What is Humanism?

Humanism is the philosophy that deals with, well, humans. It emphasizes human relations and social interactions. Humanism came about in the 1400 during the Italian Renaissance. Respect and kindness are the two main foundations in the philosophy of humanism. This respect and kindness translates over to the educational part of humanism.

Humanism, when put into terms of education, emphasizes the student learning about themselves and what they are capable of. Education should be individualized and students should have the ability to choose what they want to learn, rather than having a curriculum forced upon them. Teachers are encouraged to work with the students kindly, rather than scolding them for anything they do wrong. The learning environment should be non-threatening.

I agree with some aspects of humanism education. While I agree that learning should be done in a non-threatening environment, I don't think students should be able to choose everything that they want to learn. I think that there should be some choice in learning, but the curriculum ultimately should be enforced.