FROEBEL, WILLIAM AUGUST (1872-1852)

No doubt, another disciple of Rousseau was Froebel, the great German educator-philosopher. He trained children along the naturalistic principles of Rousseau. However, he went further than his mentor, Rousseau. He recognized the fact that “the child is not merely an individual, but is also a member of a group” (frost 1962:223)
In his Kindergarten, child’s garden921, Froebel would not shield the child from social groups but would assist him to adjust himself, to participate or to share in the social consciousness of his race. The child’s nature is thus appreciated in order to enable him contribute in the development of the state.

“The aim of education according to Froebel is the development of the child’s capacities and powers in accord with his nature, and the redirection of undesirable native impulses” S. E. Frost succinctly summarizes Froebel’s educational advocacy that society should not be ignored, nor the child be
educated in complete disregard of the values of society.The question of social control in the education of the child, and education of the child according to his nature persists even to the contemporary era.