By Yousuf Awadh Al-Azmi

"Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army" - Edward Everett

do we want from education? What are the basis and strategies that organize it? Is there a tangible return for the exerted effort in this regard?

Let us start first with the name of the concerned ministry - it is education ministry. So let us first pause at this name. Does the education ministry care in interpreting this responsibility into reality? Did anyone feel that the ministry places the education duty as a top priority subject? This question is directed at everyone!

Before getting into the details, we must look seriously into school curricula, its benefits and analyze what they produced.  We also must look in general at the educational process through its progress. I hope that a realistic scientific standard can be used rather than the standard of the student's success or failure based on the end of term tests which may be exposed to factors that may influence them, (and the smart person can understand by signal).

The world is developing, and the means of education and evaluation are also developing. We still use plans that are there for decades and they were not proven successful up to 70 percent.

Let us start with the most important on the scale and the rules of the education ministry. That is the most important elements of the formula (school/student/teacher). We will talk frankly here. What was improved in buildings and school premises for a long time? Did anything change? Rather is there any maintenance and continued development plans for those large and costly buildings? Is there a specialized productive department that can carry out the roles of periodical maintenance and monitor the works related to maintenance.

Before answering that, it may be pointed out that maintenance and operation do not mean bringing in school custodians or cleaning labor.  Many know that even the issue of guarding and cleaning need separate columns. There is a clear laxity in maintenance, operation and preparing schools and their specialized administrations. And I think that the general view is supposed to be reviewed in regards to these very important departments, to form, design and implement an ambitious plan that is able to get the best possible benefit. The issue only needs a sincere official, who could follow up and decide, that is all.

As for the students, they suffer the most from the weakness of some teachers, or their laxity in presenting the subject and managing the school term, especially in some difficult subjects. This makes the student in need of some private tuitions, which is something that further burden parents as they pay large amounts of money for that.

The solution is easy for who wants a solution. That is appointing qualified and sincere teachers. It needs continued follow-up for them and following students' educational progress, in addition to security follow-up and decisive action if any teacher gives private tuitions in exchange of money. No doubt, the matter is difficult. And there is development in this matter through teaching online and even from outside the country. When intentions are true and the work is in dedication according to clear plans and strict decisions, there may be a realistic success.

We must believe that bad intentions will not be prevented by good conscience rather it is stopped by a deterrent law. As for the teacher, the first thing is that the teacher must get a 'teacher's license' to make sure about his/her ability to carry out the academic mission.  These days, higher education certificates are no longer a credible standard to judge a person's competence. So it is important to make sure about the competence of the teacher in addition to motivating him/her morally, financially and practically.

While talking about the previous formula, we will not ignore the importance of qualification of school administrations as well and provide them with what is necessary to carry out their duties at best. Also activate true supervision over school administration because it is the backbone. The above is just a broad outline of the topic and the details will be discussed in other writings in future.

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