…unpacking the realities and complexities facing the child
Education has many varied meanings and definitions within or without context, concept, content, competition and copetition (sharing) beyond routine, or to the beyond. Education as the acquisition of knowledge by definition is the most popular, and often cited or used. Education as a concept is to evoke or bring out (birth) the within for tracking or monitoring. These scenarios, relationships among others present Education as a living being with seasonal cycles in circles to behold. Unpacking the impact and impartation issues associated as realities have produced daily controversies, barriers, analogous terminologies, work, security, health, cost or economic and other awareness concerns worldwide.
These matters are also progressively reversible. If you fail, try again is what is often said everywhere. There is the fundamental need and future want to understand these Educational ramifications better now than before to progress very well convincingly in these fluid contemporary times. The rationale is to properly identify all incomplete structures, not aligned Infrastructure, attitudinal mindset changes for clearer symbolism, establishment or standardisation(s) from the scratch. The ground disconnection between work, employment, unemployment and educational realities are enough proof of the potential chaos looming over Ghana. The direct and indirect policy product(s) or outcome(s) to result are already justified in the cautioned advisory words “try ignorance if Education is expensive”.
Background
Rightly Diagnosing Education to its core and beyond is impossible without its basics or background – Knowledge. Such deep unpacking allows us to identify, familiarise, accept and promote the realities and complexities that abound to the Ghanaian child and entire humanity. Knowledge is the unit of Education. Knowledge is the tradeable unit currency of Education. Knowledge is defined as the truthful seed for living. Knowledge is measured in Knoll. A unit of Knoll is the depth at which Knowledge can be found under- and over-ground. The Plummet is the instrument used for measuring Knowledge. Knowledge abounds in all mind-fields ceaselessly. Knowledge is stratified into fourteen (14) different layers.
Wisdom and Illusion represents the peak and very bottom of Knowledge. Traditional Akan or Twi folklore segments these fourteen Knowledge Tiers into three – Nyansa, Nimde3, Adwene (to wit, Wisdom, Knowledge and Thinking). These segmented three mind use applications or phases of Knowledge are famously expressed in the ‘Mpuasa Ntiamoah’ hairdo or style of Ghana’s Kwaku Ananse folktales or stories. In his ‘Adwene Nko, Na Nyansa Nko’ song, the great musician, Nana Kwame Ampadu (late) highlighted these significant differences on the ‘Tree of Knowledge or Wisdom’ as mentioned by Biblical King Solomon to guide humanity well. There can be no Education without Knowledge. Knowledge has many other identities, attributes or features like power, energy, strength, right, key, opportunity and so on.
Purpose
The Purpose of Education is to establish the Truth / Wholeness / Completeness / Fullness of any matter. Education is Truth. The truth could be absolute, infinite and finite. It could be fact(s), figure(s) and evidential. It could be accurate, relevant and circumstantial. The peak of truth is wisdom; and the bottom of truth is illusion. “As above, so below” is a popular saying that also justifies the truth on Education. Education is fundamental, a right and not a privilege. The ability to read, write, type letters (literacy) and count figures (numeracy) in any Language are purposes of Education as well. Maturity is the birth of a matter. Experience is the time it takes maturity to lapse. Maturity and Experience only show as individual manifestations. They are not teachable nor trainable.Composition / parts
There are two or three parts of education: Continuous, Discontinuous and a Hybrid (ICT, AI- induced); either internally or externally. The two continuous and discontinuous compositions are considered traditional or generic. These constitute the formal or direct, and informal or indirect (lifelong) education respectively. Each of these parts experience the same cycle of any matured matter differently as a difficulty in a varied identity at other levels. The sequence is Matter/1, Problem/2, Objective/3, Subject/4, Issue/5, Concept/6, Tool/7.
Structure(s)
The Universe mirrors the Cosmos just the same way Legacy does to Heritage to be reversibly permanent. Education reversibly mirrors Work as well in symbolism. The Pole, Chair, Rail and Ladder are the four variously used items to mirror or depict the Image of Education worldwide. The Ladder is the best acceptable standard; and the Pole is the weakest. The Ladder is stable, flexible, endless and guarantees best permanent security for rolling out education always, anywhere.
Education is further structured into: 1. College(s), Polytechnics (Technical Universities), Secretarial, Commercial, Vocational, Technical Institutions (SCVT); and 2. University / Tertiary, Pre-tertiary, Secondary, Primary (Basic) Schools. The grading order is College>Polytechnic/Technical University >University>SCVT>Pre-tertiary>Basic Schools (S/JHS, Primary, Pre-Schools). This order appears greatly derailed and distorted in Ghana and beyond. Entry, Exit, Assessment / Examination, Credentialing, Accreditation, Credit-hours, and other Qualifications are additional structures needed.
Infrastructure
The Educational Infrastructure must include all issues or matters. These may include: the 4/5 Physical Elements, Sex (Gender), Age (Dispensation), the Person (Physical, Mental, Spiritual), Business / Enterprise Interest, Media / Environment to be used, Language(s), Stewardship-Governance (Authority. Source, Reference); Codes (Moral, Ethical, Conduct), Democracy; among other workable Communicating ways that may apply.
Channels
There are three channels for dispensing education, namely: Academic, Professional and Bureaucratic in that higher order. They churn out their various Programs / Programmes, Courses-models, Departments-disciplines, Conduct-Codes, Subjects-areas, Curricular-syllabi, Certifications, terminologies-terms, qualifications and regulatory issues accordingly. Vertical, Horizontal and Lateral Education could be respectively used to describe Academic, Professional and Bureaucratic Education as well. The related applications on capping, Social Capital, Human Resource Capacity (HRC), Qualifications, Project Implementation, Salary, Cost, Value, Virtue and Human Desires promotion have huge ramifications for everyone.
Complexities
The applications for all the earlier issues mentioned have operational costs, values, virtues and challenges individually and collectively. Deceit, fake qualifications, hijackings, unknown career paths among many varieties of vice and misfortune appear to be the order of the day for the Ghanaian child. Government interventions are woefully inadequate across all Public, Private and Partnership Educational Facilities or Institutions. External supports and inflows have drastically dwindled toward Education in recent times, among others.
Conclusion
Unless we unpack the micro and macro-indicator assessment equation, E = PESTLE, to cap the actual causes of waste, misuse and abuse properly from scratch, our desired educational success as Ghanaians may not be fulfilled.
The Educational to Industrial gap, fault-lines, successive governmental lip-service, weak actors’ commitment, poor service quality, work overload, content relevance or disconnection, mentorship, coaching and guiding rules need rebuilding properly. The trial and error or ‘garbage in garbage out’ (GIGO) from the many educational academic and political reforms ought to manifest well into professionalism for bureaucracy to standardise them in an orderly way. Education will have been badly bruised and ditched everywhere if robbery, land-guarding, terrorism, conflicts and wars continue for the Ghanaian child and humanity.
Let us continue to be a blessing to each other by sharing, initiating and standardising. Education is to study, learn, teach, train and guide. The Person who know(s) must teach to impart the right accurate knowledge. The Person who understands must train to guard and secure the All. Let us be proactively punctual with no excuses for lateness and success. Help to unpack the rest for proper repacking going further.
The writer is a Scientist, Development Analyst
Contact: 0240-319146
Email: [email protected]
