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| Campus Tour in Dalhousie University, NS, Canada |
“The world is a book,
those who dont travel read only one page”- St. Augustine
There are many pages in that book. There is no exact answer
about how many is it. It depends on the reader. How strong they can keep
continue to read it.
There are many pages in that book, one of the theme tells
about ‘education’. There are many countries around the world, some of them have
good education system. In order to get well understanding about that theme, so
we need to do travelling from page to page ; travelling about education.
Objective from this trip is to explore education system
around the world and discover meaning of education.
Before we start this trip, we need to do a little assessment.
When we try to ask to some question to youths about one word which can explain
about what is education, their answer are ; life, growth, success, unstructure,
stressful, money, job, world, book, cancer, time, enjoyable, love, friendship,
non formal, rationality, indoctrinated, action, share, thinking, and bachelor.
The second question about their previous, recently, and next
education, why they choose it, and another thing which is related with their
education background. Their answer are diverse. Some reason they choose caused
by the interest, job opportunity, random, and forced by their environment.
Beacuse of random and forced choice, after graduated they confused with their
next plan.
So, what is wrong with those answers?. Why did it happen?.
Kevin Ngongo –from ‘university of suli breaks’-, addresses a
number of issues about education in his video ; "Why I Hate School, but
Love Education". He ask about what is the value of mainstream schooling?
Why is it that some of the most high profile and successful figures within the
Western world openly admit to never having completed any form of higher
learning?
With scores of school leavers wanting to further their
education with no guarantee of their dream job at the end of it, we should ask
ourselves whether qualifications still hold the same value now as they did in
previous years?. Does success in the school system correlate to success in
life? Or is the school system simply geared towards fact retention and
regurgitation?
His answer is education is about inspiring ones mind, not
just filling their head. “I will not let my exam decide my fate”, said Kevin.
Is it right?. Let us check to the field, we start the trip.
We will do comparison around the world among each continent
; Asia, Europe, Africa, America. We take Japan, Germany, South Africa, Canada –as
representatives.
Started from asia, in Japan, they have moral education,
which is seen as more effectively carried on through the school routine and
daily interactions that go on during the class cleaning and school lunch
activities. There is kind of non fomal education which is delivered by non
formal activities. It is their method to build the values in student life.
Next to Germany, in this country, if an educator or teacher
is absent, students are allowed free time during that period. If an educator or
teacher is absent for three days, they has a chance of being removed from
his/her role of teacher at that school. There is a strict rule for educator
here. It means they have big responsibility toward their students.
Then, we go to South African, South Africa has one of the
highest rates of public investment in education in the world. At about 7% of
gross domestic product (GDP) and 20% of total state expenditure, the government
spends more on education than on any other sector. It explains about serious
attention from this country in building ‘education’. Education is important,
than on any other sector.
Last, but not least, Canada. There are a great many
similarities in the provincial and territorial education systems across Canada,
there are significant differences in curriculum, assessment, and accountability
policies among the jurisdictions that express the geography, history, language,
culture, and corresponding specialised needs of the populations served. It
reflects diversity of their way in educating, which is based of the people
potential.
For example, Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, which has
two campus ; in Halifax and Truro. They have agriculture university with
supporting facilities which help their students and also the agriculture region
–Truro and Colchester County- in development programs.
A canadian perspective about education is learning to change
and changing to learn. It is mentioned in film sponsored by the Pearson
Foundation that features educational leaders from across Canada discussing their
ideas on 21st Century learning and the changes needed to move the country's
educational system forward. Learning and changing should be done by students
and teachers together, they are celebrating excellences.
Canada also had Residential schools for the first nation
peoples. It were established because of assumption that first nation culture
was unable to adapt to a modern society. There was many substandart conditions,
endured physical, and emotional abuse in those schools. In 2007, the government
formalized a compensation package for residential schools students. Today, the
schools is gone, they get better education. It is one of transformation in
changing education system in Canada.
Yet, there is other opinion about education system in
Canada. Geoffrey Canada- Education advocate-in his lecture in TED which is
titled : Our failing schools. Enough is enough!, he ask about why, why, why
does Canadian education system look so similar to the way it did 50 years ago?
Millions of students were failing then, as they are now -- and it's because
we're clinging to a business model that clearly doesn't work. Geoffrey dares
the system to look at the data, think about the customers and make systematic
shifts in order to help greater numbers of kids excel.
Although, some changes has been done by the goverment, they
always need change and change. Learn to change, changing to learn, learn to
educate, and educate to encourage, not discourage.
Finally, yo so how was ur trip about education?. Does it
educate you?. Hope it encourages you at least to ‘learn’ more.
Canada World Youth feat. Ministry of Youth and Sport - Indonesia
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