Education is a critical component that contributes extensively to any country’s economy. Hence, schools and policymakers have made changes to promote quality education in the past few years.
However, certain educational areas still need to be reformed. Let’s look at the following ten steps schools and policymakers can take to elevate the education standard.
Though governments spend a large part of the country’s economy on education, rectifying the distribution of school funds needs more attention. Institutions mostly spend their funds on building new schools or launching new departments. However, teachers and school staff often remain underpaid in many areas. Also, the supply of scholarships is considerably less than its demand, often leaving students from low-income backgrounds far behind. Thus, the correct distribution of school funding is a significant step in improving educational standards.
Intelligent use of technology can make schools more efficient and effective. Each task can be performed quickly via digital tools, from reforming curriculums to organizing administration. Software such as Content Management System (CMS) can make online curriculum accessible to everyone. Students can promptly review recorded lectures uploaded on the system and learn from them. Similarly, teachers can use digital tools to check papers, improving transparency in education.
The traditional method of recruiting based on years of experience in a specific subject should be eliminated. Instead, the basis for hiring should be more academic and skills-oriented such as additional certificates, digital knowledge, and soft skills. It is now possible for teachers to work and enhance their education simultaneously due to online courses. For example, an MS in Education C&I Program Online certification helps teachers build personal and leadership skills. Schools can raise their educational standards by mandating courses, certifications, and workshops.
Decentralization has become necessary in the education department. By introducing an autonomous structure, the decision-making will not be solely in the hands of policymakers and school management. Instead, teachers, students, caregivers, and community members can add constructive input.
Several studies suggest that adopting an autonomous structure can lead to quality education. It also allows schools to reform their resources freely, thus improving their enrollments and annual performances.
Schools need to periodically monitor and realign their resources, including money, curriculum, and staff. For example, they could reform the lectures from a 30-minute theoretical class to a day-based project learning. Similarly, schools can use summer vacations for vocational activities. There is a need to emphasize students’ and teachers’ mental well-being by including one-on-one sessions in the weekly timetable. In addition, policymakers can make volunteer or field trips mandatory for each grade to develop the interest and engagement of their students.
Measuring students’ performances via grades alone is amongst the reasons for academic failures. Schools can encourage community participation by collaborating with businesses, welfare organizations, museums, and digital societies to combat such problems. On the one hand, it will help educators and students access the materials and technology they need. On the other hand, they will get exposure to real-world experiences through training and internships.
Technological advancements have outdated the traditional concept of degrees. Each year, new software is developed, demanding skilled workers. Thus, educators and employers must endorse skill-based learning to meet the economy’s dynamic employment needs.
By identifying children’s traits from a very early age, they can receive training to develop a particular set of skills of their interests. Also, specialized coaching via seminars, hands-on workshops, and online study programs can be beneficial for practical life.
Integrated studies are essential to the multi-culture education system. With more students from different parts of the world, interdisciplinary learning helps create meaningful connections between cultures and subjects. The integration of diverse topics, when paired with project learning, makes school fun for both teachers and students.
Integrated learning does not only focus on combining traditional subjects like history and literature. Instead, including new educational areas such as music, motion and art can enable character building in students.
The current education system involves 80% theoretical learning from books, resulting in a lack of interest among learners. An intelligent way to improve engagement is by mandating project-based education. This type of pedagogy involves “learning by doing.” It consists of students working on a project to address a real problem or challenge. Moreover, they must create products or presentations for the public to demonstrate their knowledge and skills.
Thus, necessitating PB learning develops problem-solving skills in students and boosts their self-confidence and social networks.
Each child learns in a different way and at a different pace. A personalized learning plan takes consideration of students’ strengths and weaknesses to make a customized curriculum for them. This approach tailors classes to the needs of the students in reflection of how they learn best. It includes setting up a classroom, organizing a customized school day, and different ways of assigning tasks.
Furthermore, the teacher monitors the students’ progress periodically and makes changes to the plan, if required.
By incorporating a customized learning path, students can feel in charge of their classroom experience, improving their academic performance. It also builds their interest in relevant fields, preparing them for the future.
The educational industry has come a long way in improving its standards and learning systems. However, there are still some gaps that need to be addressed. Schools and policymakers can refine educational standards to cultivate a more exciting and fruitful learning environment by adopting the changes mentioned above.
