http://www.shabait.com/section-blog/40-editorial/13980-an-educational-policy-which-opened-broad-prospects
An Educational Policy Which Opened Broad Prospects
Wednesday, 03 July 2013 07:23 | Written by shabait Administrator
This season of the year is the time where students complete their academic and vocational studies; it is also a time where teachers and parents reap the outcome of their long investment which culminates with the graduation of their students.
It is well known that education is the main factor which decides the status of individuals in their societies through which they acquire enough scientific knowledge about their environment and society. Needless to say, accessibility of education is considered among the most fundamental human rights. Basing its strategies on these principles therefore, the government of Eritrea has been making massive investment in ensuring equitable and quality access of education in all corners of the country, and in so doing has been equipping every national with the needed knowledge to enable them become beneficiaries of their national resources equally and mind the growth of the country in accordance. According to statistics from the Ministry of Education, by the wake of independence, in 1990/1991, there were 393 schools all the way from pre-school level to high-school, while the statistics registered a 400% growth supplementing the number to 1600 after independence.
Vocational schools on their part grew from only 2 to 11 at the time. Besides, the government has established a handful of colleges to nurture compatible citizens in all domains.
In this era of science and technology, the livelihoods of people solely rely on education. Especially in the western world, education has not only become a fundamental right of citizens, but has also been commercialized. In some parts of the western world, a student needs over 100,000 Dollars to complete his/her first degree, which leaves only the privileged class of the society with an opportunity to learn while the others are bound not to. Unlike this very prevailing reality, the government of Eritrea has since day one of independence been allocating most of its national income in the sector of education thereby providing free access to education to every single citizen.
The distinctiveness of the Eritrean educational policy is therefore defined by the opportunity it provides to every citizen to secure their future. Most countries in the world don’t consider the prospects of their citizens who fail their secondary school leaving examinations. But not in Eritrea; students are provided diploma and certificate programs if they couldn’t score for their degree studies. Not only that, but students who fail to score for these three options join the National Vocational Training Center, where they receive quality vocational training. By far, the main goal of these opportunities is to provide the young generation with diverse fields of studies and enable them discover their area of inclination.
Although the prospects provided in the sector of education are broad, the national goals laid in this domain are even bigger. Henceforth, the government of Eritrea has strengthened its efforts to supplement the methods of education with the needed technological facilities and equip the laboratories and workshops accordingly.
To make this national vision and goal sensible, the commitment of students, teachers and parents should also be reinforced vis-a-vis the efforts being put in to effect by the government. Besides, the benefits of education are dual; first is the individual and the society on the other. Accordingly, students need to intensify their efforts and grasp these opportunities, while the parents need to inspire their children in the sector. It is only through the concerted effort of the government and the society the national goal could be accomplished and the nation could prosper.
Received on Thu Jul 04 2013 - 21:12:27 EDT