Empathy, Curiosity and Creativity: The relevance of Sukhomlinsky's legacy in the 21st century.

The development of science and technology has given humanity great power over its environment, but it has also created serious problems, including climate change and the proliferation of nuclear weapons. The future of humanity will depend on the qualities we educate in successive generations. We will need empathy, in order to develop positive relationships between people and nations, and to care for all the diverse species that populate our planet. We will need curiosity in order to keep up with the growth of knowledge, and we will need creativity to find solutions to very complex problems.
Sukhomlinsky’s system of education was one that addressed multiple aspects of human development: physical, emotional, social, moral, intellectual, vocational and spiritual. He developed specific methodologies for the development of empathy, curiosity and creativity. To develop empathy, Sukhomlinsky taught children how to read facial expressions, paying particular attention to the eyes. He put children in situations where they had the opportunity to care for plants, animals, family members, friends, and other members of the community. To develop curiosity, Sukhomlinsky took children on frequent excursions into natural environments and to local work places, and exposed them to natural phenomena that aroused feelings of wonder and amazement. He encouraged them to ask questions about what they observed, and to seek answers to their questions through reflection and reading. To develop creativity he employed teachers with diverse interests and work skills, and established a program of extracurricular activities that provided children with many opportunities to discover their talents and creative abilities.