Education, Politics, Will!!
K.J
MMM Youth Wing (Jeunesse Militante)
Mauritians always ask why our education system is failing. Simple answer: the system is outdated and it has produced a vast population able to read but some of them or most unable to distinguish what is worth reading. The system teaches young people how to make a living but not how to make a life. Rather than loading the memory of students with thoughts of other men, the education system should enable the students to think for themselves. In order to improve and move forward, many politicians should stop thinking that any bright individual is a menace for their pockets. The government must have the guts to bring a proper reform.
In Mauritius, teaching is seemingly not honoured. The low salaries teachers earn compared to other fields requiring Bachelor and Master's degrees support this fact. Countries that top education ranking in the world like Finland, Australia and Korea, have very high salaries for school teachers. We must improve the public education system not by constantly testing students, but by strengthening the education profession and investing in teacher preparation and support. Teachers' high level of knowledge and skills will make sure that they can have considerable independence in the classroom to choose their preferred appropriate pedagogical methods.
Investment in people is the best investment. Political authorities must see education as the key to survive and thrive in an increasingly competitive world. Education must be the catalyst of the economic growth of our nation. To be competitive, Mauritius has to substantially boost investment in education and research to foster innovation and cutting-edge development. Government must invest in warm school meals, learning materials, text books, transportation, new equipment, new facilities, student counseling etc so as to allow teachers to focus on teaching and learning, and bring new ideas and practices in schools.
The government, trade unions and employers' organisations must form a tripartite, closely coordinating, communicating and heading to a common goal. In many countries the opposing-parties usually polarise debates and public opinion. The parties must begin focusing on the subject-matter, on cooperating and acting together. There must be a close partnership between the labour organisations and the government, between the employees and the employers, in both planning and implementation stages. This will allow the teacher union to change from an external political pressure group into a stakeholder in government decision-making. This is a key element in good quality of governance. It will be the driving force of education performance and economic competitiveness in Mauritius.
Our education system must emphasize more on creative problem-solving skills. After concepts are taught, students should be assisted in finding skills and logic to prepare for lifelong learning. Also, students having problems learning should be assigned tutors and remedial specialists from the first day they are evaluated until the day they graduate. Lastly, education should be free from beginning to end. Who wants to start off life after school with a huge debt?
Our Prime Minister and his government clearly do not have the guts to give our young minds the power and knowledge through a better education system, scared of not being able to reign for long periods like some of his African counterparts. Unfortunately governments like ours prefer uneducated people as they are easier to manage and manipulate. This makes our education system today monumentally ineffective. Young people are given cut flowers instead of being taught how to grow their own plants. If the government does not have the will and guts to bring a proper reform, the education of the young minds of this country will keep on following a bad track. Leaders in Mauritius verbally support education but do not prioritize funding for education. If we want near-perfect education system, we really need to change our political systems. It's not the technology we lack, nor the resources, only political will.
In Mauritius, teaching is seemingly not honoured. The low salaries teachers earn compared to other fields requiring Bachelor and Master's degrees support this fact. Countries that top education ranking in the world like Finland, Australia and Korea, have very high salaries for school teachers. We must improve the public education system not by constantly testing students, but by strengthening the education profession and investing in teacher preparation and support. Teachers' high level of knowledge and skills will make sure that they can have considerable independence in the classroom to choose their preferred appropriate pedagogical methods.
Investment in people is the best investment. Political authorities must see education as the key to survive and thrive in an increasingly competitive world. Education must be the catalyst of the economic growth of our nation. To be competitive, Mauritius has to substantially boost investment in education and research to foster innovation and cutting-edge development. Government must invest in warm school meals, learning materials, text books, transportation, new equipment, new facilities, student counseling etc so as to allow teachers to focus on teaching and learning, and bring new ideas and practices in schools.
The government, trade unions and employers' organisations must form a tripartite, closely coordinating, communicating and heading to a common goal. In many countries the opposing-parties usually polarise debates and public opinion. The parties must begin focusing on the subject-matter, on cooperating and acting together. There must be a close partnership between the labour organisations and the government, between the employees and the employers, in both planning and implementation stages. This will allow the teacher union to change from an external political pressure group into a stakeholder in government decision-making. This is a key element in good quality of governance. It will be the driving force of education performance and economic competitiveness in Mauritius.
Our education system must emphasize more on creative problem-solving skills. After concepts are taught, students should be assisted in finding skills and logic to prepare for lifelong learning. Also, students having problems learning should be assigned tutors and remedial specialists from the first day they are evaluated until the day they graduate. Lastly, education should be free from beginning to end. Who wants to start off life after school with a huge debt?
Our Prime Minister and his government clearly do not have the guts to give our young minds the power and knowledge through a better education system, scared of not being able to reign for long periods like some of his African counterparts. Unfortunately governments like ours prefer uneducated people as they are easier to manage and manipulate. This makes our education system today monumentally ineffective. Young people are given cut flowers instead of being taught how to grow their own plants. If the government does not have the will and guts to bring a proper reform, the education of the young minds of this country will keep on following a bad track. Leaders in Mauritius verbally support education but do not prioritize funding for education. If we want near-perfect education system, we really need to change our political systems. It's not the technology we lack, nor the resources, only political will.
0 comments:
Post a Comment