by Manel Dridi Akid

Created on: October 08, 2009

Education is a vital tool for any society to achieve knowledge and to learn how to lead a successful life. The role of education is definitely not limited to giving and grasping knowledge and theories. The human mind elicits training to be distinguished from the animal brain. Education provides exercises and helps the human mind develop gradually. Children are the basic target of education not only because they have a "tabula rasa" and have a great capacity to a quick learning, but also because they represent the future of a certain society. Education takes place both at home and in the educational institutions. Parents prepare their children at an early age to learn certain habits that help them rely on themselves. Eating on one's own requires varioustexercies and strong willingness to be independent. Children learn from their parents how to do things and this is to be continued in the educational institution later on. Therefore, education has to be both about the curriculum and daily life. Consequently, the role of educators , whether teachers or parents, must be further stressed by the ministry of education as well as by media to sensitise society to the true role of education. Not only the educational program refoms have to be focused on but also the dual role of educators. Children need to be surrounded by grown-ups who teach them how to live, not just how to succeed in exams.

Nowadays, our societies are paying less attention to educating morals to children, they are rather preoccupied of showing that educational reforms are successful in terms of figures. Obsessed by the globalization trend in other countries, governments are concentrating on varying the diplomas to meet the market needs. But what about the morals? we are witnessing a steady , not to say a lofty, growth in Juvenal crimes all over the world, from developed to under developed countries. The world seems unable to stop this scourge and rather anxious about the current economic crisis. Money has enslaved humanity to the point that our children are no longer the treasure of society but tools to serve economic ends. Manpower is under estimated in a world crippled by money hunger.

Each society and each family can contribute to the well being of humanity. If we, as parents, teach our children how to behave well, how to respect others and how to be responsible, we are preparing them to reject racism, individualism and intolerance. If we, as teachers, teach our pupils how to respect their classmates, how to compete fairly and how to overcome failure, we are paving them the way to face the hardships of life and to fight honestly and fairly for survival in a material world.

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