advising children on the importance of enjoying learning, Al Hassani went on to say: “My advice will simply be to learn more about yourself, your potential and focus on building your skills. I encourage the learners to celebrate and appreciate their mistakes, as they will teach them about the next level of growing on their journey. My advice to them will also include, to work on themselves, to try things they love, and to enjoy life and turn your dreams into reality.

Make your destination very clear, don’t let your dream remain just an idea or a thought.”