Human development is a critical
process that needs attention, proper guidance, and scaffolding from adult for
optimal learning and development. Therefore, it is crucial both for parents and
teachers to comprehend and understand the developmental needs of the children,
demand of the era and work accordingly for their knowledge and skill
enhancement.
This is an era of technology leading the learners towards space. Hence, to help
the learners achieve such goals, the school should focus on 21st century core
competencies and provide a platform to the learners for best learning.
School is a platform that builds life skills, unleash the hidden potential of
the students and prepare them to compete in this global environment. Many
successful countries such as China, Finland, South Korea and Singapore realized
the demand of the era and worked on their education system and schooling. They
broaden their curriculum and identify and trained out of box thinkers pedagogue
and andragogue.
China and Finland are considered as an education powerhouse. The reason behind
such success is the education system, schools and highly qualified teachers.
These countries never compromise on quality and provide equal access to good
schooling. They pay individual attention to the students who are not good in
some subjects. They also make use of the latest technologies to keep their
students updated.
Today after reading about above-mentioned countries schooling system, I clearly
see the burning issues of my country and the reason of down fall. One of a major
issue of our education system is class differences. We have three different
systems for; poor, middle and high-class children with different standard
curriculum. The second is untrained & less qualified teachers. It is a general
perception in our society that if you cannot do anything become a teacher as it
is one of a profession that easily adjust such people. Thirdly the high fees,
that is out of the reach of common person. Last but not the least the mindset of
school owners that consider education as business and not a profession.
School is a place that provide learning environment for holistic development.
Every single person in Pakistan opens a school as a business investment to earn
money. Such mind sets are playing with the future of this nation. The students
of such schools get degrees but fail to explore themselves and contribute
accordingly.
I appreciate the mathematical minds of such school management. They have
excellent mathematicians who know how to increase fee in percentages but fails
in knowing the psychology of a child and identify his/her inner abilities. They
know how to decrease expenses but fail to identify and hire competent and
potential teachers. They are providing quality material but lack quality
interaction. That’s why every second we are losing great intellectuals by not
identifying their needs and giving them chance to explore their inner abilities
and potential.
Lack of knowledge and skills of the teachers also badly affects the quality of
education system. Todays’ teachers are busy in making tough IQ questions to
measure the intellect of the learners but fail to identify the inner potential.
They give presentations on different theories but lack implementation.
Still schools are playing the same role, busy in blame game. During PTMs they
boldly blame the child and the parents, but don’t reflect on their role and
impact. Still they punish children for not doing homework or bad writing but are
not ready to change their own practices and approach. They are generating
parrots who are good in memorizing the knowledge without understanding and clear
concepts.
The teachers and schools try their level best to steal smiles from the students
faces in the name of discipline and obedience. They at the end of the day
release the students from cage with heavy homework’s. Resultantly, instead of
enjoying the learning process students are developing stress. There is no
attraction for the students in school.
Richard Dufour nicely says, “the fundamental purpose of school is learning, not
teaching”. Schools should change their practices and focus on 21st century core
competencies (Citizenship, Creativity and Imagination, Critical Thinking and
problem solving, Digital literacy, Leadership and Personal Development) to make
our children ready to compete the world.
The schools should learn from the best practices of different counties and try
to apply it accordingly. School management should never compromise with quality
and hire qualified and competent teachers. Further they should allocate some
budget for their professional development. Besides, teachers should give equal
attention to all children and extra time to those who needs extra support.
Moreover, Govt should develop a
standardized curriculum and a policy that bound Govt and private schools to use
the same standard curriculum so every child whether poor or rich can get quality
education in same standard schools. Govt should restrict the private schools
with fee structure and bound them to provide quality education with minimum fee.
School owners instead of taking it as a business, should take it as a cause to
change the nation. If we want our nation to raise and shine we must work on our
education system.