Education in General and Primary Education - Essay Example

POLICY PROVISION AND LEGISLATION It is a sad of affairs but true never-the-less true that education in general and primary education in particular, is the most neglected sector, not only in the UK, but all over the world, may it be the developed nations or the developing or under developed countries of the world. Governments all over the world approve billions of dollars in defense spending but when it comes to education they are stingy and their miserly attitude reminds us of Scrounge ( of the Christmas Carroll fame) at the beginning of every financial year. What a joke? One that brings tears into our eyes than a smile on our faces, The human race is suspicious of our own kind that we are willing to spend exorbitant sums of money on the manufacturing and buying weapons of mass destruction and whole scale genocide without even giving it a second thought but find hundreds of thousands reasons and engage in heated debates when it comes to doling out money__ which is peanuts, as compared to the money we spend on tanks, aircrafts and guns__ for the education of our future generations and especially the nursery sector. Writer 2 The politicians in their ecstatic rhetoric at conferences, seminars, public rallies and cabinet meetings give great lectures on children being our most cherished and valuable resource. In fact we refer to them as the future of our nation but when the same politicians are confronted with the question of why they hesitate in adequately investing in our ‘bright future’ are rendered speechless. Further, they are all in unison and speak in one voice when it comes to safeguarding their privileges and the issue of increase in their salaries and other fringe benefits they are entitled to being our elected representatives but are bitterly divided into factions on questions of child care, may it be health care or education. On this issue they seek the shelter of the umbrella of cliched terms and nomenclatures such as liberals, conservatives, neo-liberals, and the neo-cons. The introduction of an authoritative book on education titled Education Policy, Process, Themes and Impact, edited by Les Bell and Howard Stevenson, begins with this pithy quote: There was a time when educational policy was taken for granted … Clearly that is no longer the case: Today, educational policies are Focus of considerable controversy and public contestation… Educational policy-making has become highly politicized (Olsen et al 2004: 2-3). According to Gerhardt early child rearing is of prime importance in the social and cultural life of UK but because of a number of factors, unfortunately, among which political, social and economic factors are predominant the trend in child care, child rearing and child Writer 3 education are not child centered as it should be but instead are work oriented and money-centered. This is the crux of her argument and the main reason for making Britain a fragmented polis. Further Gerhardt is of the firm view that the negligence on the part of all the relevant stake holders, the government, the independent agencies, the teachers and the parents is responsible in bringing UK to this stage where to use a metaphor the early child education and child rearing has been completely neglected. This criminal negligence in not performing the task that is required of each stake holder honestly and with professional integrity and in case of parents criminal in fulfilling their parental duties that UK has been unable to produce good law knowing and law abiding citizens, who on the one hand are unaware of their respective rights and on the other hand their duties that they owe to the society, the recent London city riots are a good example. Our educational institutions have miserably failed in producing citizens that are less of an asset and more of a nuisance and liability and thereby are the cause of tremendous tension and threaten to rend to rags the fragile fabric of our polis. The most pertinent question that needs to be answered by all those responsible for this dismal situation and the chief problem to be addressed lies in a coherent and intimate relationship that needs to be fostered to between all the stake holders before we can come up with a comprehensive and concrete answer to the question of why after all the requisite steps taken in the right direction theoretically at least on paper, we , as a nation have miserably failed in performing our task of child caring and child education amicably. Writer 4 Here it must be reiterated that the traditional approach of the teachers entrusted with the task of child-minding and child education should use their potential in a positive manner and impart education rather than just training their pupils in particular skills only. We have the dual responsibility of educating both the teachers and the pupils in the right direction and disciplines before we can expect competent and law abiding citizens with the basic ethical values ingrained in them spirit and soul. In order to lay the foundations of a sound social and culturally stable society it is necessary that we must devise a plan to how to achieve such an objective__ whereby we can successfully aim at structuring a society that is composed of mentally and physically healthy individuals. This regimen can be successful if it is started in the formative years of a growing child. In fact latest research proves that a child starts learning while still in the womb of the mother. In such a case it is necessary that the government being the force that keeps a band of people together in a specific territory forms a coherent plan of action or in other words a policy to enforce legislation to introduce revolutionary steps in early child rearing and education, so that by the time these children come of age they have all the necessary qualities not only to run the society smoothly for themselves ad for others around them but also ensure a peaceful world to live in for the generations to come. As the scope of this essay is limited so we will only discuss the child rearing and educating policy in the context of UK, and that too to the extent it covers the responsibilities and duties of a particular government in power. But before we undertake this arduous task it is essential that we must as comprehensively and as exhaustively define policy. In simple terms policy is an attempt by a group of people working within an agency or organization to Writer 5 come up with a sound and concrete solution and the ways to achieve it, such a solution can be achieved by detailed relevant facts or requirements to meet the aim/objectives. In case of the formation of government policy, especially in a democracy, not one person but all the members of the team/agency/organisation, including the media and the general public decide the best possible option to achieve the desired objective: …the policy (making) process may pass through a variety of stages and take place at a number of different levels. Policy development therefore is not a simple case of understanding the priorities, or indeed the whims, of governments or school leaders. Policy must be seen as a dialectic process in which all those affected by the policy will be involved in shaping its development. Policy development is therefore both a continuous and a contested process in which those with competing values and differential access to power seek to form and shape policy in their own interest. (Les Bell et al, 2006: 2) In the field of early education and child care the central government and the Parliament have a direct responsibility. Civil services, including different government agencies (like the NHS) formulate their own policies within the general policy framework and this trend is followed by the local bodies. These policies and procedures will be spread over a range of practical issues. In addition: Policies shaped by pluralism may be significantly different from a structuralist perspective. The relationship between the educative processes and the state Writer 6 and assumptions about the purpose of education all shape the nature of the policy. (Les Bell et al, 2006:3) The main themes of any policy designed for the nursery sector are primarily the alleviation of poverty, which in majority of cases is the main cause from which most of the problems concerning child care and child education stem. Problems like truancy, low grades in GCSE, exclusion from society teen pregnancy, early parenthood, and consequently joblessness, etc., stem from the curse of poverty and are faced by children coming from families with low income. Mental and physical health problems are also prevalent among these children. According to the editors of the book, ‘Education Policy, Process, Themes and Impact: The…, most pervasive (theme), the relationship between education and human capital…argues…the emphasis on utilitarianism as a rationale fopr educational policies increases in significance, then equity issues become subservient to the economic imperative…closely linked…,are concerns for citizenship and national identity are often informed by globalization and economic utilitarianism to provide a rationale for range of economic policies,…and how this might influence perceptions of equity and social justice…a further theme is identified as the trend towards greater accountability, increased choice opportunities and developed autonomy. Accountability, autonomy and choice emerge as themes in educational policy in a number of different forms…the variety of forms in which accountability is manifested in specific policy contexts, focusing on accountability through the Writer 7 operation of market forces, choice, school-based management and performance appraisal. (Les Bell et al, 2006: 3). A brief over view of the history of nursery education in England begins with the establishment of national system of education for the young children by The National Society. This initiative was supplemented by the state in the year 1870. The Evangelists had the insight to develop schools for the infants. In the eighteenth and the nineteenth schools for children were developed and various systems tried, to find the best possible formula. It was because of the conviction that education of young children is a must for the development of a better society. It was under the articles of the Forester’s Act 1870 that schools for young children were established in areas where there were little or no schools at all. Another important piece of legislation during this era was the Mundella Code 1882. Some of the pioneers of early child education of that time were Friedrich Froebel, and Maria Montessori. These pioneers advocated child centered approach towards education. An important document concerning early child education was the Hadden report1911. In England the policy of early child education and child care has passed through four distinct phases. The first phase was the Social Democratic Phase, 1960-73,it fostered a relationship between the national and local agencies. It allowed relative autonomy over curriculum at the school level The second important phase is known as The Resource Constrained Phase, 1973-88. The characteristics of this phase were the breakdown of relations between the center and the local authorities, and the coming closer of the state and the school/institution. Writer 8 The third important phase was The Market Phase, 1978-88. This phase was typified by the decrease in the powers of the local agencies. In this phase financial autonomy was given to the institutions and a centrally controlled curriculum and stringent accountability mechanisms were introduced. In the years of the Conservative rule from 1979-97, a heated debate ensued between those who resisted the development of early years services and others who encouraged the inevitable development of these services. The Conservatives wanted to reintroduce the ideals of the Victorian Age, which among many other things included the revival of the traditional family values, which primarily meant that the women stay at home and take care of the house and the children. But some good measures like the introduction of the voucher system, the publication of specialized books, the launching of the Day Care Trust, introduction of new Kids Club Network and the integration of services usually within the education department. It was also during this era that the Conservative, Sir Keith Joseph introduced the concept of the ‘cycle of deprivation’ __ a step in the right direction to breakdown the vicious cycle of poverty and to ameliorate the lot of the poor. The Final and perhaps the most important phase is The Excellence Phase, 1977 to date. It was introduced by the New Labour government, under Tony Blair. The new policy‘s focus was on children’s overall well-being. The most important aspect of his child service policy was the Green Paper, the back bone of which is the policy document Every Child Matters (2003) and the Children Act (2004). The main points of the New Labour child service policy are: 1. The well-being of children. Writer 9 2. Reducing Poverty. 3. Improving Support for Families. 4. Strengthening Communities. 5. Reducing Social Exclusion. 6. Improving Health. 7. Raising Educational Standards. 8. Improving Access to Work. 9. Joined Up Services and Joined Up Services. 10. Participation of the Young Children and Young People in Decision Making. A point to be emphasized here is that in order for all these services to be effective it is absolutely essential that strong communication exists between the user and the provider of the services. All these initiatives are improving the educational standards and particular basic skills among disadvantaged children. It is also benefitting the parents, and the public and the private sector are coordinating in a smooth way like never before. But it must be kept in mind that social policies, are never created in a vacuum but are dependent for their development upon a number of factors. The foremost among which are the historical context which provides them with the necessary ideological basis to exist. Similarly what we may see as the best possible practice today may not be so in the future and historical annals might remember such and such an act as a complete failure and a waste of time and resources. But one thing is for sure that investing in our children is perhaps the safest and the surest way to go about insuring the future of our country. Writer 10 It is so because these children are our human capital and the survival of our country, nation and/or race is dependent upon the quality of our product in this cut throat global economic environment A very important aspect of the whole scenario we have discussed above is the quality of the practitioners that are in fact entrusted with the quality of the product, in this case the adolescent and the young men we are to integrate into our society. The raison d’ etre of education is chiefly the good of the pupil and the traditional mode of education and those imparting it both fall hopelessly short of the desired mark. Hence, it is essential that we come up with new innovative and novel ways of transmitting this accumulated heritage of our civilization through vertical or horizontal transformational learning __ this new way of teaching should be on the agenda of teachers educating today.. Further the teachers must not be obsessed with training but with education of our youth. As the teachers of today are the nexus of the education system their whole hearted approach must be practice-oriented and rooted in the realities of both university and public school system. The modern teacher must be highly creative individuals ready to deal with a diversity of cultural, social and ethnic and/or racial attitudes and unique problems of their young pupils. In the ultimate analysis these teachers must be creative innovators rather than just plain policy imitators. It is befitting to conclude this essay on an optimistic note that as the nature and scale of early years services have undergone a drastic change so must the mind set of our policy makers and the practitioners keep pace with these monumental changes and only then we can keep abreast of the problems cropping up on a daily basis in this fast paced environment. Writer 12 Work Cited Les Bell & Howard Stevenson (eds), Education Policy, Process, Themes and Impact. (NY: Routledge). 2006. Print Read More