Govt change affects education reforms Wednesday, 08 December 2010 01:44

DOHA: Inconsistent educational reforms by changing governments, lack of digitalisation and inappropriate evaluation system affect the idea of quality education for all, according to some opinion leaders in education .

Speakers at the breakout session on ‘access to quality education for all’ at WISE 2010, yesterday discussed various ways to raise the standard of education systems. With increasing number of children at the primary level, learners engaged in secondary education are also increasing. However, increasing students does not mean they have access to quality education. The session focused on how the quality of education is measured and implementing quality oriented reforms.

In the session moderated by Prof John Wood, Secretary General, Association of Commonwealth Universities (UK), Dr Jose David Weinstein Cayuela, Vice President of Education, “Fundacion Chile” and Former Minister of Culture (Chile) called for changing evaluation and assessment of education systems as a whole. Meanwhile, Dr Balint Magyar, member of Governing Board, European Institute of Innovation and technology and Former Minister of Education (Hungary) stressed on digitalisation as a solution to the issue.

“Today, digital literacy is important for all as everything from social interatcion has been digitalised. World is now divided as those who are ‘plugged-in’ and those who are ‘not plugged-in’. Hence digital literacy should be made a right and those who are ‘digitally-illiterate’ should be given free training on basics,” said Dr Magyar.

“Nations should not merely focus on introducing reforms in education, but rather invest in the system they already have in place,” said Jenny Lewis, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Council for Educational Leaders.

“If the change makers really invest in a system, the quality of education can improve. However, now with each changing governments, education system also change giving both students and teachers a hard time.

“Education can be made easier if teachers are able to buy into the system. Often we notice teachers being told what should be done and they do not know how it is to be done. People think that it is because the teachers do not want change that they stay with the traditional teaching system, however, in reality it is because they do not understand why the change is and how it can be done.

Hence, if governments invest in giving training to teachers, any reforms can be seamlessly introduced which can improve the quality of education,” she told The Peninsula.

The Peninsula