By Amara Thoronka
Inasmuch as there are diverse scholarly and casual submissions on the relevance of education, the common description is that education is the greatest instrument in shaping minds, attitudes or behaviours and in realizing innovations, solutions and developments in all sectors of society.
Though, in Sierra Leone, we have largely limited education to the ability to read and write, it should however be noted that education goes beyond just being able to read and write. This is something we have not fully understood, embraced and practiced, a reality that has resulted in serious deficiencies in our school or learning system.
Generally, we are still practicing a “cram n pass” [memorization] type of learning. Many students, from elementary to university, are mainly exposed to memorizing scripted formulas, numeric, texts and diagrams. This form of learning is old and not productive as it does not bring out the best of students. Limiting learners to memorization renders them incapable to think beyond the classroom and given notes.
And because our learning system is more focused on passing written exams, the innovative spirit of students is seldom provoked. It should be understood that academic subjects or modules or disciplines are designed for both personal edification and solving problems in society; but because of the memorization tendencies which we have prioritized, students have largely been limited to what they memorize. Though the reasons are multi-faceted, this is one factor that will make you doubt the academic credentials of many graduates being unable to be creative in their claimed specialties.
Moreover, there is huge deficiencies in instructing and absorbing practical learning. Many disciplines in engineering, medicine, technology, science, agriculture, practical arts, etc, are mostly studied without the required contemporary practicals. This is a key factor for competence deficiency in the outputs of many of our graduates and indigenous “experts”.
More importantly, we have put so much concentration on the acquisition of academic papers to a point that many people are ready to do anything to get one. This is because we have created a general perception that all what one needs is a certificate or degree. The focus should however be on competence and such can only be realized with merit-based and problem-solving education. We should not mistake having academic papers for competence. It is emphatically deliberate why employers use ‘qualify and competence’ in their job adverts. While qualification focuses on document(s) to show for what one claims to know, competence on the other hand focuses on the practical proof of one’s ability to do something.
In addition, there is still a strong belittling stereotype against skill or technical learning. There are thousands students or graduates who would have been successful and financially independent carpenters, masons, tailors, hairdressers, plumbers, tilers, welders, steel binders, caterers, etc; but they were compelled by either peer or family pressure to go to university and study any discipline. It should be noted that education simply means knowledge in doing something. Technical skill should equally be given preference as it is the technical skill that caters for the nation’s middle-level manpower. Those who acquire skill or technical education usually become self-independent job creators while majority of those who acquire mainstream academic learning become job seekers with huge burden on government and the private sector to absorb them into the workforce.
Another thing is that we have placed so much importance in English proficiency. In fact, many people use English proficiency as a yardstick to determine ability or competence in delivering. No doubt, English is a powerful language as it is spoken worldwide and it is also Sierra Leone’s official language; however, engineering works, information communication operations, medical assignments, technical and vocational works, critical reasoning and innovation in solving problems, etc, are not done by speaking good English.
It is also important to note that there is serious problem on how students or learners are being assessed. In most of our schools and colleges or universities, assessment is exclusively in-class. No out-of-class or on-the-field assessment. Imagine, a reality where only written test and exam are used to test students’ comprehension, retention and critical thinking abilities. Let us say such students pass all the written tests and exams and are certified; what would they be able to do in addressing the practical demands of their job when all what they have been doing in class is learning scripted materials with no practical tests? Very little or nothing of course! The exclusive concentration on written assessment or evaluation has made students who are constrained in passing written exams to be perceived as unintelligent and unproductive, even though when such is realistically not the case. There is a need for a 21st century form of assessment which blends theory and practice and provokes learners’ critical thinking skills.
Government and all stakeholders in the education sector should devise and strongly support a problem-solving learning where students are equipped with practical knowledge to solve existing and emerging challenges within their scope of study.
There are also other challenging factors. We all should be identifying and fixing them as a country reflects its educational system.
Reproduced from Expo Magazine [March 2024 edition]
Copy right –Printed in the Expo Times News on Thursday, April 11th, 2024 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
