Educational Challenges of 21st Century - Essay Example

EDUCATION CHALLENGES Education is a vital requirement in our day to day human life. As the old saying goes, “knowledge is power.” We all have a sense of curiosity that is inborn from birth. This awe or burning desire for answers can only be satisfied through learning how things are and operate in the universe by being in class and starting from the basics. However, with the much needed passion for learning, there seems to be hurdles along the way. Everyone should have the right to acquire basic education. However not all of us have the privilege to access this right due to several reasons. Among the reasons is that of the gap between the rich and the poor. This is normally reflected in the quality of work done after study. We find that children from rich backgrounds generally afford to go to schools which probably have the best and well trained instructors. This guarantees them good quality lessons and instructions. However, children from low income families may not get the best quality of education they deserve (Henry, 2009). On the topic on being rich or poor, the process of learning for the more affluent kids is easier and more pleasant as compared to that of a peasant child. This is primarily due to the availability of reading materials such as print or electronic media for the affluent people whereas the poor people have limited access to print or electronic sources. You find that rich people send their kids off to very good schools which are well equipped in terms of computer labs, a well stocked library and the school itself offers a great learning environment. The not so well off families take their children to public schools which may not have good facilities such as a well equipped library (Ronald, 2009). It is of some people’s opinion that race is also a great factor to consider among the various challenges facing education. A large population of the blacks, and Latinos, is believed to receive an education that would be termed as inferior comparing it with the education the whites receive. The number of African-Americans and Latinos expected to drop out of school due to suspensions or other illegal activities is higher as compared to the number of whites that would not complete their learning curve (Roland, 2009). I would strongly vouch for the closure of non-performing schools so as not to waste parents’ money in sending kids to schools that do not perform. Another factor that affects the education sector hugely is the lack of assessment. This applies to both the students and the policy makers. Teachers and instructors alike should practice the habit of assessing their students’ work on a regular basis. Lack of this technique makes it difficult to build on the strengths of students while at the same time addressing the weaknesses of their students. Policy makers should also asses the quality of education offered in schools from time to time. This is essential in keeping with the changing demands in the world socially, economically and politically (Leana, 2008). Splitting of roles should greatly be looked into in regards to offering quality education for kids. Parents have the responsibility of teaching their children the basics before they first join school. This is important as it tasks parents with the responsibility of ensuring that their kids learn first from home, and then get into school as soon as their time is due. Different children have different needs when it comes to acquiring knowledge. There are children with special needs and cannot be put in the same class with other students. The education sector should provide a fully working system to educate children with disabilities or those with special needs (Henry, 2009). Teachers have a task to carry out teaching in the most professional way they can. Some teachers just mainly instruct students by brushing over topics and giving assignments so that the unit or topic is done as soon as possible. They do not invest vital time in engaging their students’ and in getting their students’ feedback as to how they should improve their teaching styles. This is a great challenge in educating students since most students find a topic interesting if they find their teacher interesting too. It also becomes easier to grasp the contents of a topic if a student is actively engaged in the class rather that just listening to their teacher talk for a whole lesson without giving time for a student’s questions or remarks (Leana, 2008). Globalization has also affected the education system in many countries in different parts of the world. Globalization has led to the interaction of people across different cultures and this has fuelled the change in the social, political and economies structures of many countries globally. It is difficult to fully comprehend the policy of the education system in a lot of countries without placing that system in global context. Western ideas have also seemed to spark a great change in the education system of developing countries. For example, most countries in Africa were used to informal learning in the early twentieth century. However with the advent of colonization, more and more African countries have taken to formal education while incorporating western education in their education systems (Roland, 2009). Socialization amongst peers has also been a great factor to consider among the challenges facing education. The encouragement and influence from peers and teachers determines greatly how students perform. Teachers and instructors alike have been shown to offer more support and encouragement to students who perform well. Students who perform well are also seen to surround themselves with peers that offer the moral support and guidance to further their studies as compared to those whose interests in learning are low and are observed to be in bad company (Leana, 2008). The time spent doing homework has been seen to affect the educational performance of students. Those students who take more time doing their homework have been proven to have good mannerisms as well as develop self regulatory mechanisms. They also keep peers who are like them. The teamwork between parent and teachers has also been proven to affect children’s studies. This is true in that when parents involve themselves in their kid’s school life, such as attending PTA meeting, this boosts the morale of the kids and they tend to perform better. Those kids whose parents do not honor such meetings end have having kids who do not take their education seriously (Henry, 2009). In as much as we have focused on the factors that affect the parents and students, there are a few responsibilities that learning institutions have to ensure they offer the best teaching. Schools should offer a good and conducive environment for learning to take place. Libraries should be well stocked and classes well furnished so that students get the best they can in their efforts to quench their thirst for knowledge. System inequalities between private and public schools should be avoided as best as possible by providing basic needs to students. This means equal distribution of well qualified teachers and other staff to both private and public schools (Emanuela, 2006). Discrimination in schools should also be greatly discouraged. This refers to racial discriminations and also other forms of discrimination such as gender, language or social economic discrimination. Policies should be put in place to raise the standards of education as per the growing global demands in various fields. Schools should also focus on the non-educational aspect of the students, such as the psychological development of the students so as to enable them form meaningful and constructive peer groups (Peter, Andy and Jim, 1994). Parents should actively participate in the academic lives of their sons and daughters. They should corporate with the school administration and appear for meetings whenever they are called for. Parents have also the task of ensuring their kids do their homework as part of emphasizing how important education is in their kids’ lives (Godfrey and Charles 2002). References Godfrey, B. Charles, F. (2002). Educational Planning and Management in Small States: Concepts and Experiences. United Kingdom: Commonwealth Secretariat. Emanuela, D. G. (2006). Meeting the Challenges of Secondary Education in Latin America and East Asia: Improving Efficiency and Resource Mobilization. Washington: World Bank Publications. Peter, G. Andy, M. Jim, N. (1994). Challenging Behavior in Schools: Teacher Support, Practical Techniques, and Policy Development. United Kingdom: Psychology Press. Henry, J. (2009). Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century. United States: MIT Press. Roland, S. C. (2009). Postcolonial Challenges in Education. Switzerland: Peter Lang. Leana, E. C. (2008). Nursing Education Challenges in the 21st Century. New York: Nova Publishers. Angela, W. L. (2007). Education for All and Multigrade Teaching: Challenges and Opportunities.United States: Springer. Read More