The PANAFRICAN Review
‘ students need not be taught other theories like history .’ In response to this view , others argued for a more well-rounded education which , besides forming the future workforce , also forms the future citizenry .
Still on this platform , Dr Lonzen Rugira has pointed out our military ’ s unique discipline and sense of purpose , and proposed their people / community-centred strategy as a possible remedy to the unending confusion around school reforms . Once our society decides our education dogma , it becomes easier for other factors to align . As it has been argued , once we define “ who we are , where we want to go ,” the military would step in as a great implementing agent . There are a lot of merits to this perspective .
Yet , there are a few questions that deserve more attention before we can enjoy the fruits of an efficient implementation of education ( and perhaps other ) policies . First , most of our challenges are exactly around defining this dogma , challenges that require more than the blunt force of an efficient institution . The national dialogue needed to fix this dogma problem will be neither short nor one-time . It will be continuous , and we will have to navigate and negotiate the changing needs and place of our country in the world . It will also necessitate a consideration of the perspectives of our entire citizenry . Second , education doesn ’ t wait . As we have this dialogue , millions of our children are in school , and they deserve a system that works for them . In other words , any proposed structural changes can ’ t justify inaction , no matter how temporary .
It is important to note that this conundrum isn ’ t an exceptionally Rwandan one . In the late 90s , for example , David Labaree , a professor at the Stanford School of Education , lamented that the American education system was beleaguered by conflicting goals . In his 1997 article , Prof . Labaree identified three distinct and often conflicting goals of American education : democratic equality ( the formation of citizens ), social efficiency ( formation of adequate workforce ), and social mobility ( individual prosperity ). This conflict , he argued , is reflected in the relatively unsuccessful reforms education systems undergo . What looks like an education improvement from one perspective might look like a decline from another . Take second-language acquisition , for example . From the perspective of economic reality , young people do better at their jobs with better language proficiency . From the perspective of history and black liberation , however , second language acquisition has often been a tool of colonisation , forcing the ‘ native ’ to either resist or eagerly embrace the reality of the oppressor . How do we solve these tensions ?
Alternative pathways towards quality education
To optimise the distinct goals of education , we need to diversify avenues of learning . In other words , we need to design alternative pathways to learning that can give a chance to as many of our people to improve their knowledge and skills as possible . These pathways need not be lofty in goals : community-based culture evenings might do a better job to preserve our language and culture than formal schooling . New publishing initiatives have done a lot to encourage the culture of reading , and their role in the education ecosystem shouldn ’ t be underestimated . Similarly , debate programmes in high schools have done a lot to improve our students ’ exposure and critical thinking .
It is increasingly crucial to realise that training our people for a very unpredictable future requires more comprehensive and dynamic approaches because no size can fit all . The more diverse the avenues of learning , the greater excellence we can reach in all expected outcomes of education . This will necessitate bravery of imagination and courage to implement unconventional methods . We can ’ t get stuck with the diagnosis - we must be brave enough to try a few treatments . The more pathways we create for our young talents , the better prepared they will be to compete in a highly competitive and merit-based economy .
We also need an environment without the anxiety of constant grading , where primacy is put on learning and where discipline and accountability don ’ t mean harsh and humiliating punishments . For instance , over the last 18 months , our team at Bridge2Rwanda has worked to develop a summer boot camp ( Isomo Academy ) that focuses on improving English proficiency , global openness , and engaged leadership . The deficien-
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