|
|
|
|
| Columns |
| My Turn |
|
by
Sane Pashane Zuka, 13 November 2006
-
09:07:14
|
In search of better education
Declining quality of education in Malawian schools has attracted a lot of debate from different circles. Since the introduction of free primary education (FPE), many pupils have been marshalled into schools not properly equipped in terms of material and human resources.
Secondary school education, while registering a recommendable contribution from the private sector, has changed both the face value of a secondary school and the quality it offers, making it difficult to distinguish between a cattle’s kraal and a secondary school. Do our youth really deserve that? What aesthetic values will they acquire after undergoing such environments? As if this is not enough, Malawian “Oxford”, “Cambridge” and “Phoenix” colleges have flourished everywhere, even close to bars.
As a result, a large number of pupils drop out of school before attaining permanent literacy. Overall, it appears increased access to schooling has been achieved at the expense of the quality of education offered. While I agree that several factors were at play in the creation of such a scenario, my view is that lack of educational structures to monitor education institutions has been the major contributing factor.
It is time the government and educational stakeholders should put in place University and Colleges Board and the National Educational Council. Our renowned sons and daughters of Malawi like Prof David Rubadiri, Prof Kings Phiri, Prof Brown Chimphamba, Prof Moira Chimombo to mention just a few can easily can, I think, take up such a challenge.
Recent questions over government recognition of Livingstonia and Catholic universities are but evidence of the exiting structural gap. As private sector contribution to the sector continues to grow and thus more colleges and universities become established, the question of recognition and quality will become more difficult to solve. National Educational Council and the Universities and Colleges Board, of course different names can be assigned to such boards, can readily play that role.
Among other things the Board can be responsible for disseminating and coordinating research activities, developing quality and skills standards, recommending new educational institutions endorsement, certifying practitioners in the sector and regulating ethics within the profession. In order to support the activities of the universities and educational institutions, universities need to be coordinated and their efforts joined for the development of the nation.
In this way, they will be able to share both material and human resources with minimal problems. By developing a common nomenclature relating to quality and skill standards the Board will serve as a clearinghouse to education development plans and thus improve the sickening education picture our beloved country has of late been associated with.
A progressive level of professional and technical certification in post-secondary education is paramount if our country is to develop. The Board can also be an important institution for lobbying links with outside universities. In this era of globalisation, it is not healthy for Malawi to do nothing and think things are going to improve. We need a body that is going to be progressive in matters of education so that we develop capacity base to compete internationally.
This is also true of the National Education Council. A lot is desired in the quality standards in pre-school, basic and secondary schools. Ten years ago, a Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) was highly respected outside Malawi and most Malawians with MSCE could easily find work outside the country. Today it is a different story. As a country we need to do something to avoid future embarrassment. There is no way such educational matters can develop without a professional body of the sort I have in mind.
Today, every institution does things its own way, qualitatively and qualitatively. This is a worrisome situation and deserves urgent attention. Liberalism should have formula otherwise it is going to cost the nation a lot. Planners, nurses, chemists, politician, lawyers, doctors, etc have theirs. The Teachers Union of Malawi (Tum) is the only teachers body in the country but has not been effective. Worse still, the Union is mostly embraced by teachers at one level, making it very weak to register professional successes at other levels. Its mandate is also very limited. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
