Contemplating the education road ahead

TTUTA

AS THE tumultuous events of 2020 are confined to a memory, having compelled us to reflect upon the many things we took for granted, we ponder upon the uncertainties that await us, hopefully wiser and more prepared. After all, we are supposed to learn from our experiences as we go forward into a future that promises to be even more turbulent and unpredictable.

From the economic, emotional, and social shock of the covid19 virus, forcing us to reflect upon our vulnerabilities as a human race, to the ravages of climate change, life will certainly challenge human capacity to acknowledge its ignorance, arrogance and the imperilled pathway that have defined our existence thus far.

While almost everyone is eagerly anticipating the return of schooling in its traditional form, the forced engagement of virtual instruction would certainly change the face of curriculum delivery, bringing our approach to education into the 21st century.

Most teachers have been forced to master the skill and art of e-learning, significantly enhancing their repertoire of pedagogical competencies. This development will certainly enhance our capacity to bring our education system more in sync with the imperatives of creating critical and innovative thinkers if harnessed in the correct way.

We have unwittingly demonstrated through this experience of forced virtual instruction the ability to adjust to radical changes in the education landscape with the right stimuli. Though shocking in its realisation, having caught us by surprise as with any radical paradigm shift, the positives of the experience should not be lost as we contemplate the education roadmap ahead.

We are now at a critical juncture: bring the rest of the education system in alignment with the imperatives of education for sustainable development. From a redefinition of the nature and purpose of education to curriculum reform and teacher preparation, the call for radical overhaul has been consistent from many segments of the society.

The recently concluded consultation on education will hopefully yield the substantial reform that has been advocated for many years, beginning with the comprehensive and dispassionate review of the legal framework that encapsulates the entire system.

Sectoral interest that has vociferously advocated for the retention of the status quo, notwithstanding the social and economic cost to the country, must be repelled in our quest to ensure that true quality education is predicated on solid principles of social justice, equity, fairness, and equality of opportunity for all as envisioned in the founding principles of our nation.

The purpose of schooling must henceforth be situated in a narrative of the need to create a society comprising of people who are good decent human beings, who espouse respect for self and each other, who are creative and innovative and whose daily existence is defined by principles of sustainable development. Social and economic inequity gaps must be clinically targeted for eradication as we contemplate the education years ahead.

Increasing the level of social deficit has and continues to be a significant feature of our current model. Education must result in empowerment of all via the enlargement of choices. Equal opportunity in an unequal society will never yield equal outcomes in an arrangement that was designed to perpetuate a class differential.

As educators, we have a golden opportunity to contemplate on the need for radical change in our own understanding of the nature and purpose of education and make the commensurate demand for reform, having lamented the injustice of large numbers of children that were excluded from the virtual learning experience.

While the proverbial light at the end of a long dark tunnel in the form of a vaccine for covid19 is clearly now visible, in the education sector we must ensure that the darkness of inequity gaps and social deficits will not continue to be barriers to unlocking the full potential of all our young minds.

The years ahead must ensure that our schools are transformed to ensure that all students, regardless of social class, ethnicity or demography imbibe hope for a better future, wherein their innate skills and talents are valued and nurtured, enabling them to live in and contribute to a just and sustainable world.

The covid19 crisis must be used as a catalyst to advocate for fundamental reform of the education system to ensure true inclusion. Over the past year we had the opportunity to introspect. It is now time to act decisively as we go forth with bravery and courage. We have the resilience to face the trauma of the fundamental change needed to deliver the society for which we yearn.