The scientific method tells us that knowledge is reviewable. This means that there is no knowledge that cannot be improved over time. This that we all assume to be true when we talk about exact sciences, sometimes it is difficult for us to understand if we refer to the social sciences, such as education, for example.

In fact, education is one of the disciplines where immobile positions are more present. Resorting to the argument of "it has always been done this way" or "this is like this throughout life" is a fairly common mechanism in the collective imagination without taking into account that this is not a valid resource and that the fact that something is always has been done in a certain way, it does not imply that it has always been done in the best possible way.

In this sense, and for some time now, we have been seeing how in the pedagogical world, infinity of theories that point out that punitive education, the most traditional, is not as efficient as previously thought. and that a respectful education guarantees a better integral growth of the person. So much so that the American Academy of Pediatrics notes that “aversive discipline strategies, including all forms of corporal punishment, yelling and humiliation of children, have been shown to have minimal efficacy in the short term and no efficacy at all in the long term. term".

What is respectful education?

As we said, science has shown that yelling and punishments are not effective and, in addition, they generate low self-esteem in the child. This is why, currently, the world of pedagogy bets on all those currents that are framed within respectful education such as attachment parenting, respectful parenting, positive discipline or positive education, among others. All of them have their peculiarities, but always with the same common denominator: respect for the child.

Along these lines, these pedagogies insist that respect is learned by imitation. If we want to teach children to respect others, the first thing we must do is respect them, a pillar of the education we offer at St. George's British International School. From this point of view, it is necessary to take their opinion into account without belittling it and punishments and impositions have no place.

However, this does not mean that the child can do whatever he wants. Far from this statement, which is the greatest criticism faced by these types of currents, respectful education is committed to firmly and lovingly set limits and the natural consequences of actions without resorting to punitive punishment that has nothing to do with the behavior we want to eliminate.

The example as a basic pillar of learning

Alvaro Bilbao is a well-known neuropsychologist and author of the book “The child's brain explained to parents”. In addition, in recent times he is also dedicated to the training of parents and teachers.

In his “Educar en Positivo” course, Bilbao explains that “respect, without a doubt, is one of the most important things you can teach a child and that it will be fundamental in all areas of their life. It is a quality that says a lot about how he is able to treat others and an essential tool in his daily life that will allow him to relate to others in a comfortable way. It is, in every sense, a basic rule of the social game and the better your children handle it, the better results they will have in their professional life, in their emotional life and in their social life. However, - adds the neuropsychologist and this is very important - respect is not learned by a repetition of actions, but it is a value that is internalized by observing the importance that adults attach to it in their day to day ''.

For this reason, experts agree on the need for the adult of reference to be the first to make an effort in this endeavor. It is important that, in the first place, he is able to respect himself, and that, in addition, he treats others with respect, regardless of age, since the basic premise of respectful parenting is to respect the child equally way we respect other adults. And knowing this, what do you think? Do you sign up for respectful education?