The System of Education Then and Now - Essay Example

Adult and Vocation Order No. 384276 Introduction “Nothing is permanent except change” is a very apt saying by Heraclitus, which explains why it is so important for people in today’s contemporary society to keep on learning. Times are not stagnant but keep changing from moment to moment. Therefore, it is imperative that we keep up with the changing times in order to be able to adapt ourselves to these changes and make a success of what we set out to do. Globalization has led to widespread modernization which has created an impetus for learning and has revolutionized education at all levels. (Field, 2002, p. 38) explains that “Constant change means that people need to continue engaging with education in order to update skills or re-skill to compete in the global employment market, leading to lifelong learning for many. Globalization and progressive modernization caters to the concept of a learning society which however, is not a new concept in itself but a concept that has been handed down from generation to generation. In relation to change, Leo Tolstoy (1828 – 1910) once said, “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” (Leo Tolstoy) This enlightening saying is all the more evident in the present day society with special reference to the attitudes of the governing and political bodies. The System of Education – Then and Now In the pursuit of finding a more equitable education, it is crucial to deconstruct those things which have already become internalized or institutionalized. Adapting Lifelong learning according to the changing times would be much more useful to students than just formal or rote learning. Learning for life through vocational institutions would serve to help students make progress according to their skills and capabilities and thereby become successful citizens, who once again would be in a position to contribute positively to the society. Drawing on social theories laid out by theorists and functionalists would help us solve conflicts and problems in the educational arena. One such sociological theory is Poststructuralism which was born out of the postmodernist philosophical movement. The defining principle of postmodernism is Deconstructionism which helps us to identify the myths that have been internalized and serves to helps us get rid of them. Postculturalists believe that the traditional cultural theories and conflict theories are not adequate enough to help us examine and understand this complex global society and the strongly feel that the theory of Deconstructionism empowers the individual because it frees them of the myths that have been internalized and enlightens them to make relevant changes to adapt themselves to a changing society. Max Webber (1864 – 1920) along with Karl Marx and Emily Durkheim were eminent founders of sociology and their theory of symbolic interactionism was based on truths and beliefs that contributed to social change brought about by the interaction of individuals in the society. Mead (1863 – 1931) is considered to be the founder of symbolic interactionism where he argues that the process of role taking evolves the concept of ‘self’. In this theory, the individual places himself in the position of other individuals and helps them look back and pass judgments about themselves. Previously, a secondary education was quite sufficient for procuring a decent employment, but it is not the same in these contemporary times due to social, cultural and economic changes in the society that have laid greater demands on its members that requires higher education as well as specialized skills and abilities in order to procure a good job. Human actions have become reflexive in nature in order to cater to the social phenomena which has impacted upon the attitudes and thought processes of individuals seeking employment. Watson et al., (2002:8) refers to the present educational system and explains that “There is very little support for cross- sectoral provision at the system level and poses as an obstacle to institutions working within the current system.” Shedding light on the difficulties of students support in helping them move between the different sectors, (Wheelan, 2000) explains that “Most universities have credit-transfer that facilitates the entry of TAFE students to degrees and credit VET students towards their degree.” But, according to (Wheelan and Moodie, 2005b) the ‘elite’ universities are less likely to admit students to degrees based on their prior TAFE studies, nor give them credit in case they acquired a place in a degree program. Shaping my own Practice – Present and Future Learning As an adult vocational educator, I feel that I owe great responsibility to cater to the different needs of my students to help them adapt to the changes in society and their immediate environment. I hold a strong opinion that unless I am well trained in the arena of adult and vocational education, will I be able to meet the different needs of those who come under my care. This course has made me a much more responsible person because it has helped me understand the importance of the responsibility that goes with it. This training has also made me much more confident in managing diverse challenging situations especially in the case of disadvantaged students. Before the course I was a bit vulnerable because I was not sure if I’ll be able to handle complex situations that may arise. However, after the course, I feel more confident than ever because I have a better understanding how to manage such complex and conflicting situations. Sociology’s core concept is society which is in a constant process of social change. (Allen, Jennifer, 2001) Sociologists such as Comte and Spencer have termed this process of social change as ‘social evolution’. In trying to help us understand this in a better manner, sociologists have classified different societies based on various criteria. Different theories and theoretical frameworks help to give us deep insight into our complex society. Sociology also enables us to understand the differences of opinion that exists between individuals and the community at large and also helps us to identify and overcome the injustices done in society to a certain extent. One such injustice very evident in our society is inequality between individuals and groups based on their caste, creed, economic, cultural and social differences. For example, Marxism and Feminism provide us with theoretical frameworks to help us understand the concepts of inequality, discrimination and exploitation prevalent in our society. Their chief focus was to bring about a change in society. As Marx states ‘Philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it’. (Marx & Engles, 1976, p. 617) However, the economic background of an individual and family influence contribute towards an individual’s decision making process and according to conflict sociologists continues to encourage inequality in society ‘by channeling students from lower socio- economic backgrounds away from university’. (Walker & Loughland, 2001, p. 8) In a study conducted by Diane Reay (1997) on children belonging to the working class sector, she found that children from poor backgrounds were targeted as being inferior, not so intelligent and uncultured when compared to those coming from middle-class or affluent backgrounds. Children from such backgrounds had no confidence or self-esteem and therefore showed poor results in their learning experiences which was brought about by the negative impact of society. Shedding light on the yawning gap between the haves and the have- nots (Mac Donald, 2000) argues that the problem lies with the policy makers and the political elites who fail to see the connection between education on one hand and the social context on the other. According to Diane Reay, (2001) even now in this 21st century, the system of education is a prey to the political scenario that prevails in our society and unless the political heads and policy makers understand the damage being done, it would continue to impact our society in the most negative manner. Among children from poor economic backgrounds, the value of ‘self’ is very low when compared to those coming from middle and affluent backgrounds. According to (Schostak, 2000) poor government initiatives and policies, the League Table Culture, the gifted and talent oriented programs in addition to a failing school policy, only serve to exacerbate rather than alleviate such dilemmas. (Schostak, 2000) Critical Reflection As a vocational education teacher, I understand that I hold great responsibility in helping and guiding students to achieve or realize their multiple aspirations that enables them to qualify and equip themselves for a harmonious working atmosphere and provides them with personal fulfillment by opening the doors of learning in different sectors. By understanding that Globalization has revolutionized the education sector which demands specialization of skills and abilities, I’m able to understand the responsibility I have in creating an impact on the thought processes and opportunities available to my students. My teaching practice has been greatly influenced by the values I have imbibed through my education and training especially in the area of vocational training. The experience that I have gained has been a source of inspiration and deep understanding, helping me to guide and channelize the abilities of students in the right direction. In addition to this, I began to understand that besides formal education, it was very important to provide an exclusive platform for the learning of different skills by gearing education towards being inclusive as well as student centered. In the opinion of (Singh, 2001, p. 278, 2002, p. 579) it is much easier to meet the requirements of ‘explicit instruction’ given by the teacher because it makes the rules much easier to navigate particularly in the case of disadvantaged students. It is quite evident that modern society demands that its members be lifelong learners while adapting themselves to the changes around them. However, employment life is only a part of lifelong learning. (Dewey, 1966) defines vocational learning as ‘inclusive of all activities that are central to an individual’s life direction, including paid work. Shedding light in the wake of contemporary lifelong learning (Bagnall, 2001) states that such learning is ‘…being overwhelmingly framed by economic considerations and for most people that is becoming a process of fitting into contemporary cultural activities.’ However, (Billett, 2004) is of the opinion that the rise in economic discourse in education is creating a negative impact on society. Considering the demands made by modern society, I feel that that it is imperative that vocational educators, like me should equip themselves with knowledge and skills to meet such demands. Conclusion My training course has helped me gain deep insight into the psyche of those students who are less fortunate as I try to put myself in their place and do my best to understand their feelings towards the whole teaching- learning process. Though modernization and the present educational policies cater to the more affluent part of our society, I have devised ways that would help me overcome these shortfalls by showing greater consideration towards students from poor backgrounds. The different theoretical concepts have provided me with a deeper understanding of my student learners and I am able to use these concepts when dealing with their learning problems. This course has given me great confidence in myself and the knowledge and information I have gathered during this training course has given me great impetus to want to extend the same to my students. Having made sociology an indelible part of my life, I now fully well understand how such pedagogic practices contribute towards making or breaking a learner’s educational experience. Since I consider myself as a part of a life long learning society, both in the formal and informal sense, I feel obligatory to bring about some change in society by exhibiting great responsibility towards the needs and problems of my students. This training course has helped me to change my perspective about education in general and has enabled me to accept the changes taking place in society by responding to them in a positive manner. References Allen, Jennifer. 2nd ed. (2001) Sociology of Education: Possibilities and Practice. Katoomba, N.S.W, Social Science Press. Bagnall, R. (2001) “Locating Lifelong Learning and Education in Contemporary Currents of Thought and Culture”, Aspin David and Chapman, Judith, C. International Handbook of Lifelong Learning, Dordrechi: Kluver Accademic Publishers, 2- 13. Billett, S. (2004) “From your business to our business: industry and vocational education in Australia”, Oxford Review of Education, Vol. 30, No. 1, 11- 33. Dewey, J., (1966) ‘Labor and Leisure’, Chap. 19, p. 250 -261. Democracy and Education: an introduction to the Philosophy of Education, New York, the Free Press. Diane Reay (2001) Finding or losing yourself? Working class relationships to education, Journal of Education Policy, 16:4, 333- 346 Diane Reay and Ball, S.J (1997) Spoilt for Choice: the working classes and Education Markets, Oxford Review of Education, 23 (1) 89- 101. Field, J (2002) ‘The Silent Explosion’ in ‘Lifelong Learning and the New Educational Order’, 2nd Staffordshire: Trentham Books, Chap. 2, 35- 67. Leo Tolstoy on Change. Creating Minds. www.creatingminds.org/quotes/change.htm Mac Donald (2000) How Education became nobody’s Business in H. Altrichter and J. Elliot (eds.) Images of Educational Change, Buckingham: Open University Press, pp. 20 – 36. Marx K and Engles F, (1976) The Gennan Ideology, Progress Press, Moscow. Schostak, J (2000) Developing under developing circumstances: the personal and social development of students and the process of schooling in H. Altrichter and J. Elliot (eds.) Images of Educational Change, Buckingham: Open University Press, pp. 37 – 52. Singh, Parlo, (2001) Pedagogic Discourses and student resistance in Australian Schools”, Morais, Ana, Neves, Isabel, Davies, Brian, and Daniels Harry. Towards a Sociology of Pedagogy. The Contribution of Basil Bernstein to Research. New York, Chapter 10, 251 – 285. Singh, Parlo, (2002) Pedagogising Knowledge Bernstein’s theory of Pedagogic Device. British Journal of Sociology of Education. Vol. 23, No. 4, 571- 582. Walker, K & Loughland, T., (2001) “Is this a Recipe Book”, Allen, Jennifer, Sociology of Education: Possibilities and Practices, Tuggerah, NSW, Social Science Press, Chap. 1, 3- 15, Chap. 2, 16 -37. Watson et al., (2002) Fair and Feasible? A cross- sectoral funding model for post - compulsory education and training, NCVER, Adelaide Wheelahan et al., (2005b) “Interventionist government puts thumbscrews on “TAFE”, Campus Review, Sydney. Wheelahan (2000) Bridging the divide: developing the institutional structures that most effectively deliver cross- sectoral education and training. National Center for Vocational Education Research, Adelaide, South Australia. Read More