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CHILDREN LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE!
It is time that the government acknowledges that the education system is not adequately preparing children to meet the challenges of the information age. Some have described it as an elitist model that was ideally suited to the colonial system, where only the privileged few were allowed the opportunity to go to the best schools.
Others have claimed it is “a one cap fits all” approach to teaching and learning, which means that all students basically are from the same socio- economic backgrounds.
Education is regarded as a right, not a privilege for each child. The education system must cater to the diversity and social backgrounds of students and should develop their human capital through inclusion rather than exclusion and marginalization.
Schools must provide hope for all to live in a fair, just and equitable society. Students should be taught to think critically, analyze information, and create solutions to the problems that confront them. They are the leaders of tomorrow.
However, this has not been the case with the current education system which continues to teach children to cram and recite information and excludes those aspects based on cognitive ability. The system has made children from poor neighbourhoods believe that they are failures by equating schooling with the passing of examinations. It is not geared to help every child to realize their maximum human potential, so that they can add value to their own lives as well as the lives of people around them.
Based on the high levels of crime and violence in society, the Ministry of Education should develop a new school curriculum to teach children to be respectful of themselves, each other and to be good citizens. The curriculum must be rich and diverse and reflective of the realities of today’s society. It must cater to the peculiar needs of children, and encourage them to question, challenge and enquire as part of their daily school experience.
The education system must recognize that it is preparing children to face a future that no one can predict and therefore must prepare them to adapt to a rapidly changing global order by helping them to focus and become life-long learners.
Some have contended that the current education model with all its redundancy has been stretched to the maximum in terms of what was expected of it given the requirements of today’s society. It is therefore no surprise that many are calling on the government to reform the system to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The reform must take into consideration that all children must not only have the chance to attend school, but their diverse needs must be met.
The challenge for educators is to figure out how to get parents involve in the reform process. The unfortunate reality is that parents whom teachers often depend on for assistance have never really provided any despite their best efforts. This is where the Ministry of Education needs to intervene to help teachers seek the critical involvement of parents.
Studies have shown that children whose parents have been involved in their schools tend to have better academic performance and by far, fewer behavioral problems.
Addressing the issue of violence within the schools must involve all, including parents, teachers, the school community, not to mention the private sector and the government. Students have shown that violence and the display of dysfunctional and antisocial behaviour at schools originate from the home. If children are brought up in homes and communities where verbal abuse, physical violence, intolerance and disrespect are the order of the day, they will practice exactly what they see and hear. The saying that children learn what they live is true.
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