Almost all parents who send their children to school desire to see them get a good education. Objectively, a good education should should enhance the possibility of acquiring the ability of sound reasoning, knowledge in several disciplines and of the challenges, nature and values of life with aesthetic underpinnings. That, along with solid aids to the formation of a good character to help the student to become civic conscious and live a happy and contented life as socially responsible citizens able to live in good relationship with fellow human beings in a multi-faceted pluralist world may be considered a good education.
The assessment of the quality of education could vary according to the values that are considered high and which cannot be disregarded. Some may consider education along with the acquisition of a practical use of English as very valuable. Some others may consider a very good knowledge of English to be the most important. Some would consider studying certain foreign languages a very useful tool and a remarkable value addition. Many rightly consider sports and extra-curricular activities to be an important formative part of youngsters’ lives. However all may not participate in these in the school itself.
Whether the various authorities of education, especially those who plan and make education policies at the national level, have a good understanding as to what a good education would be and how it could be made available to all to equip them for life, should and could be discussed from time to time. What the good educationists of the Country generally agree on could be implemented so that all may have access to a good education which is their right.
The environment of schools providing education to our children varies not only due to their being situated in urban, provincial, rural village but also due to the facilities available to the students, the qualification and commitment of teachers and the nature of educational management. It is very evident that the State does not uphold the equal rights of all schoolchildren because it does not provide equal facilities to all the students. The State does not provide even the minimum educational requirements and facilities. Most schools not only lack qualified principals and teachers, those appointed are hamstrung by archaic administrative regulations. Most schools lack suitable classrooms, desks and chairs, and other facilities such as water and toilets. Even to bring matters to the awareness of the Department of Education and obtain the necessary facilities promptly, even the Elected Representatives at all levels, low on social consciousness and responsibility, are not that keenly interested as these things do not bring them immediate political profits.
Ministers of Education are not known to have been innovators nor even creative maintainers or efficient managers of the system of education who have made notable contributions to raise the standard of education to the benefit of the country. They have been political managers or even manipulators who have taken great delight in presenting letters of appointment mostly to their unemployed party supporters as teachers irrespective of their understanding of education or suitability to be teachers.
The President, Prime Minister, Governors, Chief Ministers and Ministers of Education as well as others politicians make statements about education and social values that appear very appealing as they appear in the mass media. But the Country has not formulated a clear national policy on education or cared about updating any.
Parents interested in education are often compelled due to their economic condition, to resort to the education facilities provided by the State, even though they may not be satisfied with the quality of education and the discipline and formation of character that is inculcated in the school to which they are compelled to send their children. Another phenomenon in the field of education is the private tuition system which has spread throughout the country like a virus.
The private tuition system spread has resulted in lowering of standards due to corruption and unqualified men and women being recruited as teachers by politicians who knew next to nothing about education. Politicization in education due to the horribly disarrayed and uncultured characters in politics interfering in education administration, appointments and their upholding discipline, has not only muddled education and created many a mess in the education system, it has prevented organic development and well thought out education reform. Not knowing what education is, these fellows are not only incapable of letting educationists to formulate a viable policy.
Besides the government that spend taxpayers’ money on education, most citizens spend extra money on private tuition for the education of their children, while parents who send their children to fee-levying schools and international schools foot the whole bill of their children’s education, in addition to paying taxes. While the government also wastes money on an unsatisfactorily maintained education system, in which corruption is rampant, and an overblown and lethargic bureaucracy.
A good part of the investment made by the government does not benefit our country when those highly qualified sons and daughters of the land migrate to foreign countries and do not return to to serve her people but choose to serve other nations who give them recognition according to their merits and also pay them well.
