Children have real understanding only of that which they invent themselves, and each time that we try to teach them too quickly, we keep them from reinventing it themselves.
Jean PiagetRead
The principle goal of education in the schools should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Education should focus on fostering creativity and innovation rather than rote memorization.
This quote by Jean Piaget emphasizes the importance of education as a tool for nurturing individuals who think critically and creatively. Rather than merely transmitting knowledge from previous generations, education should empower students to develop new ideas and approaches, thereby contributing meaningfully to society and advancing human progress.
Themes
EducationInnovationCreativityGrowthLearning
In practice
Example use cases
In a graduation speech to inspire students to think independently.
More from Jean Piaget
All quotes βLogical activity is not the whole of intelligence. One can be intelligent without being particularly logical.
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Children's games constitute the most admirable social institutions. The game of marbles, for instance, as played by boys, contains an extremely complex system of rules - that is to say, a code of laws, a jurisprudence of its own.
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Everyone knows that at the age of 11-12, children have a marked impulse to form themselves into groups and that the respect paid to the rules and regulations of their play constitutes an important feature of this social life.
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Play is the work of childhood.
Jean PiagetRead
The goal of education is not to increase the amount of knowledge but to create the possibilities for a child to invent and discover, to create men who are capable of doing new things.
Jean PiagetRead
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