I remember from the very beginnings of my childhood; I have always dreamt of creating something, something new. I used to dream of making bicycle out of wood and riding out on the streets with something new and never seen.
I had many dreams and these thoughts and ideas came to me at the time when I was about 8 years.
The truth is these dreams of mine were achievable. I only needed someone who understood my dreams and could lead me to explore the possibilities of these dreams.
There are many children like me, whose dreams have faded away because there was no one to inspire them; No one to lead them on the path to exploring their dreams.
In a recent article, I read from eselfone blog the author spoke about what true education should be.
“Educate comes from the Latin word educare/educat: which means, to bring out or lead out. The closest word to this in English is educe. Educe meaning to bring out or lead out something latent or potential.”
This points out clearly, education is meant for a purpose. People should be educated with an intention in mind.
I am a high school graduate and there is nothing I have achieved with all the education I got( from all the information I was fed with).
High school was the place I dreamt of being while I was at home, after having completed Junior high.
At the beginning it was great, having the opportunity to meet different students from various schools.
But class wasn’t interactive enough; in class were all these potentials. These young lads who wanted to become engineers of all sorts. And all we were ever taught were laws in physics, theories in chemistry, formulas in mathematics, most of which we couldn’t apply in real life.
I wish class could have been more interactive. I remember the first week in class, when I went to the board to teach my mates, how to make a solar panel. Everyone was so keen on listening and participating.
If teachers could make class a little interactive and help the student see all they learn in practical view. And even challenge us to use the principles in solving real life problems around us.
Learning would have been so much better; we would have become better students. Because real life tests gives one real life experiences even if he fails.
Most people come out of high school and can’t even work for any company in the field in which they studied, because there were no practical lessons.
Science class was basically a history class. We learnt about Newton’s laws but we barley understood what it really meant. We solve questions on Gravitational force, but we barely understood how gravity relates to all existence in general. The question, what even causes the pull towards earth, was never answered. Most things, we were thought were vague and incomplete and inapplicable to daily life.
Way back in junior high, I learnt about the scientific method, and the first process is observation( which actually means noticing).
But you can bet , we were never taught anything about going home with a project of observing(noticing) a phenomenon in our environment. And using the scientific method, to deduce and explain what is happening.
Science education is this poor, from the very beginning and we wonder why, our economy is lagging behind.
Life will be so much better , if things were done right, if teachers will inspire students in their various fields of study. Even if they can’t be that source of inspiration, they could introduce the young science student to a world full of possibilities. Students having the opportunity to watch or listen to some of the great scientists in the world , will inspire them to work harder.
Recently I came across very interesting videos on Richard Feynman and my goodness, the guy is amazing. In these he actually talks about he thinks and analyzes problems.
Inspiration is very important in every student’s life and the remarks and thought patterns of geniuses are good models for any “wanna be” scientist.
There is hope, for me self-learning has been a great way out. I believe if there were more public libraries in the city. It would be a very good step. A place where students can have access to information and guidance.
A step to the solution of the problem is what eselfone is doing. All they need is support.
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