In my previous congratulatory communication on the Minister of Education’s appointment, I raised the issue of the need to assemble the necessary skills and to seek appropriate advice . I also cautioned against knee jerk responses to the issue of radical changes.
A recent publication from McKinsey and Company has reinforced my view. I am indeed convinced that by sharing some of the main issues raised in that publication our national interest would benefit and that the relevance and usefulness will avoid some of the knee jerk responses that are now advocated.
Access to devices, the internet as well as high quality education are critical co-requisites. While undeniably there is a need for greater use of technology great teachers can never be replaced.
The implication here is that there is a need to invest in teacher preparation and development and in this regard TTUTA will have an important role to play. The digital era requires educators to expand their understanding of what it means to be literate in the 21st century and therefore the objective is to complement and not replace traditional learning.
The stress of remote hybrid learning will cause education systems to rethink teacher roles and also allocation. Ultimately, there will be a need to rethink school structures and policies.
Clearly, bold education systems will require an agile and research-based approach and will also demand a wide level of inputs from all sectors.
