What is Education?
Interesting debate at Creative and Cultural Policy class this week. What is education?
Was born in a difficult time of Vietnam when the war has just finished, I grew up in a countryside area in the centre region of Vietnam, a place with its famous severe weather and poor conditions. My parents worked very hard to make sure four of us able to join schools. We took schools as duty, as proud of family and as it was the only one way we could do to brighten our future. Question of “what is Education” would never been asked in Vietnam because Education is as naturally part of your life schedule except you do not have condition to go to school. You might not believe this fact but “Bill Gates” phenomenon is rarely happened in Vietnam until you have a strong family background with enough supports. I have been experienced Vietnamese old education system in my time, new education system (a bit new I think) thru my nieces and nephews and European education system which is completely different. There is always advantages and disadvantages in each system, however, they are all benefitable if we know how to enhance the best side of each system.
Some of my class-mates argued that they never been studied in any school, they can study everything they want thru websites, internet, books by themselves. It’s not wrong at all but it doesn’t mean that they do not need “Education”. To me, those books, programme, knowledge infos available on the internet or websites are resulted from an education system with new and different approach ways enhanced the advanced digital.
Last week I attended the talk of Alison Hastings from PCC about Editors’ Code of Practice applied for editors and publishers. According to Alison, almost 70% of complains sent to PCC were about the inaccuracy of the news/articles. The Code guides the editors and publishers how to maintain the highest professional standards. I have been doing media business for awhile and in fact we are publishing magazine in Vietnam. We also have Press Rules & Regulations in Vietnamese by Vietnam Government and it’s almost similar with the Code I have got from PCC. However, I could never read it through and understood the meaning of each clause if I have not attended the talk of Alison last week. What she expressed thru the real examples and cases she has experienced at PCC has brought me a new look at the policy now. And clearly, I could not have that knowledge if I have not joined this course.
I just left Annette’s office half hour ago. The meeting with Annette has inspired me to write this note about education. That is really what we are benefited from a professional education system. The environment where you are among different class-mates with different professional, the environment where you can enhance the supports from experts, tutors in knowledge, encouragements, advices and the environment where you can develop your creative ideas by sharing it with others and by enhancing the available facilities of school such as library, the lap, conferences, the guest talks etc.
To me, Education is always necessary and always in a formal way. No matter which way you choose to be educated, you need to achieve an appropriate knowledge system to be a professional in the field you would like to be. I chose professional education system as always except I don’t have enough conditions to take it.
That might be just my thought coz I am a Vietnamese where education is considered very important and formal. It might be different in other countries especially in Europe. Would love to hear different opinions from you.
Enterprise | Hai Nguyen | Tuesday, December 8, 2009
It’s interesting to know a little about your own background Hai and I agree with you. I also see education as structured learning which takes place (usually) within establishments. I think some of our classmates did not have a very fulfilling experience at school due to the lack of flexibility in teaching, and that has led them to believe that more informal structures are also seen as education. I am interested to learn about the amount of creativity in the National Curriculum. When I was at school we were allowed a certain amount of creativity – especially in Drama, Graphic Design and Communication Studies. However, those were the only three subjects (out of 10) that allowed us to be creative. Were you allowed to be creative during school in Vietnam?
Actually in my memory, Vietnamese old education system (at my time) wasn’t that “creative” in all meaning. I can’t recall any memory about “creativity” activities at school that time. We had few lessons in basic music (but no practice), few lessons in drawing (also no practice). I remember I joined a group of “poem” – surprised isn’t it :)- But the new education system has more specified art areas and creative fields, I think. I saw my nieces (6 year old) started learning drawing, dancing, singing, making stuffs by herself, and my nephew (11 year old) studies draw on computer, he also has his creative group to do stuffs together. There are quite many international schools in Vietnam nowadays. Do hope our young generation will have better and more creative education system. It will be a long way to go for Vietnamese, I think. We still have to go abroad for higher level of education as you see.