If you were given the choice of choosing a country with the best education system for your children, which one would you choose?
This deceptively simple question is much more complex than one would imagine. Research on the internet would not help you much as different surveys rank different countries in the top positions according to their criteria.
Education, healthcare and food are undoubtedly essential elements of a life worth living. I know of no election that has been won or lost in any democracy on issues of education.
Francis Keppel, a prominent American educator, argued that “education is too important to be left solely to the educators”. Many parents could counter-argue that “education is far too important to be left solely to the government or educational institutions”.
The obvious reality is that education involves many stakeholders and is the bedrock of success in the life of individuals as well as nations. A free educational system is the most precious enabler for equity in education. Unfortunately, some countries that provide free education for all still struggle to achieve the hallmarks of excellence in the way they educate their people.
Defining what the objectives of education should be often leads to endless controversies among the different stakeholders. The academic world probably takes an idealistic view of what educational success looks like. The utilitarian business world usually takes an equally erroneous way of what education should achieve by insisting that education should be about honing the skills of young people to fill the vacancies in industry.
Sadly, most politicians wax lyrical about the importance of education but then fall short of taking the proper steps to ensure that taxpayers’ money spent on free education gives the best results.
A political career is admittedly one of the most precarious occupations. The importance of getting elected in the next election often prevents politicians from taking the long-term view on education.
We need to start asking some intriguing questions before defining the hallmarks of excellence in education. Is education just about teaching students science and mathematics? Is education important only to find a job? Does getting a degree make you an educated person? Is our education system knowledge-driven or marks-driven? Are we selecting the right educators in our schools, universities and vocational colleges?
Sadly, most politicians wax lyrical about the importance of education but then fall short of taking the proper steps to ensure that taxpayers’ money spent on free education gives the best results
The answers to these questions and others can never be a simple ‘yes or no’. The curricula of any educational system must take into consideration the culture and dynamics of the country. Traditionally, academicians and experts design the curricula. They do not always get it right as they sometimes do not keep all the local factors of the country on top of their selection criteria.
The enrolment of students also needs to be given crucial importance. For too long, training in academic subjects has been regarded by politicians and parents as the gold standard for an education system. Not all students have the same aptitude.
University education should never be the Holy Grail for parents and their children. Even for those students who perform well in academic studies, the right choice of courses at the tertiary level is crucial. We have too many students who opt for soft courses that often lead to underemployment and frustration in the real world of work.
The quality of the educational infrastructure is another critical issue. The physical infrastructure will always be vital. The classroom environment needs to be comfortable and cater for changes in weather conditions. Some countries are considering shortening the school holidays to improve their achievement levels after years of underperformance.
The digital infrastructure is equally essential whether one follows an academic curriculum or vocational training. This is not just about having the right software and hardware in the classroom. It is about educators who have upgraded their digital skills and feel comfortable teaching young people who today are savvier technically.
Of course, the human resources infrastructure is of paramount importance. An education system that excels needs to have the best graduates with the right motivation to educate and be held accountable for the results achieved. Every school’s success criteria could be different, depending on the ability of their student population. So targeted results will inevitably be different.
Finally, our education system needs to teach moral science and other such subjects in the curriculum. Our schools, universities and vocational colleges should not only prepare young people to be good doctors, engineers, scientists, nurses or educators. They should also prepare students to grow up to be good human beings.