ABSTRACT
There are considerable differences between cultures in the world with regard to what is perceived as an ideal child, a good parent, or a good teacher, and educational philosophies and goals vary. These factors contribute to the formation of differences in childrearing objectives and practices. Still, in the rapidly changing world of today, one can hardly predict the situations that a child will be required to cope with in the future. Under such conditions, preparing young children for future development must include provisions for creating in them flexibility of mind, a predisposition for learning from new experiences that they may encounter within their traditional cultural setting or confront as changes introduced by “modernity.” Flexibility of mind cannot be defined merely by the quantity or variety of content areas acquired by children, but by the needs or “appetites” they acquire for modes of perception, elaboration, and expression that will enable them to learn from new experiences and become more sensitive and socially adjusted.
