Africa is
where she is because we have refused to appreciate the real essence of
education. So we have so many inoperable Master and PhDs Degrees flying about unproductively.
Like my friend will humorously say:
‘’nobody is going to give you ( x-y= 2 find x) in the office To solve’’ We were
taught to find X in school because there will be so many Xses to find in the
real world. Education is an adventure into finding solutions. The reason you
are meant to write a project before any certificate is awarded in most parts of
the world.
Currently, in Nigeria for example, someone
needs to find the missing X in why Nigeria, one of the highest oil producers in
Africa is suffering from scarcity of it. Why after more than 50 years of independent
nationhood, a country as blessed as Nigeria in terms of human capacity cannot
power her homes talk more of power for industrial use.
To me, education
is about learning how to find solutions to the daily challenges of mankind. If you
are not, then, your education is useless. It does if matter if you become a consultant
Neurosurgeon, if 80% of your community are dying from simple water-borne
diseases on daily basis, your neurosurgery is as well useless to them.
What is the
essence of aspiring to be a Master in solving complex problems when they are a
million simple ones you are yet to solve?
We have too many architects in Africa who are professionals in designing
and managing of construction of skyscrapers and complex buildings but cannot design
cost-effective low income housing that will put a roof over the heads of the
poor.
We must
redefine our outmoded core values. Education must not stop at the level of
acquisition of certificates to land better paying jobs. We must go further than
that. Let the reason why I want to become a lawyer, doctor, architect,
programmer, economist etc not be limited to the much I am able to accumulate
for myself and my family.
There is so
much and too much theorizing in our educational and formal sector. The current Nigeria
minister of finance is an example of a product of that system. Unable to
explain how the system works without theorizing it. It is responsible for why
we still import the simplest implement or technology.
Like Isaac
Newton rightly noted ’’it is the weight, not numbers of experiments that is to
be regarded’’ If your educational experiment do not bear any weight (substance)
on the society, it is of no regard (use)
Adanu Moses
Follow me on
twitter @Adanumoses1
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changing tweets
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