What is Dalton System of Education?
Education under the Dalton System is entirely child based, each lesson is planned in order to help the child to complete it without the time constraint. The child who is able to complete his assignment early is engaged in co-curricular activities.
The underlying pursuit is to help the child to discover his own initiatives. A child never voluntarily undertakes anything which he/she does not comprehend.
The Dalton plan is one of the most notable attempts that have been made to individualize the instruction. This was originated by Miss Helen Park Hurst of Dalton Massachusetts. This is a fruit of educational experimentation of teaching methods by Ms. Park Hurst Dalton’s plan is not a particular method of teaching any subject but rather a method of organizing the work of a school so as to promote purpose and self-activity.
Advantages of the system
- Instruction is individualized.
- The continuity of the work is assured. The absence of a child from school does not hinder the continuity of education.
- The plan fosters initiatives, self-reliance, and self-discipline.
- Problems of formal class discipline are much simplified. Problems of discipline do not occur because the student is absorbed in his work.
- The graph of the child’s development is kept for future reference.
- The child is allowed to survey the entire course and then choose the topics of his own choice.
- Dalton’s plan is easier to adapt to existing educational demands.
- Compulsory homework does not remain a necessity. Each child gets the opportunity to work on his own.
- All students are expected to do homework. Details of the arrangement are sent home for parents’ convenience, together with guidance on amount of time that should be spent on homework, A homework diary is used to provide a link between school and home and the support of parents is sought to ensure homework is completed promptly and to a good standard.