Transformative education and effective governance

For several decades, educators believed that education is preparation for life and is normally taken under a formal and structured system. A process of instructing, training and of providing knowledge, skills and abilities, the purpose of which is to educate the person. Later on the concept of formal and informal education led to a more simple and exact description and that is: Education is life.

In the new paradigm, education is throughout life and lifelong. Everyone particularly the educators must be concerned with and committed to make life progressively better for all. Every structure, program of studies, seminars and training must transform students to become better persons, men and women not only for themselves but more so for others. An education whose curriculum is student-centered. The direction is to equip students with the capability to think independently for themselves and relate independently with others for a better world.

Education must transform an individuals’ sense of values, thoughts, beliefs, philosophy, skills and abilities; for transformation is a fundamental change in one’s belief, attitudes and actions. Discernment is central to transformative education. Sullivan (2003) defines transformative learning as one that involves experiencing a deep, structural shift in the basic premises of thoughts, feelings and actions. It is a paradigm shift that requires full understanding of ourselves, our relationships with others and the natural world; our understanding of power in interlocking structure of class, race and gender; our visions and alternative approaches to living and how we look at and sense freedom, justice, peace, social responsibility etc.

Transformative education is one that builds the capability of the person: his capability to communicate effectively in simple terms; his rational skills as well as his inter personal relationships; his ability to plan strategically, formulate, implement, evaluate and control; and his ability to lead others and to follow the leader. Furthermore, transformative education must also build the credibility of the person through integration of proper values in one’s system.

Theodore Roosevelt once said “If you educate a person’s mind but failed on his morals then you have prepared a prospective menace to society.” Since a person is a tripartite being, it is important for us educators to always remember that in teaching, advising, coaching, and or influencing, we are dealing with a person with physical body, psyche/mind and spirit, and that any approach must be for his total development. It is a kind of learning that will enable one to change his perception of life; a paradigm shift in the way one looks at things in this world: this is important because this will lead to the kind of attitude that one will internalize and the kind of behavior and action one manifests.

For effective governance, leaders, administrators and educators should adopt the following mindset as starting points.

1. The effective leader/teacher must know and be able to manage oneself properly. Discipline is an important ingredient if one must manage himself with direction and discretion.

2. The effective leader/teacher must think more about others than about himself. This will certainly require a paradigm shift, a mental shift or a change in one’s attitude. The focus is on others. It is more concern for others than for himself.

3. The effective leader/teacher must think like a steward/shepherd not person in authority. This is handling properly the talents and resources God has given him not only for his own sake but more so for the sake of others.

4. The effective leader/teacher must think of teaching as a ministry and opportunity, not as an obligation. Leadership means being with young people, helping people, meeting their needs and doing their work with gladness.

5. The effective leader/teacher must always make himself available to serve. (If you only serve when you are paid or at your convenience, you are not a real leader)

6. The effective leader/teacher must do his best with what he has. (No excuses, no procrastination, no delay while waiting for better circumstances).

As leaders and teachers we have difficult tasks to accomplish. We must be models of what we teach. Plainly we cannot teach what we do not have, neither can we preach what we do not practice and yet our influence as teachers and educators may last throughout the lifetime of our students. In the end, there are only two verdicts that will be given us. As teachers we will be judged differently and the greatest teacher of all times will give the sentence. One is commendation for a job well done and other is condemnation for not doing our job well. The choice is yours, my colleagues in the education sector. –Felizardo Y. Francisco, Manila Times

opinion@manilatimes.net