Maurice J. Elias, professor of psychology at Rutgers University and vice-chair of the leadership team of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning writes:
Social-emotional learning is sometimes called 'the missing piece', because it represents a part of education that links academic knowledge with a specific set of skills important to success in schools, families, communities, workplaces and life in general. As recent world events have taught, there is a danger to each of us-locally and globally-when children grow up with knowledge but without social-emotional skills and a strong moral compass. Hence, a combination of academic and social-emotional learning is the true standard for effective education in the world today and for the foreseeable future.