Enhancing the Quality of Education - Essay Example

EDUCATIONAL ISSUE Student’s name Course code + name Professor’s name University name City, State Date of submission Introduction Enhancing the quality of education in developing countries necessitates the cultivation of intellectuals from the society and higher learning institutions that will be responsible for cultivating future intellectuals and achieving sustainable higher education. The need for sustainable higher education emanates from the fact that the contemporary global society requires expert human capital to meet the needs of the knowledge-based economy (Shephard 2010). As a result, tertiary institutions in developing nations, especially Sub Saharan Africa continue to encounter unparalleled pressure to avail the skilled human capital. The paper covers the significance of cultivating intellectuals from institutions of higher learning and the society towards developing future intellectuals; particularly in developing nations such as countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa. The choice of developing nations emanates from the fact that the quality of higher education in such areas is lower than the quality presented by higher institutions in developed nations. In essence, the essay argues that it is the responsibility of intellectuals and schools to attain sustainable higher education in such regions. The Role of Intellectuals and Higher Institutions towards achieving Sustainable Education Intellectuals and institutions of higher learning play a pivotal role towards attaining sustainable higher education in developing countries. The dependence of sustainable higher education on higher institutions and intellectuals from such institutions and the society emanates from the fact that such institutions and intellectuals are responsible for cultivating future intellectuals thereby guaranteeing the perpetuity of the learnt skills (Smith & MacGregor 1995). Even though colonialism resulted in the emergence of several universities in Africa and other global regions having third-world countries, it is evident that the number of higher learning institutions established by colonial powers did not meet the higher education needs of citizens of the colonised countries. A probable explanation behind the establishment of few higher institutions by colonial powers is the fear of resistance that would emanate from the educated workforce in the event that many individuals gained access to higher education. However, the establishment of tertiary institutions has exhibited an upward trend ever since countries gained independence. The dependence of such institutions on metropolitan universities from the colonising nations was responsible for the high quality of education of the curriculum offered by the few institutions soon after independence. Several decades later, the ‘metropolitan glory’ faded leaving independent nations to cater for their tertiary educational needs. High restriction levels presented by colonial powers resulted in the training of few intellectuals that could meet the human capital needs of the civil and public service. According to a World Bank report released in 1991, locals held less than one-quarter of the professional civil service posts at the time of independence (World Bank 1991). This presented a challenge to governments as they resorted to investing in higher institutions to avail the necessary skilled human capital. Zaire provides a good example of such nations that did not have a single lawyer, engineer or doctor at the time of gaining independence. On the part of the University of East Africa that served approximately 23 million individuals from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, only 99 professionals had graduated from the university by the end of 1961. Following the realisation that there was a massive deficit of intellectual capital, governments of the developing nations decided to invest in higher education. As a result, they converted higher education into a publicly-funded entity. This resulted in the challenge of attaining sustainable higher education from the 1970s through the 21st century. Governments realised that higher learning encountered numerous challenges that included poor teaching, limited infrastructure and academic resources, poor research facilities, and poor conditions for intellectuals that failed to attract experienced and high quality academic personnel. The other challenges included limited academic freedom and unbridle skill flight (Oliver 2004). From the challenges, it is apparent that there are two main components that are crucial to attaining sustainable higher education. These include intellectuals and the learning institutions themselves. Growing participation from locals that intend to pursue higher education has contributed massively towards the increasing deficit of institutions of higher learning and intellectuals in developing countries. Institutions have witnessed enrolment levels that have exceeded the existing capacity. The rising number of students that enrolled in higher institutions resulted in the call by the World Bank to reduce investment in higher institution and a shift of focus to primary and secondary education. However, recent decades have witnessed another shift to tertiary education due to the need of developing skilled intellectuals that would be responsible for the development of the affected countries. According to the World Bank, the absence of a vibrant higher learning system in Africa would create an unfavourable environment for the development of African and other developing nations to meet the standards of systems in developed nations (World Bank 1991). Besides training professionals to serve the contemporary knowledge-based economy, a vibrant higher learning institution would also avail skilled human capital that would be responsible for the social development of the economy. Even though governments directed their efforts towards investing in higher education to avail skilled human capital and guarantee social development, the major barrier to sustainable higher education was intellectual capital flight and the shortage of skilled academic and research intellectuals in the learning institutions. It is apparent that such barriers compromise the quality of education offered by such institutions. This explains the reason behind the comparatively poorer quality of tertiary education in developing nations as compared to developed countries. The existence of better employment opportunities in foreign nations presented a favourable economic opportunity for few intellectuals in the developing nations (Salmi 2001). The result was a massive exodus of intellectual capital from their home nations into developed countries that presented favourable terms of employment. This resulted in the need for intellectuals and well-equipped learning institutions in the quest for sustainable higher education in developing nations. In order to attain sustainable education, research is fundament. Intellectuals and higher institutions have for years been involved in conducting research. However, there is need to redirect the research activities towards studies that can promote sustainable education. For instance, many developing countries are experiencing the problem of increased unemployment. Despite an increased number of graduates from higher learning institutions, their integration into the employment sector is minimal. This basically implies that there is need to create sustainability in the education system. Research is fundamental in identifying the causes of unemployment emanating from higher education institutions. In addition, research can provide amicable solutions that promote sustainable education in order to resolve problems such as unemployment. The Contribution Of Intellectuals Towards Sustainable Higher Learning It is evident that there is a high demand for skilled intellectuals across the globe. The demand has been responsible for the rising cases of brain drain in African countries as well as other countries in the developing world. Intellectuals in higher learning institutions are responsible for providing moral responsibility that raises the awareness, skills, knowledge, and values that create a sustainable and just future (Brennan et al. 2004). Rather than playing a pivotal role in developing a sustainable education system for higher learning institutions, intellectuals also guarantee a sustainable and just future for the developing nations. It is evident that intellectuals are responsible for the preparation of professionals that develop, lead, work in, teach, manage, and influence the institutions of the society. Most importantly, it is proper to note that intellectuals are responsible for training future professionals that will either meet the increasing needs of the knowledge-based economy or transfer the acquired expertise and knowledge to other students in the future. Institutions of higher learning also present the unique academic freedom and the essential diversity and mass skills that are responsible for the development of new ideas as well as responding to the societal issues and associated challenges including the introduction of better approaches towards sustainable living (Jickling 2003). The university system entails four intertwined systems that are significant towards attaining sustainable quality education. These include education, research, the external community and university operations. Integrating sustainability principles into university education requires the interdisciplinary thinking of research, the understanding and minimisation of the social and ecological footprint, and the endeavour to improve regional and local communities. Attaining sustainability in higher education necessitates the transition of the teaching approach from the traditional system to the lifelong or modern system that suits the needs of the contemporary world. The fact that implementing the lifelong approach to higher education is a responsibility of intellectuals implies that such professionals play a pivotal role towards achieving sustainability in the higher education sector. Rather than using the restricted access to learning as it was the case under the traditional approach, intellectuals should adopt the open access to learning in the contemporary system (Yang et al. 2015). Guaranteeing the sustainability of higher education also necessitates the assessment of prior learning of the student rather than admitting students based on the academic credentials presented by the student on admission. It is the responsibility of intellectuals to assess prior knowledge possessed by the student on admission into the higher learning institution. By so doing, the intellectual understands the exact knowledge that is necessary towards converting the student into a skilled intellectual in the future. Basing admission on academic credentials hampers the attainment of sustainable higher learning since courses reflected on the papers do not provide an accurate reflection of the exact academic knowledge gained by the student. Institutions of higher learning should also present learning opportunities for both young and old students in the quest to attain sustainable higher education (Browne 2010). In traditional systems; particularly evident in universities and colleges in developing countries, admission into universities was restricted for young students only. The restriction prevented the attainment of sustainable higher education since mature individuals that wanted to acquire knowledge did not have the chance to enrol into university programmes. Bearing in mind the fact that intellectuals in higher institutions of learning and the platforms provided by the institutions determine whether the institution can train both young and old individuals, it is proper to argue that it is the responsibility of intellectuals and schools to realise sustainable higher education. Instead of focusing on undergraduate studies as it was the case in the traditional higher education curriculum, contemporary institutions of higher learning and intellectuals should avail a wide variety of programmes to ascertain the sustainability of higher education. Achieving sustainable higher education also requires the implementation of both full-time and part-time studies in higher learning institutions. However, the traditional approach to learning recommended the use of full-time studies only thereby preventing the achievement of sustainable higher education. Apparently, the available infrastructure of the institution and intellectuals to train students on both full-time and part-time basis is detrimental to attaining sustainable higher education (Cortese 2003). Therefore, it is proper to emphasise the important role played by institutions of higher learning and intellectuals towards attaining sustainable higher education. The other strategy that is paramount to the attainment of sustainable higher education is the transition from campus-based studies to off-campus and distance learning. As a result, rather than educating students located within the campus, institutions should also guarantee access to education on the part of learners living off-campus. This includes distance learning. The mere fact that infrastructure provided by the institution such as online studies depends on the readiness of the institution and its intellectuals towards implementing such studies imply that higher learning institutions and intellectuals play a paramount role towards attaining sustainable higher education. The transformation of the grading system from a linear-based system comprising of final examinations to a module-based curriculum that uses a credit system depends on the readiness of the institution of higher learning and its institutions. As a matter of fact, the latter system guarantees lifelong learning. Prior to the advent of the need for sustainable higher education, intellectuals opted for the former system. The radical shift of the curriculum from the traditional to the modern system that guarantees sustainable higher education is a responsibility of the institution and the intellectual. As a result, it is apparent that having intellectuals that implement the system and the availability of institution infrastructure that is capable of handling the current system is detrimental towards achieving sustainable higher education. It is also the responsibility of intellectuals to implement a competence based and problem-solving approach that yields sustainable higher education as opposed to the discipline and curriculum-centred approach contained in the traditional approach to studies (Sibbel 2009). As a result, it is proper to argue that intellectuals and institutions are responsible for attaining sustainable higher education. The traditional curriculum in higher learning institutions focuses on degree studies only. However, attaining sustainable higher education necessitates the inclusion of non-degree studies in the curriculum (Yang et al. 2015). The introduction of non-curriculum studies into the system is the responsibility of the institution and intellectuals. This validates the significance of institutions of higher learning and intellectuals towards achieving sustainable higher education. The traditional approach to education in higher learning institutions concentrated primarily on higher education. However, sustainable higher education necessitates the implementation of continuing higher education. Transforming the system from the traditional one to the modern system depends on the institution infrastructure and the available intellectuals. A linear and non-diversified system to learning characterised the traditional education system in higher institutions of learning. However, the system does not guarantee sustainable higher education since attaining lifelong education necessitates the use of a diversified system (Yang et al. 2015). It is the responsibility of intellectuals to implement the diversified system of learning. Moreover, it is also the role of the institution of higher learning to avail the infrastructure that is necessary in the implementation of the diversified system. Consequently, it is evident that institutions and intellectuals are responsible for the implementation of sustainable higher education. Finally, rather than attaching significance to the institution of higher learning by striving to know the specific university or college where an individual pursued undergraduate or postgraduate studies, the point of focus should be the exact knowledge gained in the institution. This necessitates a radical change on the culture of individuals in the contemporary society. Intellectuals should emphasise on the acquired knowledge as compared to the particular learning institution in a bid to attain sustainable higher education. Conclusion The arguments presented in the essay reveal that it is the responsibility of intellectuals and institutions to achieve sustainable higher education. The need for sustainable higher education emanates from the fact that the traditional system of higher education is inapplicable to the contemporary society. The association between sustainable higher education, institutions and intellectuals emanates from the various roles played by institutions and intellectuals towards realising the goal. These include ensuring open access to learning institutions to all interested individuals as opposed to restricted access, conducting prior learning assessments rather than using academic credentials, and offering tertiary education to both young and old individuals. It is the responsibility of learning institutions and intellectuals to offer a wide variety of programmes, offering both part-time and full-time courses, offering both on-campus and off-campus learning, and recommending the competence based and problem solving approach rather than the discipline and curriculum centred approach. Reference List Brennan, J., King, R. and Lebeau, Y., 2004. The role of universities in the transformation of societies. London: Association of Commonwealth Universities/The Open University. Browne, J., 2010. Securing a sustainable future for higher education: an independent review of higher education funding and student finance. Cortese, A.D., 2003. The critical role of higher education in creating a sustainable future. Planning for higher education, 31(3), pp.15-22. Jickling, B., 2003. “Sustainability” in higher education: from doublethink and newspeak to critical thinking and meaningful learning. Higher Education Policy, 15(2), pp.121-131. Oliver, D.E., 2004. 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