Gross National Happiness

06/10/2008

The goal of early childhood education should be to activate the child's own natural desire to learn.
Maria Montessori

Today's item comes from that venerable bastion of early childhood development, National Geographic. An article, "Bhutan's Enlightened Experiment" (March 2008) offered an intriguing insight into a country thoughtfully entering into the modern world. And, while this has nothing at all to do with early childhood education, I couldn't help but share this delightful concept:

"When King Jigme Singye Wangchuck ascended the throne in 1972, Bhutan suffered from some of the highest poverty, illiteracy, and infant-mortality rates in the world — a legacy of the policy of isolation.... With the self-confidence of a ruler whose country has never been conquered, he has tried to dictate the terms of Bhutan's opening — and in the process redefine the very meaning of development. The felicitous phrase he invented to describe his approach: Gross National Happiness.

"For many Bhutanese, this idea is not merely a marketing tool or a utopian philosophy. It is their blueprint for survival. Guided by the 'four pillars of Gross National Happiness' — sustainable development, environmental protection, cultural preservation, and good governance — Bhutan has pulled itself out of abject poverty without exploiting its natural resources.... Nearly three-quarters of the country is still forested with more than 25 percent designated as national parks and other protected areas — among the highest percentages in the world. Rates of illiteracy and infant mortality have fallen dramatically, and the economy is booming."

Speaking of Happiness...

Many Beginnings Workshop training units focus in on topics relating to children's happiness. Check these resources out at the Exchange web site:

Humor
Imagination
Building a Classroom Culture
Block Play
Art Experiences
Music and Movement

"Challenge your mind, not your schedule, with a distance-learning master’s degree in education from Walden University. Walden offers classroom teachers a practical way to strengthen their skills and advance their career, in areas such as curriculum, technology, leadership, math, science, reading, and more.

For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.