IN EVERY endeavour in life, for success to be achieved and identified there must first be a clear understanding of its purpose and goals. In education, this is an absolute given.
Contemporary society has brought contemporary challenges that must be addressed consistent with contemporary thinking, resources and strategic focus. Hence, what had to be overcome for progress and success has also changed incrementally and impactfully.
Education is the foundation of all human development. This is more than a truism and that is why our country has made it a definite goal with an almost laser focus. This thrust projected Barbados to the forefront of developing nations.
In recent times, however, we have been slipping. Unfortunately, our pride or our intellectual laziness has prevented us from accepting this fall that has been defining our actions and interactions with others. We have not adjusted our strategic purpose of education consistent with the changes that have unfolded.
We have spent so much time promoting the notion of 98 per cent literacy (that never was) that we have not even accepted that the definition of what it means to be literate has vastly changed as technology and other developments have impacted our society.
As we seek to project for the future, we need to have a clear and accepted focus on what is the real purpose of education. There was a time when this was seen as the means to ensure personal advancement. This was the way to equip persons for opportunities in the developing civil and industrial society that were previously held by the elite few.
Today’s challenges are different. We now see persons of all walks of life competing for jobs of every category! Hence, the role and focus of education have changed from simple personal advancement to that of national development.
If this is the focus, the challenge must be to get acceptance from all sectors of the education community. Words cannot drive the process, action must inform the thrust. As such, we must have a definite appreciation of the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to drive our nation forward.
If there is one thing about contemporary society that we must accept is that nothing is static. We are defined by change, continuous change and unending change. We can no longer pass on and explain information. Our children must be trained to utilise education to solve problems and perform in jobs some of which may not even exist at this time.
Memory and regurgitation must now be subservient to higher order skills. Creativity, innovation and application of knowledge must now define the thrust of education. Telling people, they will forget, showing them, they may remember, involve them for understanding.
Additionally, we must structure all of our approaches to ensure a just and civil society. We need to give children opportunities to experience and inculcate desirable values. Simple acts like being involved in sports and service groups can be quite pertinent here.
In pursuit of having everyone accepting the purpose and goal of education, there is a definite need for the authorities and policymakers to develop a properly structured and aligned strategic plan. The vision, the mission and the values must be outlined in transparent and uncompromising terms.
Every school cannot be allowed to be doing its own thing, adjusting their individual curriculum that is not aligned to the national strategic focus. Not some, but all involved must understand and work in support of the specific purpose of education.
Jeff Broomes is an experienced educator, principal and community organiser who also served as vice-president of the BCA and director of the WICB. Email: unclejeff2@hotmail.com.