For many thousands of children worldwide, the first school day took place this week. Young children, feeling as though they are coming of age, eagerly anticipate a more serious learning experience. Parents and teachers share in this excitement, wishing all the best for their hopeful students. However, we also know that in many countries, a significant proportion of students do not thrive, particularly in higher grades, where school becomes more of a burden than a pleasure. For many, especially boys, the lower and upper secondary school years can feel particularly troublesome and meaningless. Yet, students cannot quit, as education is either compulsory or at least expected of them. Some turn to mischievous behaviour out of frustration, disrupting their peers and making the school day more difficult for themselves, other students, and teachers—who all desire every school day to be pleasant.
Many students experience bullying and other mistreatment from their peers, often unnoticed or ignored by teachers who may not know how to handle it. Some children have learning disorders, such as dyslexia, or face psychosocial difficulties, problems at home, and more. It is the school’s responsibility to identify these issues and find solutions, but often they go unnoticed. Sometimes, children go through the entire school cycle silently coping with their difficulties. In the West, even if the education system is found to have failed in its duties, the victims’ childhoods cannot be restored, even with token compensations and admissions of wrongdoing.
It is crucial that schools fulfil their promises, as dictated by laws and regulations. At the same time, we know that mistakes will happen and that not every school day will be pleasant and right for all children, as it is meant to be. As parents and other concerned adults, including school politicians, we should stay informed about what happens in schools and speak up when we see something wrong. Sometimes, however, we adults are mistaken too. We may want schools to be overly academic, prioritising high exam scores over the well-being of the children. I believe that the main focus of schools should be to build students’ character, develop positive values and worldviews, and foster self-confidence and happiness. Yes, minimum learning requirements—reading, writing, arithmetic, and critical thinking—are necessary, but education is much deeper and broader than that. All students and teachers must feel that every school day is pleasant, and this should be the starting point for learning and personal development. This should be the minimum requirement for a school to be called a learning institution.
In previous articles, I have highlighted Finland’s success in making extensive use of special education for all students, as everyone may face learning challenges at some point, along with psychosocial development issues. We must remember that children sometimes struggle socially and academically for valid reasons, such as abuse or violence at home, including issues like alcoholism, drug addiction, divorce, and other sources of turbulence and uncertainty in a child’s life. Schools have a responsibility to be vigilant for such issues and to help children cope.
I believe we talk too much about the cognitive content of education, grades, and test results when we should be focusing on every child’s well-being and individual development. If a child thrives at school, they will be better able to learn at a pace and in a manner suited to their individual needs. This does not mean that students should be held back from excelling or pursuing high goals and top grades if these are available, but it does mean that schools and teachers should not prioritise these as their primary objectives. Particularly gifted students should be encouraged to excel in their subjects and to help their peers do their best. Through this, the school day can become more pleasant for everyone. And let me emphasise once again that it is not only the students who must thrive, but also the teachers. Of course, teachers understand that pleasant school days are essential for children’s learning and well-being; this is something they learned in their pedagogical training. Moreover, it is inherent in the nature of good teachers and parents.
Despite all the scientific knowledge and research available in the West, there seems to be an overemphasis on measurable learning outcomes and achievements. The international PISA ranking of education achievements is often used to determine whether schools and education systems are effective. However, such measurements are superficial and do not consider the deeper aspects of education, such as character building, moral education, and teaching students to become good people—the most important goals of all. Moreover, these rankings overlook the importance of helping each student do their best in school and later in their work life.
New technologies have become integral to education worldwide, but we may have gone too far. In the West, particularly in Norway, there is growing awareness that the use of IT, including mobile phones, needs to be reduced. ‘Old-fashioned’ textbooks must be given more space. The new Minister of Education, Kari Nessa Nordtun, herself a mother of young children, advocates for banning mobile phones from the classroom altogether. While she is correct in this, she has yet to fully realise that the most important priority in education is to ensure that every school day is pleasant. I hope the Norwegian Education Minister will articulate this clearly, as it aligns with the liberal sections of the Labour Party she belongs to, although it has been overshadowed by more conservative and competitive education policies in recent decades. The Minister also supports more practical education, which is commendable, but she must also recognise that the foundation of education needs to be restructured so that practical subjects are valued as highly as academic ones. Furthermore, learning achievements should not be prioritised over tests and exams. The entire Western education model, which is followed worldwide, must be revisited and revised; we must redefine what constitutes good education. The first step in this transformation is to make every school day pleasant for every child, and we must develop a theory to support this approach so that people understand its importance.
In the meantime, until we have improved our education systems and philosophies, I wish you a great school year, both in our country and around the world. In Pakistan, we must urgently find ways to include the many out-of-school children in the education system. Yes, our schools have shortcomings, but in today’s world, all children and youth must attend school, or they will be deprived of the basic skills and knowledge they need to lead good lives.
Atle Hetland
The writer is a senior Norwegian social scientist with experience from university, diplomacy and development aid. He can be reached at atlehetland@yahoo.com
