UNIT I
UNIT I
WORK EDUCATION – Definition, Historical Perspective, Concept and Objectives
Definition of Work Education:- Work Education is viewed as purposive and meaningful manual work, organized as integral part of the learning process and resulting into goods or services useful to the community, besides the pleasure of selffulfillment. It should be an essential component at all stages of education and must be provided through a well-structured and graded programme. The competencies to be developed in this field should include knowledge, understanding skills and values through need-based life activities.
Major categories of work, which need to be specifically stressed include:
a) Work pertaining to the needs of individual, such as health, hygiene, clothing, cleanliness, etc;
b) Work at home to be performed as a member of the family;
c) Work in the classroom, school and in the out of school activities integrated with school life;
d) Work as a learning experience through other subjects such as physical education, art education, social studies, science and others;
e) Work in the community focused on selfless service;
f) Work relating to vocational development, production, social usefulness and exploration of the opportunities and care pathways.
Historical Perspective
Over the past fifty years in our country and especially in the last twenty years or so, there has been an increasing appreciation of the need to include work as a vital component at all stages of school education. This has its roots in the perceptions about work education as a powerful means of restoring respect and dignity to all types of manual work, removing distinctions between manual workers and white collar workers, promoting self-reliance in meeting one’ s daily needs and those of the society, increasing productivity through the development of proper work skills and values, and accelerating the process of economic development in the country through community service and social work by students.
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