Challenges facing educational authorities

A management student was asked to write an assignment on marketing intelligence and assess the reliability of market research findings, evaluate techniques of assessing customer response and design a customer satisfaction survey But he did not know the basic concept of management. What he lacked was a conceptual understanding of business. The truth is he does not understand the marketing subject well. Do teachers teach basic concepts in advance?

Before taking up a higher degree in business, one must have well-developed communication skills, a wide exposure to various aspects of the economy and social conditions, and a good macro-view on an organisation. At the school level, future management aspirants must be intellectually-oriented and should have gained knowledge in theoretical and conceptual disciplines. If you do not have the basic skills of understanding, you can not be pragmatic and practical.

Conceptual framework in theory is important to understand the business. For instance, it is of no use to teach market intelligence to students who do not know statistics and economics. For countries like the UAE, the challenge is to harness the technology revolution and use it for the general welfare of the people. Most of us have a wrong notion that technology means sleek machines and computer controlled systems. The challenge to the educational authorities is to develop the personality, right attitudes and mindset.

Teaching methods of so many of the foreign-affiliated institutions, which have developed recently, have not adequately tapped local talents meaningfully and methodologically. In some cases, foreign teachers are unfamiliar with the local culture. Teaching methods seem to be lacking skills in theory. Theoretical skills are more important to understand the practical application later.

From the organisational point of view, competency development is vital. You cannot develop competency overnight. It is a gradual process. It is easy to train somebody in mathematical knowledge. But it is difficult to develop attitudes and values, which will come from the socialisation process, especially from family and schools.

Essentially, youth should have basic motivation to learn the subjects. This will come from their early development and family circumstances. But in this part of the world, some educational institutions have succeeded only to a degree in bringing out the basic motivation.

For instance, a Singaporean worker has a very high respect for education, more so than for skills. It is the desire of every Singapor-ean family to see their sons and daughters work hard at school and university. In fact, many Singaporeans believe that it is better to give their children an education with ethics and moral discipline than to leave great wealth behind them.

A nation's strength is not measured by the growing institutions and colleges, but by the quality of education and its impact upon society. Ensuring quality depends upon our method and approach in understanding the basic theoretical elements and concepts in each subject.Students should be helped to gain self-confidence and a positive mental attitude. Education must get competition from the private sector, and institutions should create a competitive environment. Most pertinently, education should not kill the creativity.

Pon Mohaideen Pitchai is a Dubai human resources consultant.