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presently related to the child in the pedagogic situation on account of his faith in the
child's potential to become that which he ought to be through increasing humanisation
(Kilian & Viljoen 1974 : 169).
The relationship of trust can only be actualised if the educator is accessible to the
child. In other words, to trust it is necessary to accept. Educator and educand resume
further actions from their respective "positions" in the fear of acceptation. In other
words, they break away from a homeostatic existence: "Die 'plek' van die opvoeders
is hulle saamwees as duursame en troue verantwoordelikheidsaanvaarding en
toekomsontsluiting, en betreffende die kind sy steeds toenemende
in-verantwoording-staan as 'nsteeds toenemende selfstandigwording" (Kilian & Viljoen
1974: 169).
The key to the understanding of trust is faith. One can only trust a person if one has
complete faith in him. Faith always appears within a relationship. Faith is lasting, firm
and consistent. It embodies the sensible, the valuable and the truth for the one who
has faith. It is dynamic and a fulfilment of the demands emanating from what the
person who has faith sees as the "good order". Faith forms the foundation for trust. It
ensures security, consistency and safety to the person who trusts (Stoker 1967).
Pedagogic trust shows numerous dimensions. The educator must have faith that the
child is educable within the society which the school serves. Of equal importance is his
trust in the social order within which he educates. Ifhis faith in any of the two wavers
the pedagogic situation will be weakened. More important, however,is the child's faith
in the educator and this depends on the educator's trustworthiness.
A child has expectations of "his world" which, although still very much founded in the
present situation. are also to a large extent future directed. A well educated small
child has a diffused, still naive but complete faith in his educator. His orientatedness
is equally undifferentiated and unrefined. As a child grows older and his psychic life
develops within the pedagogic situation. his orientatedness becomes more
differentiated and refined (Nel & Urbani 1990 : 76). Enough evidence exists to prove
that the psychic life of a pedagogically neglected child (abused child) develops