Restructuring The School System, Redefining Education.

The spherical human world, right from its beginning, its inception has gone through a whole lots of revolutions. Revolutions ranging from the industrial revolution, technological revolution to political revolutions. These changes are essential in these arms of human endeavors to oust the vestigial system of operation which no longer functions to enthrone or introduce a more advanced system. It is however saddening that the citadel that brings or guide the aforementioned spring has been left in a state of stagnancy & inertia over the years, which literary means nothing has changed about the school system.

How do I mean? I mean since the year when school education has been brought to this part of the world, Africa, it is bitter that nothing new has been injected into the system except the old cycle of kindergarten; primary; secondary and the institutions of higher learning. This makes it imperative that the school, a major influence on the existence of man needs to be purged, I mean to be redefined of its functions and restructured in terms.

Why do we still expect fishes to climb trees? Why are we still in expectant of the eagle to dive into the sea and swim its way out? I mean why are we still in the medieval age where we bring collectively a group of individuals with different abilities, different dreams and varying life goals under the same roof to learn the same thing and then expect them to come out with similar results? Are we not then going against our own professed knowledge of psychology as educationists, guardians and parents that there are hierarchies of intelligences?

Another of the intellectual crimes we commit in the school, whether as guardians, teachers & most importantly as parent is trying to compel our wards into studying courses that they are not passionately inclined to. It is almost criminal, trying to dictate goals, career paths to children and wards. Children, wards (the student) should not be forced by anybody to goals where uncertainty lurks; it can be likened to ego pursuit on the paths of the parents/guardians.

Furthermore, the one other fault the school has embraced In the concentration in the normal curricula and not giving much consideration to the extracurricular activities. Perhaps, we are afraid because it is called “extra” but it is not farfetched that we are used to the old school system where most of our activities are carried out in the classroom. How then do we take care of students whose preference or natural inclination is towards this extracurricular knowledge which are being taught in an abstract manner in the classrooms? What about students who are naturally inclined to engage in sports, paintings, art and other expressive activities? Are we then implying that our school system is designed to stifle creativity?

Here, about the examination system. In the words of Tony Little, the headmaster of the prestigious ETON COLLEGE, Berkshire, England, I quote “there is a real risk that the measurable parts becomes more important than the whole. We compound the problems by having an unimaginative exam system, little has changed from Victorian times, which obliges the students to sit alone at their desks in preparation for a world in which, for much of the time, they will work collaboratively There is no doubt that Mr. Tony little is right because an instance I would cite is the obvious fact that students perform more excellently I practical classes where collectively towards achieving a common set goals than they do when writing individual exams. Now, I am not trying to be anti-exam but all I’m saying is that more attention should be given to students working collaboratively, where the contributions of each student as individual can be weighed.

In conclusion, the school system needs drastic changes and restructuring. Changes in which parents, teachers and academicians would not be afraid to innovate as a collective force. The school system should work in tandem to build to build each student based on their individual inclinations and passion in a collaborative system with other students. The school system must also invest ample time and energy into extracurricular activities, arts and crafts as well as entrepreneurial skills. These will ensure that whatever is learnt stays with the students all through their life. While there is nothing remotely wrong in competitiveness, examinations should be designed in such a way that it encourages collaborative efforts rather than for the top place. It is when these are done that we can sail into the era where the different levels and scope of human intelligence is acknowledged and fishes are no longer tasked with tree-climbing.