View/Open - University of Zululand Institutional Repository
View/Open - University of Zululand Institutional Repository
View/Open - University of Zululand Institutional Repository
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[38]<br />
a significant world as home for him. His decision allows him to know as a person who<br />
is open to and directed toward the world <strong>of</strong> knowledge which his educator, with due<br />
observance <strong>of</strong> norms, holds up for him as example, and practises in his own life (Du<br />
Plooy, Griessel & Oberholzer 1982 : 98-101).<br />
In order to constitute the education relationship, the educator should know the nature<br />
and destination <strong>of</strong> the child. This necessitates that the educator should have real<br />
essential knowledge <strong>of</strong> the child in his totality and always bear in mind a particular<br />
child's destination. Initially, the child does not understand himself, because the<br />
horizons <strong>of</strong> the situation in which he finds himself are still unclear. For this reason, the<br />
adult must continuously clarify and explain the as yet unknown reality to the<br />
adult-in-the-making. However, in explicating reality to the child the adult must<br />
simultaneously call on the child to participate so that the child himself will also start<br />
giving meaning to reality with the view to getting to know himself.The child could not<br />
know himself or life reality unless the educator assisted him by showing the way. The<br />
educator must explain the reality <strong>of</strong> life to the child. It will then become known and<br />
understandable to the child. In explaining and clarifying reality the educator calls on<br />
the child to arrange reality by giving meaning to it with the view to getting to know<br />
reality and his own reality situatedness (Kilian & Viljoen 1974 : 163).<br />
It is imperative for the child to give meaning to reality and his own reality related<br />
position. Meaning-giving is essential for knowing reality as life reality. This<br />
meaning-giving is essential and must be done by every human being (child) and <strong>of</strong> his<br />
own accord. By constituting meaning through giving meaning the child is in fact<br />
realising himself. Inverbalising reality the child verbalises himself. By verbalising the<br />
self the child gets to know himself and reality. However, it must be continuously born<br />
in mind that reality to the child is initially a concealed reality. Reality as concealed<br />
reality must be illuminated so that the child can get to know it It is the educator's task<br />
to increasingly and explanatorily illuminate life reality to the child. The child must also<br />
start giving meaning to illuminate reality and himself. The adult who knows his<br />
life-world must spell it out to the child that it is essential to his becoming an adult to