The study released yesterdaty by the Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research (IOBE) cannot but be viewed as evidence of the failure of our education system and of the fact that it requires deep reform in order to meet the great demands of the 21st century.
Can an educational system be in tune with contemporary realities and prepare young people for the future when 80 percent of its budget is spent on salaries?
Can it meet the various needs of those whom it serves when it is among the most centralised in the world?
Is it serving its mission when parents are forced to spend enormous sums on private tutoring even when their children are in primary school?
Is it fulfiling its role when teaching staff refuses to be evaluated and to pursue lifelong learning, especially in subject areas that are not static?
We all know the answer. Yet, there are only piecemeal efforts to improve the education system, without substantial dialogue and with education ministers who fancy themselves in the role of grand reformers.
International experience has taught us much about how education systems can be reformed and about how young citizens prepare for the future with the best practices of the present. Let us take heed of that experience.
