TRANSFORMATION AND IMPROVEMENT OF EDUCATION
Education is indisputably a fundamental necessity for human development. Its beneficial impacts are not individually-based alone but spread across a vast sphere, for instance, communal benefit, economic, political, social, cultural, and religious benefits. In essence, according to Lemos, (2017), education is defined as the process of facilitating learning, or rather acquisition of values, skills, knowledge, habits, and beliefs. More so, several approaches are applied in the acquisition of education by learners. Some of the methods include research, training, teaching, discussion, and storytelling (Stringfield, Dariotis, Clark, Farley, Allen & Sellers, 2017). In most scenarios, education is usually provided under an Educator’s guidance. However, learners are also capable of educating themselves. Therefore, the significance of schooling provokes the need to transform and improve education.
How to Transform and Improve Education
First and foremost, improvement and transformation of education are achievable through inclusion. An apt education system needs to include community partners as well as other stakeholders in the education sector. In essence, it’s of gravitas necessity to strike partnership deals between education providers and government agencies, museums, higher education, and businesses (Sahlberg, 2017). This is because these bodies provide vital technology, materials, and experiences to both the teachers and the learners. According to Stringfield, Dariotis, Clark, Farley, Allen, Carr & Sellers (2017), teachers and learners are exposed to the world of work by these groups through school to career programs and internships. Therefore, schools ought to seek professionals who will mentor and instruct learners pertinently.
Moreover, reorganization is a pivotal driver towards an improved and transformed educational system. There is a need to restructure facilities, money, and the resource of time. More so, Selwyn (2017) stats that school days should give room for more in-depth project work beyond the 45 minutes inclusive of block scheduling of classes along two hours and even beyond. Closing of schools for three-month summer vacation should be replaced with leaving the schools open to allow the community to use, teacher development and students activities to also go on. Restructuring programs such as looping should be encouraged since through it elementary school teachers can be in touch with a class for close to two or even more months. Thus, elementary teachers will deepen their relationships with their learners. More so, more financial resources within the school district level should be channeled into the classroom and not primarily the bureaucracy. The reorganization will also include the construction of new schools or renovation, embracing school designs that support the collaboration of teachers and students in teams and with pervasive accessibility to technology (Sahlberg, 2017).
Besides, adoption of technology is very critical for improving and transforming education. According to Selwyn (2017), the intelligent application of technology can transform and improve almost every element of the school. The technology will, therefore, modernize the type of curriculum, administration, connection to the parents, and the student assignments (Lemos, 2017). The composition of online curricula is inclusive of simulations, lesson plans, and the demonstrations for classroom use and review. Online connection has made it possible for students to communicate both creatively and productively as well as share their work. Software tools have enabled teachers to maintain valid assessments and records hence maintaining close ties with their students and families through voicemail and email. The high costs of administration incurred by schools can be significantly reduced through the adoption of new technologies.
Additionally, coaching is a very crucial requirement for the achievement of an improved and transformed education system. The most gravitas role performed by teachers is to guide and coach students, even as they go through the process of learning (Sahlberg, 2017). Teachers also give special attention to nurturing the self-confidence and interests of students. The fact that technology is providing more affordable curricula has made it possible for teachers to spend lesser time lecturing classes. Therefore, teachers can spend more time in individual student mentorship and tutoring programs in areas where the students exhibit weakness.
In summing up, the pursuit of transformation and improvement of education cannot by any chance be overlooked. This is chiefly based on the centrality of education as a means of achieving intellectual, economic, cultural, religious, and other forms of emancipation by both an individual and the society at large. Therefore, there is a critical need for all stakeholders in the education sector, especially the government and the private sector to ensure that a conducive environment for the transformation and improvement of education is provided and maintained.
References
Lemos, M. (2017). Collaborative agency in educational management: A joint object for school and community transformation. Revista de Administração de Empresas, 57(6), 555-566.
Sahlberg, P., (2017). finished Leadership: Four big, inexpensive ideas to transform education. Corwin Press.
Selwyn, N., (2017). Digital inclusion: can we transform education through technology?.
Stringfield, S., Dariotis, J. K., Clark, V. L. P., Farley, A. N., Allen, A., Carr, K., … & Sellers, G. (2017). Successes and cautionary notes from a two-year study of the Ohio Network of Education Transformation. International Journal of Educational Reform, 26(3), 209-223.