It might be well for all of us to keep in mind Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs and how self-actualization develops. We know that empathy, compassion, generosity, integrity, and understanding of other people do not develop spontaneously. Civility, responsibility, independence, and the ability to work with others are qualities that can be learned. They begin developing early in life through observing the behavior of good role models and they are learned by doing. Community service and collaborative projects in homes, schools, and the workplace help to develop the kinds of qualities desperately needed in the world today.
All people can learn more effectively.
As its ultimate goal, learning will lead to our becoming more intelligent and eventually to developing the wisdom, founded on learning throughout life, to make just decisions and to contribute generously to our world. Raising expectations that all students will learn is not sufficient. For successful learning to take place, it is critical that students of all ages have opportunities to identify and develop their strengths and be equipped with the tools to learn. At an even more basic level, their physical and emotional needs must be met. Those who live in poverty, who experience violence in their lives, who do not have proper food and clothing, and who do not have appropriate role models find it difficult and often impossible to learn.