Crooked politics is self-sabotage of our educational vision

The idea of education being under the control of the state is not a recent germination. It has survived, at least in the recorded evolution of philosophy, for a few millenniums. A universally significant Greek philosopher, Plato, pondered and taught this in his days (428-348 BCE).

For Plato, education is “a means of attaining individual and collective social justice.” He posits that education should help advance everyone: Knowledge of one’s job, oneself, and the Good. The fruit of attaining this knowledge, through education, is leading a virtuous life.

In the public platforms, we rarely talk of terms like ‘virtues’, ‘love’, ‘goodness’, etc. because these values, though cherished by all people, are segregated as ‘religious.’ But in essence, these values result from the good education of the human person as a wholistic being.

Having excellent skills at one’s job (informed, creative, diligent) accompanied by a good mastery of the self (content, self-sacrificing, grateful), and knowing the Good (prioritising the common good, justice, peace, progress) is a rare combination of a promising citizen and leader.

When our education only focuses on learning skills and ignores the other aspects, we cannot expect much from the leaders it produces. Even worse, if leaders have no genuine intention of actualizing the education agenda which clearly indicates its vision of producing efficient and patriotic leaders.

Think of experts who are not given room to actualize their knowledge for the common good because of political opinions, or politicians who handle serious issues they know nothing about.

When political interests are corrupt the good is compromised to feed the interests of politicians.

While there should be competition on effective strategies each politician will bring on board, complementing each other’s good ideas, and constructively correcting each other, the game is the same as politicians still battle with the basics of human survival in our society as their winning cards; problems which should have been resolved a long time ago.

Promising to build classrooms, school toilets, or water wells should not be a political agenda for voting in leaders. We can do better! Our country has enough material and human resources to accomplish all that in a year in all the primary and secondary schools in the country.

Our problem is management and planning, whereby there are wrong priorities and networks of dishonesty. Recall records of leaders who swore not to bring development projects to some places because of differing political party dominance. Why should citizens suffer because of the political interests of a party, while taxes are paid by all?

The education vision of Tanzania, as stipulated in the August 2023 TIE approved Curriculum for Primary Education – Standard I to VI, is: “To have an educated and knowledgeable Tanzanian with skills and positive attitudes, who values equality, justice, and lifelong education in bringing about sustainable national and international development” (Section 2: 2.1).

It further mentions in the same document the objectives of the provision of education in Tanzania as to “Understand and protect national virtues, including dignity, patriotism, integrity, unity, transparency, honesty, accountability and the national language” (Section 2: 2.2.d).

These values here, as we traced in the beginning, have been ideals at the heart of education globally, and the best treasure one can get out of education; a reason why Plato proposed education to be safeguarded and overseen by the government.

But how will these values be manifested if we entertain hungry politics, where the priority is not the common good of the people? How can this be, if those with the right education are not trusted to lead, but rather those with likeminded political opinions? Think of the frauds we see on the news in our government projects.

Even further, how can young people match their appreciation of both politics and education, when obviously what is wrong with our education is our politics? How can academics and experts support progress amidst shady politics, which some key politicians have openly acknowledged with pride as their handiwork?

When we allow people to see what is for all as an opportunity for a few and a source of their power over others there is a danger of irrecoverable regress in education, as it loses value, except for the skills; which when imparted without values does not suffice for the core goal of education of the citizenry.

The public needs to be critical and desist from forming ‘leader’ opinions based on people being well-spoken. It is the common good at stake. Wendel Wilkey (1892-1944) an American lawyer said: “Education is the mother of leadership.”

This should be said in the open air and should be criteria for our leaders, alongside coherent and fact-checked educational/professional background, and a clean and unambiguous track record in leadership values. Ambiguity in any of these should be enough to remove one from the leadership circle for good, but this is not yet the case in our country.

Shimbo Pastory is an advocate for positive social transformation. He writes from Manila, the Philippines. Email [email protected], WhatsApp: +639951661979.