Dr Asangba Tzudir
The progress and advancement which humankind has made over the centuries is because of education. Being the foundational stone of a society, it brings reforms, helps progress and creates various vistas of innovation. As such, the importance of Quality Education cannot be undermined in a society, and this is also the reason why many great personalities have written about the need of education and the role it plays in civilizing a society.
In this day and age, many are privileged to have access to education. However, the crucial question still remains - how many get to experience Quality Education? And what does that even mean?
Education International (EI), a Belgium-based organization, defines Quality Education as one that “focuses on the social, emotional, mental, physical, and cognitive development of each student regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or geographic location.” Quality Education is a very broad concept considering that it focuses on the ‘overall’ development of an individual with focus on the outcomes which constitutes knowledge, skills and attitudes that can prepare one for life. And it is only through Quality Education that can remove biases and also give fair opportunities to all.
Achieving Quality Education is supported by three main pillars: having qualified teachers; having the capacity to fully utilize resources and avenues that provides quality learning and professional development, and the creation of stress free learning environments. Within this understanding, providing Quality Education is a responsibility, and it should be collaborative where teachers and educationists are not the only ones who are responsible for providing Quality Education but a reciprocated obligation from the students.
Today, while the mode of receiving education has changed, the methods of teaching students should also evolve in such a way that education, learning and educating is not trapped within the bounds of quantity education and that which has validity only till the exam. As such, providing Quality Education demands great efforts and sacrifice in order to fully mould and develop the students.
For quality delivery and learning with its desired outcomes it is imperative for the teachers to deliver the content of the course/topics. ‘Regrouping’ and drawing attention of the students in the classroom is necessary to engage in healthy conversations and discussions, and also learning activities, which would help locating the learning in context. It is also imperative that students are mentored by teachers. And with all the learning insights in class the students can study the content in fulfillment of the learning needs and thereby expanding knowledge.
However, Quality Education is not a new concept yet it is also a struggling concept. Many a time, it finds trapped in quantity, and thereby needs to be envisioned in the quality aspects. Well, the aim of education is not to produce ‘x’ numbers, and therefore all educational institutions should focus on the needs and development of learners.
Teaching is a profession that requires passion so that the objective of quality delivery and learning is fulfilled. Often the very system of ‘education building’ can be blamed where profiles are made to become more important in the profession of teaching, that institutions of learning becomes killing fields of triggered minds. Delivering Quality Education continues to be a challenge today, and it only takes back to the three aforementioned pillars that can help achieve Quality Education.
These pillars are integral to quality learning, and in context, these pillars are worth revisiting and reexamining to awaken from the dogmatic slumber and thereby create incentives for revolutionary and quality learning.
(Dr Asangba Tzudir writes a weekly guest editorial for The Morung Express. Comments can be mailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
