Nasser Yousefi is an author, child psychologist, humanist education specialist, and advocate for children’s rights. He is the founder of Humanist Kids, a non-profit, research-based educational organization based in Canada, dedicated to promoting a culture of peace for children, families, educators, and communities.
In this article, Dr. Yousefi provides an overview of humanistic education, explaining its unique approach to education with a focus on human dignity.
What Is Humanistic Education?
Humanistic education is an educational approach based on the psychology and philosophy of humanism. It is grounded in respect for human dignity, the holistic development of a child's being, and the cultivation of empathy, compassion, and freedom throughout the learning process. This perspective sees the child not as a passive "receiver of knowledge," but as a whole, active human being who needs to be seen, heard, and given the opportunity to flourish.
In humanistic schools, no one person alone decides what students should learn. Instead, the educational content and programs are shaped through collaboration among students, teachers, families, experts, and representatives of the local community. This means that students have a voice in determining the curriculum, and their perspectives are genuinely considered in the planning process.
Fundamental Principles of Humanistic Education:
- Focusing on the Child as a Human Being - Education begins where the child truly is with all their emotional, intellectual, physical, and social needs.
- The Right to Choose Their Learning Path - Children have the right to participate in choosing the subjects, methods, and pace of their learning. This right fosters confidence, motivation, and a sense of ownership over the learning process.
- Participation in Designing Content and Curriculum - In humanistic education, children are not just recipients. They take part in shaping the learning materials, schedules, and even classroom rules.
- Respect for Individual, Group, Social, and Cultural Differences - Every student enters the classroom with their own story, background, culture, and unique needs. Humanistic education sees these differences not as obstacles but as opportunities for growth, dialogue, and deepening human understanding.
- Learning Based on Real Needs - The curriculum and teaching methods should reflect real life and the actual needs of students, rather than being a one-size-fits-all model.
- Freedom to Learn and Experience - Children are encouraged to experiment, learn, fail, try again, and discover solutions, all in a safe environment without fear.
- The Teacher as a Growth Companion - In humanistic education, the teacher is not a controller, but a facilitator, a listener, and a partner, someone who stands beside the child, not above them.
- Learning for Life, Not for Tests - The ultimate goal is to develop responsible, aware, kind, and creative human beings, not merely students with high test scores. That’s why humanistic schools do not promote competition, comparison, grading, or exams as tools to rank and evaluate students.
- Finding Solutions Through Projects - Students in humanistic schools are not dependent on static knowledge or information transfer. Instead, they engage in various projects that help them follow their interests and community needs, constantly seeking diverse solutions for different situations.
Why Is Humanistic Education Important?
Because the future of human societies requires individuals who understand differences, prioritize dialogue over conflict, and create through imagination rather than repetition.
Humanistic education paves the way for raising such a generation, one that knows how to think critically, feel deeply, and live responsibly.
In humanistic schools, students are prepared to take responsibility and actively participate in building a better and more just world for all.