I would believe they do achieve certain aims, depending on their plan, design and mission. Something similar happens with all kinds of schools, right?

Thank you, Konstantinos Karampelas

They certainly do have some aims, and we generally accept that they do much better influence on children in building personality, life skills, social skills etc. But up to what extent we can say it distinguishes from the outcomes of children from conventional schools ?

Could you specify what you mean by «holistic schools». Perhaps give an example. It would narrow the field for an answer. Anees K S

In Nepal, we found holistics school are achieving its goal.

Hello Anees KS. This is my current research focus. I hope I can say something useful. There are 3 parts to your question: ideal learning assumption; definition and aims. I will respond more broadly but hope to pick up a bit of each.

There is no single common concept of holistic - other than that it means more than a focus on cognitive learning and testing. For some it means an additional social emotional focus. I think 'holistic approaches' to schooling, to children, to learning may be grouped as: (1) Contextual concepts of 'whole child' - this child in front of me needs to be conceived in terms of health, culture, happiness, location &c; (2) Contextual concepts of 'whole child' such that an interagency approach is required, such that family, community, school are all part of the education story; (3) Concepts of 'whole child' which consider all a child's capacities, intelligences; and (4) very importantly, like Steiner, and some ECE/ECD paradigms, seeing all child learning, all curriculum for learning, as necessarily interconnected, interdependent. Some 'holistic' schools have a natural world emphasis, others a 'spiritual' emphasis, others emphasise the personal 'wholeness' of the teachers, others practices of meditation. The best ones I have visited believe they achieve their aims. I am unaware of longitudinal or any comparative research that sets out school aims conceived holistically, school outcomes conceived and achieved holistically short and long term, and even how such research might be framed, and conceived in the wide community as 'evidence' of .... what? Best. Neil

I think it depends on the level of education. According child development research, they are definately suited to young children. Do aims really measure success in life?

Thank you Kjartan Skogly Kversøy (I will explain it later, sorry for the delay)

Thank you Anjay kumar Mishra

Thank you Neil Tucker

Thank you so much for the reply.

It is interesting as a researcher to find you doing similar research.

I am interested in knowing more about various streams of holistic / alternative schooling around the world. I am an amateur researcher trying to observe ideal concepts from them and merge my concepts to develop a new curriculum. I shall share some other discussion/questions, inviting you to join there too.

Educators like Steiner, Maria Montessori Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindra nath Tagore, J. Krishnamurti, Pestalozzi etc. had some idea in common that is - education for mind, soul, and body or may call cognitive learning, which the western model of education lacked. But they all differ in pedagogue, classroom structure, teacher autonomy etc. Also, their socio - economic environments have influenced them.

For example, Gandhi had very radical/extreme views on integrated vocational education in schools. He absorbed many features from various sources to his curriculum 'Nai Ta'lim'. He also promoted basic understanding of various religions in school curriculum -remember the context of plural society in India.