| | |  Editorials | Opinions | November 2009 
Education Decline
 Guillermo Ramón Adames y Suari - PVNN
November 30, 2009
 |  | What can be done? Either we start thinking or most countries and universities will be swallowed by the technical and economic power of Asian countries. |  | | |
As a professor at various Universities, I cannot fail to notice how overall student's performance declines over time. I have taught statistics in various universities. In chronological order, Mexico, the US, Belgium, France, Cambodia and at a World Bank Project to teach Chinese graduate students.
Basically what has changed is the attitude to education: by students, by professors and by universities altogether as a consequence of today's economics. Many institutions have passed from a relatively "strict frame in which technical excellence was the ideal" to current "granting of degrees' business". With this "degree production" idea in mind, quality has decreased considerably.
Even more, in the various fields of mathematics and computers, the computers have become "the" tool. Calculations are almost automatic and results come out with more than 10 decimal places. This gain in time has not increased the gain in quality of the results or interpretations. People await the computer results at the end of two clicks as the "ultimate response". Concepts no longer seem to be mastered: The link between "the concept or the approach" "the procedure" and the final "figures" seems to be completely lost. Today students calculate first to "build backwards" all sorts of theories and approaches. In this light, if a computer replaces a technician, we won't need technicians.
Most universities are aware of this decline. What are the efforts to correct this serious mistake?
In my experience, each of the countries where I have taught, have their own methodologies. Countries that are more "research" oriented are suppressing partially the abusive use of computers in these fields. Some have given a step backwards to theory more than solely computing. Some have combined techniques but what is important is that the problem has been spotted.
In my experience, the most exceptional example was the World Bank project for China cited above. The course consisted of a two hours daily course at 7 AM. The group was composed of 12 top Chinese graduate students with an excellent mastery of the English language. All of them had very good knowledge of mathematics. The course was axed on practical applied statistics. So the expected results of the course were: How to draft and built recommendations using statistical tools. Answers were both practical ant theoretical. The level was of statistical tools required for a Ph.D. minor.
Almost every working day, at the end of the business day, about 19:00hs the very same group of students was studying together. They were "recreating" what was taught in the two hour course of that morning. In the three month period that the course lasted, myself and other professors were invited almost daily to review in the evenings what was taught in the mornings but this time explained by the students. This was an extremely challenging experience: Grades? A++ for all of them.
In these courses, these students obtained more than the equivalent standards in the US and Europe. Similar programmes are operational today in The United Arab Emirates with British professors.
Now: What will be our problem? Japan, China, India and the Emirates are (or are becoming) very quality conscious. Asia has a huge labor force. Indian Universities (particularly the University of Calcutta) have developed mathematical tools that compare if not surpass the US standards of top Universities like Berkley or Yale or Harvard. Some French and British including Cambridge and the University of Paris, that have high theoretical standards are challenged by Indian progammes. The only thing lacking in Asia is the research budget, but they are aware of this and they will be filling this gap soon; particularly China. Japan's quality control developed by W. Edwards Deming after WWII, has shown us what can be done when they get to produce articles of the highest technology and quality. But let's go back to India: The Asian Silicon Valley, Bangalore is and will be developing computer and internet technologies. On top of that, Asia hosts about 2/3 of the world's population. Simply, out of share numbers, among that mass of people, intelligent students will be spotted. Believe it or not: They will be helped out and launched to the new technologies. Out of share numbers, there are many of them. These people will be our children's professional competition.
What can be done? Either we start thinking or most countries and universities will be swallowed by the technical and economic power of Asian countries. Our "economically oriented universities" solely concerned in amassing tuitions, sooner or later will furnish degrees that will be no longer worth anything. Also, the problem will be that most of our young professionals will become excellent taxi drivers, as the situation was in India in the 70's: You found Ph.D's driving buses as no work was available for top technicians. We will face the very same situation as the Indians did at the time. Even more, the new standards will be set forth by India and or China. This was not envisaged 20 yrs ago. This is a call to our Educational Ministries. We are running out of time.
Guillermo Ramón Adames y Suari is a former electoral officer of the United Nations Organization. Contact him at gui.voting(at)gmail.com |
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