Public posturing has its own agenda. The news that 3000 more schools are to be built is an obvious posture suggestive of local business as well as the accrued spin-offs from a whole range of products ranging from uniforms to school meals. What has been left out is investment in the quality of education. Curriculum changes such as merging arts and science and technology are the in-thing. Given that output is only as good as the input, nothing specific has been earmarked for raising teaching quality or indeed making education conducive to future employment.
There are numbers of development-partner initiatives to raise teaching standards but from what can be made out these are more proscribed than inclusively designed. Children that have missed out on the quality are the best to comment on specifics that are missing. Septuagenarian views cannot prevail in the lives of new generation teens and below. There are lessons to be drawn from teamwork in football, leadership and how individuality and cooperative endeavour have to blend. Competition among groups is good but cannot be the be all and end all. Discipline in the armed forces is another great area of learning and part of the reason why cadets do as well as they do. The liberal space allowed for creativity to flow such as in Notre Dame College is indicative of why Notre Damians as a whole are so well settled in society.
It's easy to complain about a lack of values; such complaints are guilty of not having offered alternatives. We talk of sports, library and culture to steer the youth in productive pursuits but don't allow digital library access, don't provide funds and reading opportunities of books, occupy playing fields for business and don't set out cultural activities that appeal to the youngsters. Frankly, outdated literature has to be reinforced with that of today, thereby creating new creative space and opportunity including areas that are considered taboo such as graffiti.
Inter-school sports and matching funding of this through annual, affordable fees matched by the management committees have to be made mandatory.
Digital education must go beyond young minds hunched over computers. That's as bad if not worse than imitating the Facebook logo. If anything, digital education must be a preface that encourages active involvement with surroundings, a project piloted in Scandinavia. Singapore has set up a committee to suggest education trends for the future millennium and thereafter education policies will be tailored accordingly. These require skill and mindset changes among current and future teachers. The current lacking in English and Math can be addressed by retired but able teachers imparting knowledge but let's face facts, these don't come cheap. Funds will be available if the Public-Private Partnership really matures. There are willing bodies around; willing minds are needed.
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