Educational Policy: A way forward.

Vision
Inspire
Think
Notice
Practical Knowledge
Solve problems


Its dawn alright and I am starting out a new article.

Its 10th October 2011, and as I write this piece . Its been about 54years since a concise book was written on purposeful education for Africa.
Its been long road down here, and I wish to take up the subject again, because nothing has changed much since the last 54years.  In the previous years a professor of  Sociology Dr. K.A Busia wrote a wonderful book on what education should be. Most of the problems he saw and seeked change still exist today in most part of Africa. The purpose of this piece of writing is not to talk about how bad the education system is now or to analyze how come most of these problems exist.
I believe I am not the position to make such investigations. I am a SSS leaver and I have but experienced only  a third of the whole educational process in this country.
Someone might say then I dont have even a first hand experience of what the tertiary education is like to write an article to suggest a way forward. Well that will be very true. And I dont seek to contend with the fact.
Yet still, there is a saying that whatever is within is what reflects outward. On the grounds that I see what my friends and people in my community turn out when they graduate or even their attitude towards school, I believe there is still more to be done.

As I said earlier, I have no wish to talk about the issues in our educational system that plagues us all.This information is more or less redundant and stressing even makes it more so, because it doesn't help in anyway to change the current situation.

I wish to stress rather on a way forward. Mind you, my ideas may sound subjective at first. Probably because of the way I express myself and secondly because these ideas have no scientific backing. But I believe all the ideas I shall stipulate here are logical and when looked at carefully , is a feasible a way out. And secondly which idea at first is not subjective, all ideas are first subjective until affirmed and confirmed.

VISION:
It is a very simple fact that needs to be reckon with; you can't put up any structure without a blue print. You need a dream to achieve something, that sounded vague. A dream in sight is reality at bay.
We can say this in many different ways  but  truth is one, without a  target you are aimless.
It is very impotant that before this country can go forward it needs a dream, a dream of what life in this country should be like for the average person and what it takes to get there.
Aristotle puts it this way:The state comes in existence for the sake  of life; it exists for the sake of the "good life" and imparts it to its citizens".  
Vision is very important and the onus  falls on the opinion leaders of this country , to work with the people and find a way forward but its all talk in the air, to stress the point again, because little has been done so far with all the talk the professor did 54years ago.

In terms of   having the "good life" and imparting it to the people in what small way can we begin to turn things around?
The first block of socialization or education is the family. Considering this fact essential efforts could begin from there.
The family needs to have an idea of the good life is and what it takes to get there. When children are growing up parents are supposed to tell their children what they are capable of becoming and the efforts required to become that. Children need to be aware of the boundless opportunities that is open to them, and the need for them to experiment with ideas pertaining to the development of  first themselves and then their society. Children also need to understand that their efforts go a long way to help  the development of their country and that their role in this country is to leave a mark, a positive mark.

The young should be imparted with these ideas and the best place for them to start is their community. First by being introduced to volunteer works, and telling them the onus falls on them to find practical solutions to the problems they see in their community. The young will only know a situation is a problem if it conflicts with the true dream they believe in.
The community should be an organized entity where role models set a pace for the young . It should be an environment where children are guided , where  children are worked with to solve challenges. This is a sure grooming future leaders.

INSPIRE:
This word is a very essential part of human growth and development. What children end up becoming is because of what they are inspired by. Even at the point of death people are inspired to do the most never thought of  things.
Somewhere in all of us, lies great potentials and it always it takes some form inspiration to bring out the power that lies within. I could possibly write a whole book on inspiration and how it determines what we all become in the end... great people become great because of the sort inspiration they had and so do average men.

The role of parents is to inspire their children, the role of the community is to inspire its members, the role of the society is to inspire the people and this they can do with a dream.
The individual is the experience of the society, whereas, the society is the expression of the individual.

The teacher's role and the role of the school is to introduce the student to information and knowledge that will inspire the student to do greater things.

THINK.
Edward De Bono, invented the think tank, lateral thinking and many others, I cant possibly mention here.
He said something quite remarkarble; " the art of thinking should be introduced as a subject in schools"
Great men think and in a nation where there are thinkers, is a nation that thrives.

To be continued.............