Since yesterday, the notion of quality in education has surfaced more than I had ever thought of.
What is quality in education?
Who determine and control quality?
From kindergarten to university, quality of education has always been the core and focus of educational debate. Since three, I had attended kindergarten and progressed all the way to the present level, the doctorate. I could had been classified as someone who had been through the entire formal educational system. However, it strikes me when someone asked me what is quality education, I was uncertain and pondered quite a while about it. Certainly, I know quality education is not about getting good grades or scoring the highest score in exams. But what exactly then is quality in education. Is it wholesome education, like the motto of Penang Free School, to produce a "Scholar, Sportsman and Gentleman"? Even that, I'm still not fully convince this is quality education.
I guess if I can't fully describe and define the notion of quality education, it will be difficult or groundless to even think of who determine and control quality in education. Should it be government, policy-makers, bureaucrats, teachers, parents, schools, or even myself? For an adult like me, I am very sure it is me myself that is the biggest and most important determinant of quality education. But what about kids, children, teenagers and young adults? Who should determine and control quality in education?
That's a vital and important philosophical question to think about.
4 comments:
I think Anwar Ibrahim summarises the situation pretty well during the election time. About why we are having such problems. And will continue, if the same people runs the gomen.....
Visit Malaysia Facts
for quick facts and interesting information about Malaysia.
The focus of this article is not to look at Malaysian education. I'm thinking of the philosophical discourse of quality in education.
On a side note, Anwar Ibrahim might be right about many issues in Malaysia, but definitely not education.
true education brings out true humanity... which leads to a deeper philosophical question, 'what is true humanity?'
rambling thoughts,
chris
mm. love this text )
Post a Comment