Sunday, September 21, 2008

Reform in Education: A Challenge

The world is witnessing a great change as we are living in the information age. A country that doesn’t cope with this change could be left behind if it does not modernize the education system. This information age will not only allow stakeholders to prepare a knowledgeable and well-trained workforce, but form the good citizens as well.
So, reform in education is vital as it plays a central role in the development of a society. Education is critical to a nation’s growth because it develops the minds of the young to be useful citizens. It must include teaching the young how to think for themselves and to have confidence in their knowledge, and how to be tolerant and open-minded. These students are to be accompanied with highly motivated teachers who are well-versed in communication. These teachers must be kept abreast with new teaching methodologies through research, self-education, training and continued learning, which become integral parts of the school reform.
One has to be aware that reform in education is not an easy task; it is, however, a long-term process that requires focused objectives, perseverance in their implementation and the application of the knowledge gained from the experience of others, if necessary. There is no shame to incorporate foreign practices if the benefit is resulted from it.
There is also no shame if weaknesses are discovered. It is, I believe, a sign of strength to admit that three or four years of school reform have not achieved the assigned objectives. In this situation, one has to consider critics and reports to learn how to implement the reform in the most efficient way involving the contribution of the experts in the field. In collaboration, these experts will revise and update the teaching-learning materials. Any problem in the school reform needs to be remedied starting at the very beginning, particularly when it relates to the future of a nation.
It is imperative for a nation, trying to implement a school reform, to learn from these significant lessons in order to pave the way for the new generation to reach the dream of a better future and contribute to modern civilization.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with Mr. Louznadji in every single word he has uttered. Actually, I have read Mr. Louznadji's interesting comment more than twice. Do you wonder why I did so? It's simply because I have 3rd year classes and 99% of the students are so weak in nearly all the disciplines. I was really wondering howcome these students are so weak and the reforms that have taken place for over four or five years are so interesting and theoritically successful. Thus, what Mr. Louznadji has pointed at is the answer to my query and questions. Reforms in education is like curing a given disease. You provide your patience with a relevant disgnosis, find out what's wrong with him, decide which medicines he has to take, put him under a long term curign and wait for the result!! Have you ever gone to see a doctor for a given health problem and he has prescribed medicines that cured you in a one night's time?? This is what reforms are: medicines that will cure all anomalies in the educational system. Just try to compare 3rd year students of this year with 2nd year students and 1st year students. I admit and confess and assert that 1st year are better than 2nd year and 2nd year too are better than 3rd year.
As teachers, I think that we have to cope with all these steps and phases of the reforms and their results. We have to believe in ourselves being agents of positive change, believe in our students for they are the change itself and believe in our colleagues being the support on which we back up our weaknesses.
Dalal Sarnou

Anonymous said...

Hello,
Reform in education is really a "Challenge". I see it as a project; though it seems imposed, it has been put into the hands of educators with total trust expecting the unexpected, that is why some people find the reform too ambitious.

Just remember the phases of the Project Work, though we follow the themes in the syllabus and suggest some topics, our students are able to realize amazing projects as we have observed in the last three years.

I feel that we are at the realization phase: while being "kept abreast with new teaching methodologies through research, self-education, training and continued learning", we do try to equip our students with new learning strategies to make of them autonomous learners engaged in a lifelong education. We also involve them in real life situations when dealing with various issues in a diverse world. We do teach our students, as we have always been taught, to be "tolerant and open-minded". Doesn't this mean they should go beyond the geographical boundaries? Don't we involve them in foreign cultures? Don't we deal with the whole world issues? So, we can not reject "foreign practices" as we can not deny the benefit of their "incorporation".

I do believe that the whole world is concerned with the reform and no one is to blame for its failure and shortcomings, simply because " Reform in Education" should not be subject to judgement but rather objectively assessed for improvement.