The good book, Proverbs 22:6, says: Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Whether you believe in God or not, this is a logical position to adopt. Mankind learns from each other, both directly and indirectly, based on individual exposures. In this cycle of life, society replenishes itself through various systems that afford sustainable growth, managing the available resources.
These varying systems require particular skillsets for efficient and effective management. Leaders are essential. Moreover, leaders with strong moral and ethical principles must step forth to ensure sustained productivity. One such system in need of strong leadership is the education system. This system is multifaceted and requires all stakeholders to fulfil their written and unwritten roles and responsibilities.
Education begins at home. Do all households know what education is? Aristotle described education as, “The creation of a sound mind in a sound body.” This denotes that education begins from birth. The nourishing of both mind and body immediately takes flight.
The parents/pilots/leaders, without doubt, must understand the importance of the role and must not be reckless. Society cannot afford that. The important question is whether parents see themselves as leaders, understanding their social responsibilities.
The high levels of indiscipline among our school-aged children gives a frightening response to that question. Where is leadership? Is it that in the cycle of life they were not taught to be leaders? If so, how do we address this? It is also frightening to consider that the undisciplined children of today will soon be parents.
This predicament is certainly not new. Social Services, a government unit, has been created to address the social ills in our communities, including the shortfalls in parenting. With this unit more questions arise. Are they fully equipped to deal with all the social ills plaguing our society?
Is it fair for negligent citizens to depend on social services to meet their every need as an entitlement? Social Services should be a unit that helps citizens get on their feet not give indefinite back rides. Programmes are definitely needed to bridge the gap, eradicating poor parenting.
More programmes? There are so many programmes, but freedom of choice seems to deem them insufficient. How do you help someone who does not want the help they need? Leaders are needed in our communities. The Social Services Unit will need the support required so that the varying programs can be impactful and sustainably so.
Where are our leaders developed? Schools provide structured education to satisfy both individual and societal needs. As early as Early Childhood Care and Education, children are encouraged to dream, to think of what they want to be when they get older. School is where dreams are built.
Experience provided at school plays a pivotal role in moulding our young minds to take up key functions in society. Students’ creativities are developed as critical thinking is facilitated throughout various activities. Well at least that is what should be happening. Schools need support.
There are many disabilities that schools are insufficiently equipped to treat with. Content focused curriculum that caters to high stakes exams significantly stymies the support that individual students of varying intelligences can receive. The children who are left behind are not only left behind academically but behaviourally. This is further exacerbated when these children come from broken homes or negligent parents.
The Ministry of Education in managing the provisions of structured education at schools is expected to continuously analyse and address areas in need of improving. Education reform has been discussed for years, often with sporadic and poorly thought-out initiatives thrown at teachers and school administrators.
The policy makers seem to believe doing something and many things equate to problem solving. The education system is too delicate for that. Stakeholder involvement is paramount. All hands-on deck must be coordinated by the Ministry. School, community and home must know and understand the programme, singing from one hymnal.
Dishing out initiatives where key players do not understand their roles is a waste of resources. Education is too disjointed with everyone looking to another to lay blame. Everyone is looking to someone to fix it.
School administrators are challenged to navigate this disjointed system to ensure that students get a positive experience at school. The ministry needs to recognise that all stakeholders must be brought to the table for a comprehensive fix.
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Who is doing the training? We are all responsible. All hands on deck is needed at this juncture.
Trinidad and Tobago Newsday
