Somaliland: Impact of hidden curriculum in our child’s education and Behavior

By: Mohamoud  Dahir  Omar

Curriculum is as all the organized or unorganized experiences in schools that create knowledge. Children learn through experiences, schools provide and manage experiences. Therefore a curriculum is the knowledge-management system at a school.

The hidden curriculum is the social rules, attitudes and values which children learn from school or at Home that are not planned (Not official curriculum). Children learn to be responsible, attentive, cooperative and considerate at school, but there they might also learn to be selfish, Tribalism, Chewing Kat, racist, or to be passive and destructive. All of this ties in very closely with the ethics of specific communities. A hidden curriculum can produce positive or negative results depending on the viewpoint of a child.

Naturally, young children learn social skills from social interaction with their friends and teachers. It is important that teachers, as the primary role-model in class, reinforce positive attitudes; such as being attentive, excited about learning, self-controlled, well-mannered, supportive, showing respect and having empathy. Positive behavioral reinforcement by teachers affects how a child interprets and forms a view of what good social behavior is. Principally, acceptable social behavior is the basic tool and skill that children need to develop positive techniques in solving their problems.

Unfortunately, the hidden curriculum may also negatively impact young children in our schools both private and public schools. Children imitate the unruly and disruptive behavior of their school friends and Teachers so if the teachers are taking parcel of Kat in their pockets while them are in the schools what do you think for students? Exactly students   are copying that bad ethics and such unruly behavior spreads easily as already happens in our public secondary schools where most of the teachers chew kat and other included behavior like spit, verbally teasing others, Insulting with each other, fighting for their teachers where teachers themselves abusing the students,  misbehaving during lessons and physically hurting others.

Even Too young Kindergarten children know how to value lessons. This is very apparent in observing how they follow a teacher’s attitude in class. If a teacher’s attitude is more relaxed during a particular lesson than for others (perhaps the least favorite lesson for the teacher), then the children’s attitude will likewise adjust and be more relaxed. This can also be a potential negative impact of the hidden curriculum, because children even in their early ages should learn how to value all lessons and approach all lessons as equally important for their development.

As educators, inside and outside the classroom and schools, for my experience of  teaching we don’t use our common sense to be good role models for children so Somaliland teacher let us change our attitude about role model because  Our understanding of being good role models should of course show the positive ways of behaving in everyday situations. As long as we show positive manners, children will imitate and follow us and as long as we show negative manner children will imitate and follow us.

On other Hand, Generally, parents want the best for their children. Some parents are even willing to invest more by sending their children to after-school programs or by getting directly involved in their children’s learning at home. However, do those methods contain a hidden curriculum also?

At home, parents are the primary role-models for their children. Children adapt and interpret parents’ views to make sense of their world. This ability appears as early as infancy by imitating parents’ facial expressions to understand their emotions. Parents should use this opportunity to reinforce positive guidance through daily interaction with their children.

Being consistent in giving meaningful praise is one of the best methods to strengthen positive guidance. Meaningful praise given as feedback for good conduct should specify the conduct (e.g. instead of just saying “thank you”, it may be specified as “thank you for helping me bringing the Cup”). Positive guidance can also be used to correct the unacceptable behavior that sometimes occurs at home (e.g. instead of saying “don’t fight!” it may be specified as “we should play nicely with our brother and sisters”).When parents specify conduct; children can easily identify what kind of acceptable behavior corresponds to a specific event. Children are a reflection of their parents or any adults around whom they grow up. Their brains record whatever adults do and say in front of them. These images will be stored until one specific event reminds them; the two images will automatically form a connection.
 

 Thank you

Mohamoud  Dahir  Omar

Education Analyst

Mobile: 0634423327

Hargeisa, Somaliland