Humanising education for a better world

Professor Tan Sri Dato' Dzulkifli Abdul Razak
Learning Curve: Perspective
New Sunday Times - 24-11-2013

TRANSFORM: Create new vistas for students to benefit from and be empowered by 21st century education

EVEN as experts and scholars gathered in Vancouver to discuss the collaboration between Canada and the Association of South East Asian Nations at a conference themed Education For A Better World -- Our Social Responsibility, RS Kamini highlighted the educational vision of the Aga Khan Academies in Learning Curve last week.

I expounded on the topic Humanising Education as a plenary speaker at the event. This is in view of the ongoing disparities, not only between Canada and Asean but also within Canada and among inter- as well as intra-Asean member countries. Unless education is humancentric and goes beyond mere economic concerns and bottomlines, we are bound to miss its ethos and distort its meaning. For this purpose, values and other intangibles are the primary considerations in ensuring not only what the students can "be" but also what they can "become" when nurtured by the right intangible values. This entails the development of a whole human person -- as clearly spelt out in the National Education Philosophy -- through the notion of education with a soul, rather than just the lifeless so-called human capital!

After all, the issue of humanity and human dignity has become central to providing education with a human face. The Bali Communiqué of the High-Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda issued on March 28, 2013 stated: "We agreed on the need for a renewed Global Partnership that enables a transformative, people-centered and planet-sensitive development agenda which is realised through the equal partnership of all stakeholders. Such partnership should be based on the principles of equity, sustainability, solidarity, respect for humanity, and shared responsibilities in accordance with respective capabilities."

In this sense, the aim of the Aga Khan Academies to transform the world's education landscape from being career-orientated (read: employment and employability per se) to one that focuses on humanity and social development is not only courageous and visionary but also timely. This will mark another milestone in efforts to make education academically relevant while being socially engaging, and provide experiences which are enriching both recreationally as well as culturally.

Managed by the renowned Aga Khan Development Network, the academies are reportedly part of a global network that has been involved in education for more than a century. Yet this new "humanity and social development" approach will propel the branches into a new trajectory that goes beyond the usual academic normality. On the contrary, the aim is "to solve social issues ranging from polarisation to poor socio-economic conditions" and "commit to foster understanding, tolerance and create peace". This opportunity is open to not only academically eligible students but also those who demonstrate "good character and intention" (honesty, integrity, caring and compassion) regardless of their socio-economic background and the ability to pay.

Indeed, the Aga Khan "label" has long been the hallmark of numerous inspiring societal and professional feats, ranging from celebrating heritage in architecture to a more sublime mission like that of education and capacity-building. It is able to articulate both the form and the substance -- the hardware and software -- to arrive at a higher sense of purpose. In other words, be a comprehensive game-changer when many have fallen short due to absence of foresight compounded by a lack of staying power. Education is not a run-of-the-mill profit-and-loss enterprise. This also explains the failure of several education exercises that are still limited to the here and now, if not the past!

On the contrary, the Aga Khan rightly urges us to "rise above antiquated approaches of earlier days" and suggests the 3As, namely the spirit of anticipation, adaptation and adventure, as a game-changer. He is making a marked difference by preparing students for an all-round education by pursuing complementary skill sets of social engagement, recreational activities and co-curricular initiatives. It was reported that "through their involvement in citizenship activities and community service, students develop an appreciation of human rights and learn how their actions impact the world around them".

There was an ambitious attempt in Malaysia to chase a similar dream to close the current lacuna in the education system. Unfortunately the idealism got rudely truncated midway.

Against this backdrop and the theme of the conference, it is increasingly clear that the "new" model endowed by the Aga Khan Development Network is bound to gain greater currency in the near future because its time has come.

It is of interest to keep a close watch on this exciting venture by the Aga Khan Academies so that we can try and make up for the lost opportunity to create new vistas for the marginalised generations of students to benefit from and be empowered by 21st century education.