Published On:Tuesday, March 16, 2010

By Michelle M. Miller, CC

"Today's education system considers academics to be the primary skill needed for job qualification. The system does not consider what can't be measured. Yet, what can't be measured is the secret to being selected for the job."

BOB WEBB

In an extrinsically motivated society, proof of success becomes paramount for most individuals. While this is true for nearly every arena, political, religious, corporate etc., it is especially true in the education arena and directly impacts the perception of young adults.

In most education environments, this preoccupation with proving oneself fuels concepts of competition rather than cooperation. As such, children are academically labeled - 'D', Average, Straight 'A', 3 Point GPA, Honour Roll Student etc. The child labeled academically proficient is expected to succeed, while the child tagged as academically deficient is expected to fail.

And while an absurd competition as to which child will do better than the other rages on amongst parents, educators and society as a whole, the intrinsic sense of worth for both children becomes lost in the chaos.

This brings to mind several crucial questions:

1. How do we assess the

quality of education beyond

academics?

2. What about those skills

that cannot be measured?

3. And what does being on

the Honour Roll actually

teach children about honor?

These thought-provoking questions ought to trigger dialogue as to the degree to which children are really being prepared for life beyond the classroom.

Let's face it, traditional education models in most societies promote the provision of supposed quality education, centered primarily on academic assessment. And while academics are fundamental, education is more than academics alone.

Workplaces everywhere are filled with highly educated, academically adept individuals, who lack basic life-skills such as healthy self-esteem, confidence, emotional coping, interpersonal skills etc., rendering them uncooperative and or ineffective.

Despite this, education remains more about grades and competition; creating environments where children see each other as competitors rather than peers. The child who gets all A's is praised and fast-tracked via the Honour Roll or Scholarship, while the child whose grades do not match up is criticised, negatively judged and relegated to a life of self-doubt and lack of motivation.

Yet society remains perplexed by the continuous anti-social challenges amongst young adults; giving little consideration to the extreme paths from which they must choose. Without question this leads to grave frustration, even for the so called Honour Roll student, who must now keep up.

Interestingly, we often hear about the negative influence of 'peer pressure', however very little is spoken of the heavy influence of 'social pressure' from parents, educators and the wider society.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN

EDUCATION & LEARNING

The model of teaching by hearing and repeating as the sum total of education is fast-becoming fossil; particularly since many students are quite clever at regurgitating memorised information, but struggle when faced with the need to retrieve, assemble and appropriately apply information when faced with real life challenges.

There is a significant difference between being educated and actually learning. Education is the process of imparting knowledge, values, skills and attitudes. Whereas learning is the process of adopting knowledge, values, skills and attitudes.

Ironically, even the most uneducated society of people learns to thrive when left to the device of their own learning. Our forbearers, without academic education, found ways to create and build the society we are privilege to enjoy today.

These allegedly uneducated people had heart, courage, respect, and honour; they possessed inner directed ideals and were intrinsically motivated to become better people.

FINAL THOUGHTS -

LET'S TALK SOLUTIONS

The idea that better academic results will improve anti-social behaviour, serves to underscore the degree to which we have become fixated with academics.

Clearly, the sincere development of children into adulthood must encompass a more comprehensive process, beyond GPAs and academic accolades.

More importantly, such a process must include the opinions, concerns and perspectives of young adults themselves; giving respect and consideration to the provisions made in the Convention on the Rights of The Child. Yes, children have rights too, and the four core principles are:-

1. Non-discrimination

2. Devotion to the best

interests of the child

3. The right to life, survival

and development

4. Respect for the views

of the child.

Needless to say, the current state of communication between adults and children in this society is mostly one-way, in favor of the adults. We cannot effectively build a nation, supposedly for tomorrow's generation, without giving respect to their views and concerns today.

Rest assured that the future success of our young adults will not be determined by their academic acumen alone; instead it will depend on and encompass a kaleidoscope of life-skills, such as sense of self, self-efficacy, empathy, social responsibility, their interdependence with each other and the world as a whole.

To this end, the new mandate for the wider Bahamian society must be to ensure the provision of comprehensive education models, which also includes essential life-skills and learning alternatives that affirms self-worth, self-value and the innate capacity to build a life they can be proud.

Remember, intrinsic motivation is not about owning things, acquiring titles or merely passing an exam; instead it is about inner-directed ideals that positively change behaviours, nurture mind and build a better man.

Often time, we fail to realise that we are the change that we are waiting on. Let's make something better happen.

* Register Your Child for LifeSkills242 an interactive Young Adult Mentoring Program, offering skills for life beyond the classroom.

For more details - call 326-3332 or 429-6770 - or send an email to lifeskills242@yahoo.com

* Michelle M Miller is a certified Life-Coach and Stress Management Consultant. She is the Principal Coach of the Coaching Studio, which located in the Jovan Plaza, Madeira Street. Questions or comments can be sent to P.O. Box CB-13060 - email - coach4ward@yahoo.com or telephone 429-6770.