In my previous post, I highlighted the failures of the educational system in our country. In this post, I am going to look at some ideas that I think might help fix it. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but just a few thoughts.
Our schools produce a product for which there is no market and develop skills for which there is diminishing demand. As a developing country and as a country heavily dependent on tourism, we need to train our students in planning, construction and hospitality through our school system.
If our education system is to produce a product that is in demand we need to:
1. Restructure the curriculum to align itself with the demands of the job market. Transfer more responsibility onto teachers and students and devise a system to reward teachers who do well.
2. Create problem-focused subjects and programs. For instance, we can expand on tourism and construction related subjects.
3. Increase collaboration between the secondary schools and Maldives College of Higher Education. Faculty and other resources at the college can be used to teach the secondary school students. This is a win-win situation for both the schools and the college. The schools will have more dynamic programs and the students enrolling in the college will be of a higher calibre and better prepared for undergraduate studies.
4. Transform the testing system. Instead of having students take exams in which they just reproduce facts discussed in class, we should incorporate more research papers and term projects. Original scholarship and research must be encouraged and rewarded.
5. Expand the range of options available to students. At the moment, all the students go through the same program, with only limited choices. But instead, if we can have custom-made programs for each student as much as possible, it will help the students to do well, as they will be more likely to enjoy what they are doing.
Some of the ideas expressed here are originally from Mark C. Taylor, the chairman of the religion department at University of Columbia.
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This is a very good article..Infact a highly needed advice to the present Education authority of Maldives, if it is to bring a real change, as to see 'the othe Maldives'. Some suggestions in this post can be used to get rid of few delusions we Maldivians have regariding the "Abuii" kind of attitudes we have towards certain carriers and jobs....Well Done.
ReplyDeleteThis post desreves to be written in a Maldivian local paper for recognition. This is because at present still a minority of Maldivians and concerned authorities read these blogs, which are very useful for our countries development...
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