What makes a nation leap-frog to higher levels of development is its ability to ensure that the education given to its citizens is more than just basic education, writes Essam Mitwally* I remember more than fifty years ago when I was a university student, one of my professors pointed out that the black smoke that was gushing out of the chimneys in places like Sheffield in the South of England was indeed the sign of industrialisation. I asked a young student about that few days ago and he said, without flinching, that black smoke in the air meant pollution. That was reassuring since, as is well known, black smoke means that the hydrocarbons in fuel are not completely burned and, hence, free carbon particles are carried over in the exhaust gases, painting them black. However, the question that kept recurring to me was: how correct or complete is the information imparted by the instructors to the students at all levels of learning? I am sure that my professor never intended to give us false information because he himself was not aware of the term "environmental pollution" as it is being used now. A few years back, French students demonstrated in the streets demanding better quality education. We also saw that in the United States, the Department of Education warned that American students were falling behind in maths and science as compared to others in countries like India, Malaysia, Japan. The shortcomings in both cases were traced back to the instructors, irrespective of the physical state of the learning institutions. Instructors were either lacking updated information on their subjects or were simply complacent about doing their job right. In both cases, it was determined that these instructors needed education. The remedy for instructors who lack the latest information could be the provision of supplemental education to update their knowledge. Besides the updating of textbooks, this is easily achieved through regular workshops and short courses during summer vacation. Funds must be made available for such attendance, since we should not expect instructors to voluntarily pay for this extra education. On the other hand, instructors who, despite having updated information, do not perform up to their abilities, need also to be educated about the ethics of education. This is not easily achieved in Egypt at present for two reasons. The first is related to the character of some instructors who simply may not have what it takes to be better teachers. Many may have become teachers simply for lack of other job opportunities. The question then arises: should these teachers be withdrawn from schools when we suffer from a shortage of teachers? The second reason, which is the real culprit, can be summed up in one phrase "who has the time?" Private tutoring is taking up most of the 'free" time of the instructors, and that is being done at all levels of education, primary, secondary and tertiary. The motive is simply "profit", a very strong motive indeed. Poverty is indeed the strongest culprit. It is a vicious cycle. The above problems are really very complicated and it is difficult to decide where to start to fix things. Many solutions have been presented to the decision- makers. However, since the situation is getting worse, and one does not need a national survey to find this out, it means that none of the solutions presented had the required remedial effects. Other more practical solutions are needed, even if they seem "radical" and too costly. In devising practical solutions to the problem it is important to insist on the importance of fairness or what is sometimes termed, the " democracy of education". UN Resolution on the Human Rights of the Child indicates that basic education is one of these rights. In other words, education is not a privilege for a certain class of the population, but rather, it is a right to be enjoyed by all cross- sections of the public. Under present circumstances in Egypt, it is available only for those who can afford it. Unfortunately, Egypt does not have one university that is ranked within the World's top 100 universities. There will be sacrifices, for sure, to improve education in Egypt. Such sacrifices may be equal to those at a time of war. Yes, we must declare war on failing education. It is a war we must fight to ensure that the nation would not be subordinated to or subjugated by other nations that continuously raise their standards of education. It is a war of survival. So, what sort of sacrifices should we expect? The Government must avail the funds for it. Having limited resources as it is, the Government will have to optimize its spending and priorities. The issue then goes beyond mere education. As mentioned above, it is a vicious cycle. The Government must also inform the public of what would be in store for them, or rather their children, if the Government decided to follow this radical solution. The Government must give the public the feeling of sharing the responsibility in decision-making. Even if such sacrifices were made, still the instructors must submit to regular professional checks, annually or whenever they become eligible for promotion. Only those instructors who keep abreast with the latest information in their respective fields should be promoted. Instructors who don't pass these check-tests would be given more chances, but failing a couple more tests, would, or should, render them professionally inadequate to continue teaching. Where would they go? That is another issue that requires a separate article. * The writer is a retired UN Senior Adviser
