OP-ED: Africa: Between Current Challenges And The Need For Educational Innovation

In previous write ups I have highlighted the importance of education to innovation. In this one, I intend to draw attention to the importance of innovation in education. This write up begins with the relationships between challenges and opportunities and how these can stimulate innovation.

Two major challenges which have hit Nigeria in recent times are the rise of insurgency and more recently the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). In processing the immediate impacts of these, in terms of loss of lives and liberty, it is easy to lose sight of the impact it is having on other sections of the socio-economic polity. One sector being seriously impacted is Education.

A tipping point of the insurgency was the kidnap of over 200 school girls in Chibok - North Eastern Nigeria. The school system in that region  has been virtually paralyzed, and the rate of withdrawals and transfers from schools there are on the rise. (Apparently, Boko Haram’s fight was against “Western Education” and it has been argued, that their success in recruiting has been largely due to the relatively poor level of education there.)

In a non-related development but still on Education, as of the time of writing this post, parents in Nigeria are confused about the resumption dates for secondary schools, due to the postponement(s) occasioned by the Ebola Virus incidents. The Federal Government had fixed yesterday, the 22^nd of September, as resumption date; the National Union of Teachers  called on members to ignore the date.  Various state governments are now setting alternative dates based on different factors. I can only wonder how education is being impacted in countries like Liberia, Serria Leone and Guinea. Concerning the closure of schools in Nigeria, a guest on CNBC was quoted as saying:

“We have to think safety before disruption, they can do catch up, we have mid-term breaks and a holiday. We just have to ensure that the teachers [change] the curriculum to ensure that they cover this term.” 

While I totally agree with the safety argument, I can’t help but wonder; are they really changing the curriculum or just hurrying it up?  Is it really about playing catch up? What if the learners can’t catch up with the pace? Shouldn't learning be an ongoing, non-stop event?   And, speaking of “disruption”, there is a lot more than EVD disrupting Education.

Beyond the grim challenges of insurgencies and viral diseases, traditional education systems are being challenged by the often hyped - new technologies. Two ways in which they are doing this are: 

• Challenging the way the receivers receive information: Today’s young people are increasingly media driven. This has been further fuelled by access to mobile devices and internet. Challenging the way information is given, received and how people engage. New Technologies provide immense of opportunities for transforming educational systems.
• Challenging the capacity of the receiver to receive information: While new technologies present opportunities for learning, they have also become a major distraction from learning.  One of the major uses of new technology, for young people is entertainment and social media interaction, eating into much needed learning time. This is a major challenge.

One of the benefits of innovative thinking is the capacity to see opportunities in challenges. In order to do this, for the educational sector, educational policy and change makers need to take another look at its core Stakeholders (Customers) , their wants their needs (real & felt) and their behaviors (how they learn).  One way to approach this would be through the use of a triple helix model of the core customer’s i.e The learners, their Parents/Guardians and the teachers in that order.

• The Learners:  Need to be moved beyond mere consumption of knowledge –to be repeated during standardized tests. In designing solutions for learners, we need to rethink their motivations for learning and methodologies for self teaching.  We need to consider the context of their lives and to start taking the potential of personalized learning seriously.
• The Parents/Guardians: Need to learn how to be involved in the learning of their children/wards. For years I have advocated for the development of a home schooling framework in Nigeria- if only to ensure that children of the not-so-rich can have access to quality education, within their means. While not popular in these parts, research has shown that the results of homeschooling are generally superior to school in all its aspects.
• The Teachers: Need to move beyond being teachers of subjects to being teachers of people.  In addition to what their students are learning, teachers need to understand how they are learning. We need a renewed vision of teachers as molders of the future global leaders. The role of teachers in the 21^st century is one of helping young people discover what interests them and where their potentials lie.

Some insight gained from the way different states have handled or tried to handle the issue of school resumption, is the obvious fact that we can’t have a one size fits all approach to addressing our educational challenges.

In the coming weeks I will be sharing examples of some educational models which would be useful for educationists and people interested in same. 

For now though, and on a final note - Policy/Changemakers must recognize that educational reform which is merely refurbishing the current systems and structures will fail. We need to advance quickly to a future ready model, with innovation in teaching style, instructional and assessment methods, classroom organizations, use of textbooks and technology in schools, feedback and evaluation systems.

Training children to do specific tasks in the future is no longer sufficient.  Successful citizens of the future will be multi-tasking in a globalized world; they must be adaptive, possessing the capacity to compete with international counterparts. A new model must deliver learners who know how to know, learn, think, ideate and create- solutions for their world.

If quality learning and education is not a part of our national roadmap, we are doomed, for a plan will only be as effective as the people who implement it.