EDUCATION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Sep 24, 2017 Editorial

At the United Nations (UN), President Granger told world leaders that sustainable development is the pathway to improve the well-being of the masses in the world. Sustainable development offers a framework to generate economic growth, achieve social justice, environmental stewardship and strengthen governance.
The Encyclopedia defines sustainable development as balancing the protection of the natural environment with the fulfilment of human needs so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but in the indefinite future.
Regrettably, sustainable development is not always achievable without a price. In many situations the environment has been sacrificed on the altar of development. In Guyana as in other countries, protecting the environment has led to conflicts. But it is how we resolve those conflicts and attend to the most vulnerable in society that determines our quality of life, and a better communal living for all.
Unfortunately, we live in a society where the laws are not always adhered to by some of the citizenry, and where each social class has its own set of principles and goals which inevitably lead to chaos.
The government has been integrally involved in programmes aimed at transforming the society for the better. It has supported the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are geared towards ending poverty, protecting the planet, and ensuring prosperity for all.These are lofty goals that can only be attained through a rebirth of our education system.
The traditional approaches to education in Guyana thus far have not adapted to the technological innovations in communication, climate change or the global economy. Our education system is failing our students.
It must be transformed in order to overcome the challenges that confront the nation. Such transformation must begin with a new narrative that will inspire youths to acquire knowledge that will lead to the development of the society we desire.
Our current antiquated education system is rooted in a colonial legacy that will not transform our society to a point that will lead to the realization of the nation’s sustainable development agenda. Skill development and employability with emphasis on wealth generation and accumulation cannot continue to define our education system.
Guyana needs an education system with a deeper sense of purpose and integrity to empower the masses. The present education structure is a tool of social stratification that enabled the elite to have access to power and wealth and to control the citizenry. It has not only perpetuated social injustice and inequity, but it has also relegated critical thinking to the domain of the few and has purged the masses of their capacity to think critically.
Even if it will be a difficult task to reform the system, given the urgency of the challenge, it must be done. The public is torn between the forces of capitalism and greed, therefore educating the masses will not be easy since they have been the products of exploitation for decades by the elite.
Changes in the education system can be accomplished if our educators are driven by a moral code that places emphasis and premium on people rather than materialism. They have to ensure that all schools are truly inclusive and embracing of all races, religions and cultures. They must abandon the factory model of education and truly teach children how to learn rather than what to learn so that their minds can be liberated.
It is time for educators and reformers to aspire to a broader vision and hope for an education system that takes into serious consideration, the social, ecological and economical quagmire we confront as a society.

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