SOLVING TASMANIA'S EDUCATION CRISIS

Recent reports into the state of Tasmania’s education system has revealed what many of us have long suspected - that Tasmania is the worst performing State when it comes to educational outcomes in Australia. Our students have the lowest standards in maths, English, science, history (“Sose”). Teachers report that Tasmanian students lack motivation, self-discipline, and a work ethic. All of this despite literally millions of dollars being spent to solve these problems.

I am the father of 4 Tasmanian students at each level of our Educational system (Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary). My wife is a registered teacher with a Masters degree in education and has recently completed her Graduate Certificate in Teaching English. Together, we run one of Australia’s most prestigious Distance Education Colleges. We know something about education. I am deeply concerned about the state of our State’s education system.

We’ve just participated in hosting a foreign language European student. At a recent meeting of the other exchange students in our city, they were all asked to share what they found “easiest” about living in Tasmania. Each of them, without exception (students from Asia and Europe), said, “School!” They all said that they found our school system to be at least two years behind their schools back home! 

Thus, anecdotally and according to the latest data, Tasmanian schools are not performing well. The answer is not more money - despite the Gonski Report’s findings. The answer is not going to be quick. The answer is not going to be popular. Whenever an answer is not quick or popular and there are politiciansinvolved, the answer will almost certainly failed to be delivered. Added to this is the involvement of the non-government sector and even the non-education sector, which will almost guarantee that the solution will never be implemented.

Education expert, Parker J. Palmer, says that every classroom is a ‘paradox’. By ‘paradox’ he means opposite. Is a classroom mainly for learning orteaching? The paradoxical answer is: both. Then consider this, students get graded and assessed but teachers do not. Why is only one aspect of classroom activity assessed? In a recent public address by University of Tasmania Economics Professor, Jonathan West, he acknowledged this as a glaring problem in the Tasmanian education system. But he also said that he did not know how this could be solved. Since, if a teacher’s assessment was conducted by their students it would almost certainly resort to being a ‘popularity contest’. There are, of course, two very simple means for resolving this. 

Some academies already have regular peer review. This is a great place to start. It takes courageous leadership to implement though. It naturally raises other issues such as remuneration incentives. But this is a secondary issue compared with improving students’ educational outcomes. The second means of reviewing teacher performance is for the parents of students to give formal reviews. After all, every parent must accept the primary responsibility for their children’s education and in this light regard teachers not as educating their children - but as assisting them in educating their children.

And this is actually the key to solving Tasmania’s education crisis.Tasmania’s education temperature must be set in Tasmanian homes. The objection to this simple cure will be pointing out that many of our homes are broken, dysfunctional, and unqualified. But the claim is an exaggerated objection. To be sure, there are too many broken/dysfunctional/unqualified homes in Tasmania - but ‘many’ should not be confused with ‘most’. While it is problem, it is not representative of the vast majority of Tasmanian homes. Yet, this objection actually confirms the solution I am proposing. That is, by saying that there are many parents who can not engage in the children’s education, you are tacitly admitting that this is foundational to the cause of the problem and therefore foundational to its cure. 

Parents need to help their children to - 

+ Learn how to learn

+ Think logically (understand the philosophical principles of logic)

+ Work (appreciate the connection between effort and reward)

If we in Tasmania could foster this cure, our educational outcomes will be dramatically affected.

Andrew Corbett

www.believeintasmania.com

The Difference Between Schooling And Education

They're called "Degree Mills". These are universities which have shifted their focus from education to money-making. This is having a dramatic effect on educational standards across our nation. It's now not uncommon to have students undertaking degree programs who can not spell, write an essay, or read well. It wasn't that long ago I asked a University graduate how much his degree cost. He told me that it was in the vicinity of around $30,000. I then asked him how much it would cost for him to teach what he learned to someone else. He said it would cost that person less than 1% of what he paid!  

The problem with some schools is that they sometimes get in the way of a good education.

I gave a radio interview recently on the difference between Schooling and Education. Just because someone has gone to school, doesn't necessarily mean that they have had an education. And conversely, just because someone hasn't gone to school or college doesn't mean they haven't had an education.

My hero, Rev. F.W. Boreham, had to cut his college days short by at least a year because he was asked to leave London and take up a fledgeling pastorate in the recently founded country of New Zealand. Bitterly disappointed that he couldn't complete his Theological Degree, he encountered a giant of man (who was barely five foot tall) but who totally changed the way FWB viewed education. 

John J. Doke was a Baptist minister who had never received a College education. Yet, F.W. Boreham describes J.J. Doke as the most learned man he had ever met. He asked the seasoned minister (who would go on to save the life of Ghandi, but that's another story) how he became so educated without the benefit of a College? J.J. Doke gave the young Frank Boreham some stirling advice: "Read broadly." Boreham was already a good reader, but his diminutive mentor set him on a path to becoming a great reader. 

From that point, F.W. Boreham would go on to read at least one book a week. This cost him a small fortune. But the results were breath-taking. He would go on to write some 58 books, 3,000 plus published essays and achieve book sales in the millions. 

His informal learning was awarded a Doctor of Divinity Degree by McMaster University (Canada) in 1928 (some 35 years after his College studies were cut short).

Part of my undergraduate studies was with ICI College Australia. I was impressed that this College was focused on delivering quality education. In 2003, I was asked to become the President of ICI College Australia. Today, each week we receive feedback from our students that we are achieving this. But it doesn't end with just providing quality education - this education provides the means by which our students become better equipped to fulfil their ministries. Some preachers are well-schooled but poorly educated. Some preachers are "un-schooled" but have become very educated. (It's fairly easy for listeners to tell the difference.) 

F.W. Boreham discovered that schooling was different from education, he went on to become one of the greatest preachers of all time - being listed in The Banner of Truth Trust's, 20 Greatest Preachers Of All Time) and Warren Wiersbe's, 50 People Every Christian Should Know. 

This is one of the reasons why I am proud to be associated with ICI College Australia. And perhaps, in the not too distant future, one of the next people to be recognised as one of the greatest preachers of all time will be educated as an ICI College Australia graduate. 

Andrew Corbett
28th May 2012