Ghana Beyond Aid: A Concept for the Astute

 

When President Akuffo-Addo first pronounced his vision of Ghana beyond Aid before an international gathering, my immediate reaction was you must first rid Ghanaians of the dependency mentality. I should have twittered him that line. The vision can be likened to an academic paper. A coherent one has a controlling idea summarized in a mature thesis statement, which is broadened through major themes/ideas stated through topic sentences. The themes/ideas are logically developed, strategically supported through cohesive, related sentences. A paper that follows those rules achieves unity of thought.

Ghana beyond aid is this Leadership’s controlling idea, the rationale being eventual assertive people whose intelligence and acquired knowledge empower them to decide what they want/need and pursue such through responsible, effective and sustainable use of resources. The ultimate outcome of an autonomous, Ghanaian society is possible only though ingenious human capital. Sadly, many Ghanaians – politicians, intellectuals, lay, clergy, youth, old – wittingly or unwittingly have failed to grasp the concept.

Major policies expected to propel Ghana towards that vision include gender-equity education, digitization, industrialization, environmentally friendly measures, and technology that strategically supports teaching/learning and lends currency to industrial operations, to mention these. Utilizing tax to fund basic and secondary education would help Ghana to raise quality human capital. Information Communication Technology continues to impact education and channel global development, so the policy of digitization is expected to bring currency to education and reforms to fuel quality learning/training as well as diversely sanitize operations across all sectors, bring quality service and convenience to Ghanaians. Global warming is endangering humanity, so environmental issues constitute a key policy, one major element of which is fighting illegal mining to protect natural resources. It requires a holistic perception to appreciate the high level of governance rolled out in the last five years, amidst severest of constrains. Indeed, governance is a negotiation between government and the governed.

Policies initiated by the Executive are implemented by public and civil services and the private sectors; such roll out policies through strategic analysis, planning and localization of initiated policies. Digitization is already yielding dividends; interoperability has transformed business transactions and brought desired convenience to the Ghanaian consumer. If all the sectors zealously tapped the policy, the benefits would be even greater. One hopes for expedited action to compel all sectors to align public services to the policy to reduce exploitation and tax evasion.

However, development does not occur without cost to citizens. Across the world, quality services are offered to citizens at a huge price: Taxation. Pragmatic Ghanaians know that governance is hinged on taxation, and those who earn higher income pay higher taxes. To wit, improved services attract higher taxation, which rate is determined by the existing level of productivity. Low productivity and a small tax bracket equate high taxation – Ghana’s reality. The citizens who have enjoyed free services in the past five years are raising a hue and cry over new and increased taxes with the lame excuse that they did not ask for such services, they are poor. Well, government needs taxes to provide environment that reduces poverty.

Many citizens wilfully, unremorsefully commit atrocities against the environment, which poor actions spiral off human suffering and environmental degradation, culminating in increased state expenditure and high cost of living that deepen residents’ poverty. Gullibility renders many residents susceptible to exploitation. Ghanaians’ debilitating mindset that they are entitled to reward without work continues to drain national coffers, replenished through high taxation. Instead of throwing punches, this hung parliament should conscientiously negotiate for the most effective implementation of the E-Levy. NCCE should quadruple national sensitization efforts in civic responsibilities.

When government expenditure keeps skyrocketing and productivity remains low, higher taxation results. The extensive aid that supports Ghana results from high taxation of people elsewhere. So why should we not raise taxes to propel our development? Paying tax towards self-sustenance is dignifying; effective utilization of taxation is the only realistic channel towards sustainable development. Yet, many Ghanaians fail to accept that. The agitators are not fighting for E-Levy tax withdrawal; they are viciously gripping the entrenched dependency mentality – expecting but not prepared to work/pay for services/development.

UTAG’s Strike: Some Upshoots

 

UTAG’s indefinite strike, which commenced on January 10, 2022, has hit many a pragmatic Ghanaian with a high degree of sadness laced with an equally higher degree of cynicism, not only for the timing but also due to UTAG’s apparent disconnect with the times. It is extremely worrying that the trump card in Teachers’ salary negotiation is constantly withholding the precious activity of knowledge creation and sharing. It works because no stakeholder wants to derail the academic calendar: Learners desire to either advance or complete programmes. Parents/Guardians do not relish any lingering time for paying tuition. The employer does not want to be unpopular. Basically, that trump card secures government’s acquiescence.

The paradox of that trump card is that teachers who ought to nurture students’ appreciation for critical learning rather model materialism, thus, trample the fundamental classroom rationale of prioritizing knowledge. Learners pick the materialistic mindset, which explains the disturbing trend of many growing Ghanaians simply wanting to take. That spirit of being entitled to, currently dominant among a bigger cross-section of Ghanaians, has emanated from the culture of always taking from government, even though government possesses nothing, but the resources taxed from the people whose intelligence and diligence are nurtured to explore and live by the natural endowments of the nation.

It is true that Unions must negotiate working conditions that align with current realities, even as the employer also strategizes to save revenue. There is also no gainsaying that every employee can do with a little bit of extra money, but all ought to occur within certain ethical lines and the realities of the times, otherwise the business of salary negotiation becomes mercenary. It is incumbent upon the government to ensure that the growing generations receive adequate training for future responsibilities.

Silent Indicators

In the January 9th online edition of the Daily Graphic, UTAG claims “non-determination of Market Premium (MP), an interim payment measure frozen in 2013 for a market survey to determine deserving beneficiaries. Its bone of contention is that the survey failed to resolve the issue. However, the Association also appears to be circumventing. What precipitated the freezing? Good communicators do not simply rely on information given; they also consider the implications of what is not shared.

Is the non-determination an omission or a hint that universities are short-changing the employer and job market? The worsening unemployment situation over the period due to graduates seeking jobs instead of creating jobs, compulsory entrepreneurship training notwithstanding, is not exactly an argument for teachers’ unique market relevance. Industry disparages graduates’ skills. The previous government may have suspended the MP, but the current government has had to initiate the National Builders Corps to enhance graduates’ skill in technology whilst temporarily engaging them across sectors. Additionally, it has had to establish an entrepreneurship programme for graduates and other youth, alongside skill development programmes, also accompanied by a solid ICT initiative for learners, all from the same national revenue, about 60 % of which goes to pay salary, teachers’ taking an appreciable chunk. Does UTAG – and other Teacher Unions – consider the adverse implications of those interventions when government takes over the training functions of learning institutions?

Elsewhere, universities invest heavily in Information Communication Technology to render teaching/training current to address employment mismatch. Contrarily in Ghana, government must enhance technological skills of graduates. In other communities, even traditional universities consider industrial retraining of graduates upon employment as an indictment and are strenuously exploring internships to make their graduates marketable. Ghanaian universities “churn out” graduates who are retrained en mass by the government. How is that a prime for a market premium. Is government’s persistent bowing to Teacher Unions’ demands fair to the taxpayer, a cross-section of whom are parents who pay for learners’ education, which renders them susceptible to underutilization, unemployment?

Government recommends that UTAG liaises with the Public Services Commission to train human resources for higher positions. The Association’s response is numbing: “How can such a National Agenda be attained if the CoS of the University Teacher keeps worsening year on year leading to an ever-increasing attrition rate on our campuses? (Emphasis mine) Instead of affirming its training capability, UTAG is using its “relatively poor salary stead” to justify its inability to develop capacity, as well as its unwillingness to collaborate to that effect. In other words, existing courses do not target competency and capacity building. UTAG’s admission legitimizes the recent allegation by a graduate that the [universities] are not offering formidable skills to students, which allegation received wide condemnation from the university fraternity.

By implication, teachers are deepening the unemployment situation of Ghanaian graduates. Ideally, before asking for more, one ought to have judiciously, effectively utilized available resources to maximum benefits. How does UTAG justify the relatively good working conditions enjoyed so far – and its quest for more – since it is neglecting capacity building?

Research

UTAG is angling for a raise in research allowance, glossing the poor research culture of the institutions. Currently, for many tertiary learners, research is plagiarizing existing material – labelled grandfather – or paying someone to conduct investigation. The scourge has infected a cross-section of teaching elements who barely possess research skills. Every year, major research funds remain untouched. Why does UTAG jump capacity building to focus on research allowance?

Indeed, one needs major funding for some investigations, but studies can also be conducted frugally. UTAG’s focus should be action and pragmatic research to unearth best practices to save the ailing educational system. Many Ghanaians scramble for overseas studies. In the 60 and 70s, those communities invested heavily in action research, which investment has yielded best classroom practices. Such communities maintain international standards in education, hence, their attraction.

Instead of making a capital allegation of meagre research allowance, why not collaborate with industry? In many countries, effective university research is largely rooted in industrial collaboration. Industry needs capable people to conduct research for innovation. Universities offer the best destination. By not developing capacity, UTAG is its own nemesis. It is only in the debilitating government-must-do-it-all Ghanaian system that universities constantly batter sitting governments for research allowance. UTAG should widen its collaborative networks across the globe, but success depends on high-powered research themes supporting the SDGs, human capacity for integrity and innovation, to mention two.

Skewed Negotiations

Government is partly to be blamed for its skewed negotiation culture, for its consistent failure to insist on diligence, for failing to drive a learner-focused bargain. The PM negotiation is conditioned on unique service, which relevance is not clouded in teacher knowledge only but made tangible through competent graduates. In the past decade, how have the institutions lived up to capacity building for the Ghanaian market? Considering that university teachers have already acquired knowledge and are teaching, how has that knowledge translated into graduates that employers desire? Government’s recommendation to UTAG to collaborate for higher capacity building is a poignant reminder of a very harsh reality. UTAG should not limit PM to itself, for a teacher’s relevance is linked to the learner’s eventual empowerment.

Holding learners to Ransom

Halving the PM equation to make it apply to UTAG only implies holding learners to ransom. The current reality in Ghana is high unemployment, low productivity and poor service delivery. At a time when universities annually “churn out” graduates, how does UTAG answer to dwindling capacity building, poor work ethics vis-à-vis universities’ core values and strategic plans for excellence?

It is time the negotiating paradigm changed to level the ground for government, teachers and learner, for learners’ interests to become an inherent part of the equations on the negotiating table. There are urgent reasons for that. If government paid better attention, it would pick the faint wails of the oppressed learner being submerged by handouts that have dethroned meritocracy in the classroom. Many teachers are speedily losing their grasp for developing learners’ capacity. Universities and tertiary institutions continue to play a dominant role in human capital development. The Ghanaian challenge is adding quality to training.

Currently, it is a harrowing experience to seek services from many in the country – from education through trading, health, building to agriculture – to name five. Both private and public universities in the country proudly “churn out” graduates, yet, performance and quality service delivery, especially from the younger generations, are simply appalling. It is a depraved situation calling for redress. Conditions of service do not exist in a vacuum; it is a motivation for teaching excellence. That dimension has been smothered. Government neglects that balance to the taxpayer’s peril. It will increase salary without the commensurate productivity, as usual, then turn round to fleece the taxpayer. Why is it that government and teachers eat sour grapes, and the taxpayer’s teeth are set on edge?

 

 Celebrating  International Mother Tongue Day February 21

Twi Annwensem

Nhumu

Sԑ woka sԑ kͻ a,
Wubetumi aka sε gyina?

Woka sε yε a,
Wubetumi aka sε gyae?

Sε wͻgyae a

Amanfõ bεyε ͻman?

nsõ bεdane ade?

dεmdi bεkͻ?

Awufo besͻre

ma adwootwa agyae?

Wͻnnyε wo de oo

Nanso

Wͻsom bo ma obi:

Awofo

Mma

Abusuafo

Ayͻnkofo

 Adͻfo

Wͻasa wͻ man mu!

Adesεe,

Adehwere.

Meyԑ atetekwaa.
Menim kakraa:

“Wͻnnhwԑ tumm mu ntia mu.”

Enti

M’asεmmisa tiawa:

Wubetumi ahye ade,

a wonnsεe ade?

 

Marginalizing the Mother Tongue in Ghana is Destroying Education

 

Increasingly, the Ghanaian tertiary classroom is receiving learners who cannot effectively handle the English Language. Reading is a chore for such learners, apparently, due to the poor comprehension skills. Reading is no fun when a reader has challenges understanding text. The students in question cannot produce coherent text, so they plagiarize. Asking such students to apply concepts learnt in class is a thorny experience, due to poor comprehension. It is indeed baffling that learners could have studied English for about fourteen years yet communicate so poorly in the Language.

Ironically, learners are losing grasp of English at a time when many Ghanaian parents tend to speak English with their children at home, right from infancy. The former erroneously believe that just by using English, their children would acquire proficiency in the major language. Such parents could be literate or semi-literate, they struggle to speak English with their children. Ghana’s high illiteracy rate, coupled with porous handling of language policies across levels of education, culminate in many residents leaving school with abysmal English skills. Therefore, the English spoken at home tends to be below standard.

Worst of all, many private schools neither teach Ghanaian languages nor allow learners to use them in school. Some would even instruct learners not to speak the mother tongue at home. Therefore, when parents attempt to communicate in the first tongue, their children would not be engaged. The situation effectively creates linguistic interlopers who, unwittingly, squander the mother tongue and flip flop in the second language. Poor language skills effectively hamper learning, especially, at the formative level, rendering socio-cultural, intellectual development processes shallow as learners progress. Instead of producing knowledgeable and skilled professionals, we are, currently, mostly creating charlatans.

The situation has persisted for a considerable time, so questionable knowledge and skills have permeated the sectors, from health through service, legal, energy, transport housing, to mention six. When major stakeholders possess porous knowledge and skills, they fail to appreciate service and value. Consequently, there is hardly service delivery in Ghana now, but shoddiness and exploitation.

Evidently, slighting the mother tongue is yielding poor dividends in the Ghanaian society. Growing generation are rapidly losing the linguistic values and legitimate world view inherent in the mother language. Sacrificing the language also implies squandering vast opportunities for job creation – translation, writing, publishing – in a country saddled with a high unemployment rate. When indigenous people elsewhere are fighting vehemently to save their languages, many indigenous Ghanaians trample upon indigenous languages. Instead of embracing multilingualism, many Ghanaians advocate dominant language supremacy.

Of the estimated 6,000 languages of the world, 43 % is endangered; UNESCO reports that a language is lost every fortnight. Ghanaian languages might be in that category, considering the growing trend of poor usage among indigenes. As the world marks International Mother Tongue Day on February 21^st, well-meaning Ghanaians ought to reflect on the grave implications of marginalizing indigenous languages. Improvement can come through concerted efforts only.

The Education Ministry ought to revisit the language policy and strategize strict implementation. Private schools in the country must be obliged to offer Ghanaian languages. Teacher certification at the basic and secondary levels should be conditional upon a teacher’s proficiency in, at least, one Ghanaian language. Both at home and school, children should be encouraged to use their mother tongue. Such bold steps would, gradually, ensure a balance in the use of mother tongue and English.

Families ought to know that marginalizing the mother tongue is a delinquent stance, because it compromises a child’s learning experience. Conversely, when a child receives the mother tongue through childcare and formative learning years, her/his learning experience is smoothened. There are diverse, valid and human reasons for speaking and valuing Ghanaian indigenous languages. On Sunday, February 21^st, every Ghanaian ought to promise the self to learn to be an effective user of the mother tongue and show appreciation for its socio-cultural, intellectual and linguistic endowments. May the International Mother Language Day motivate all to contemplate the question: Do I desire to know the values inherent in my mother tongue? 

COVID 19: Precipitating Presidential Decrees

With the confirmation of COVID 19 in Ghana, citizens are urging the President to close all borders. Closing the borders is necessary yet not the most fundamental step, especially, when safe handwashing in public places is not practised assiduously, movements within the country has not been restricted, large public meetings are still occurring, and handshaking is still a common practice. A cross-section of employees are wearing white gloves for some protection. However, it is crucial to distance oneself from the infected, seek medical advice immediately one observes the symptoms in one. One must cough or sneeze into one’s shoulder or tissues. Most importantly and humanely, a person should self-isolate immediately s/he experiences the symptoms.

In February 2020, WHO warned governments: “Be prepared; Corona Virus is coming”. Epidemiologists have furthered that COVID 19 is going to get worse before it can be contained. Therefore, to fight the virus with vigour, all recommended safe practices must be observed simultaneously. Logically, Heads of state must make tough decisions that might affect their territorial sovereignties and beyond.

The President has outlined resources for tackling the infection; however, Central Government provisions should be complemented at regional, municipal and district, institutional and domestic levels. Therefore, I implore the President to order all agencies to establish safe handwashing facilities. Sydney has inscribed in its skies: “Wash HANDS”. Some African countries have placed standing washing basins in public places such as markets, lorry stations. I am also suggesting to President Akufo-Addo to order all metropolitan, municipal and district authorities, administrative machineries to establish handwashing facilities across their jurisdictions. In the absence of ceramic wash basins, Jemima handwashing containers, regularly filled will soapy water, will suffice.

And the President must not accept the salutary no funds stoppage from any of the stakeholders. Each and every metropolis, municipality, district is home to markets and lorry stations. Occupants of stalls are obliged to honour the assembly’s daily ticket system. Commercial drivers also pay daily tolls. The President must decree that GPRTU/PROTOA and each Assembly should use its ticket funds for the next one week, solely, to purchase handwashing facilities i.e. water, containers, soap. Each container should be fitted with a tube that would ensure that dirty water goes to a drain, not muddy occupying areas.

The size of a market or station will determine the quantity of facilities. Once established, it would be a matter of replenishing supplies and replacing worn-out containers. The Assemblies/GPRTU/PROTOA do not have to collect the money for the procurement of the facilities. Each should just announce to stall occupants and union members that within the next seven days, ticket money should be collected by the occupants/members and be used to purchase the necessary quantity of Jemima containers, soap and water for each block of 5-10 stalls or per a station. It would be demotivating if people should walk too far to wash their hands. Purchases must be backed by proper receipts. For sustainability of the provision, ticket funds for one day should be reserved, henceforth, for replenishment and maintenance. Thus, the people will own the facility, benefit directly from their tax and undoubtedly appreciate the transparency.

Within that same week, the Deputy Minister in charge of Tertiary education should receive a report from each university, college and any other post-secondary institution, detailing handwashing facilities spread conveniently across campuses. The Director-General of the Ghana Education Service will facilitate those provisions at the basic and secondary levels – private and public. School fees has a sanitation component, which should be utilized for handwashing facilities. Ministries, hospitals, patrons of all other public spaces should so oblige through their internal funds. Those who default should be prosecuted for endangering public health.

COVID 19 is a forceful reminder of how quickly things can get out of hand, that human progress notwithstanding, nature wields absolute control over humanity, and not the other way round. Even so, WHO has advised that “all countries can change the course of this pandemic." Washing hands with soap, covering one’s mouth when coughing or sneezing are very important acts now. Each and every one has that responsibility

Evacuating Stranded Ghanaians in China

Yesterday in the news, the opposition gave the government a three-day ultimatum to bring home Ghanaians stranded in China due to the Corona virus. Apparently, students have run out of food supplies, but they cannot go out, which means they are probably starving. Of course, if they are not infected, they probably will be better off leaving China, especially, with the information that Wuhan authorities concealed vital information from the public. The opposition is suggesting that the affected be quarantined in Ghana. Countries are evacuating their residents in China, so if Ghana followed suit, it would be in order. The major concern would be the usual Ghanaian attitude.

Countries such as Australia can mark out a location as a quarantine area, and affected Australians would comply, out of duty and conscientiousness. That cannot be guaranteed in Ghana, where people usually disrespect rules and regulations and sacrifice pragmatism for religious gullibility. Whichever location would be designated may not be beyond the reach of sensational and dubious people of God. Such might attribute infection, should there be any, to the witches and offer to pray for the infected to be released from the powers of witchcraft.

There is also the danger from people of influence such as politicians, rulers, business people, executives and other personalities in high places. Such might use their connections to get release papers from the high powers that be, so that their quarantined relatives and acquaintances might be granted permission to leave the limited space in order to rejoin the larger community. Of course, such ones might provide the nauseous excuse: Nyame nti, biribiara nsi", which literally translates, due to protection from God, nothing will happen, never mind that amidst this chorus, millions die every year when they could have lived. But we are averse to pragmatism.

The most probable explanation for not having worked ourselves to extinction due to our acts of omission is that “Africans gems are not harmful”, as we say in Ghana. However, we are in unknown waters here. The Corona virus is definitely not African and definitely, definitely harmful, worse, fatal. Therefore, should our people be brought home for quarantine, and should the people resort to the usual Ghanaian nefarious ways, we can be sure that the Corona Virus, should any have happened to have brought some home, would attack and kill swiftly and mercilessly. Not even Ebola could be relied upon to fight the Corona – virus to virus, savagery versus savagery! I just wish that the opposition had added suggestions about safe quarantining measures. Whether we are here at home, or they are in China and must be rescued, Ghanaians are Ghanaians and must be equally respected and protected.

Therefore, since the ultimatum ends tomorrow, Friday February 13, 2020, I am also giving the opposition 24-hours to produce pragmatic measures regarding security that would ensure that the evacuees would not put the lives of residents at home in jeopardy. Plans to evacuate must be matched by security measures for ensuring that evacuees remain quarantined until such time that it would be absolutely clear that they cannot infect anyone before they would be allowed to reintegrate.

Textbooks & Teaching /Learning Materials: The Narrative Must Change

I have written a number of times that, currently, we do not have education in Ghana; rather, we have commercialization of information and superficiality. I have taken that stance due to the entrenched position we have taken to practise dated systems of learning rather than adopting contemporary dynamic approaches to teaching/learning. If I myself had any doubt about that position, this nauseous argument about teaching/learning materials for the revised curriculum has cemented my opinion.

In the last month, I have had to listen to personalities who should be savvy about education verbally flog the Government about failing to supply textbooks and teaching/learning materials. Metro TV featured a former Deputy Minister of Education who echoed that sentiment. A key personality from GES has rightly explained that curriculum revision does not mean a complete overhauling of the contents. Though changes have been introduced, the bulk of content has remained.   I expected the former minister, who stated that new textbooks were printed for the schools in 2016, to explain to the host that those textbooks could still be used to teach. However, he also wailed the absence of textbooks.

I have a question for all those screaming for hardcopy textbooks: Where were you when education moved into the 21^st Century? The absence of hardcopy texts in no way obstructs effective teaching/learning. The foreword to the new English syllabus states in part: The curriculum encourages the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for teaching and learning – ICTs as teaching and learning materials (emphasis mine). Wherein lies the justification for the hullaballoo for hardcopy textbooks? The World Wide Web has enabled the placement of enormous quality, innovative, interactive teaching/learning materials on the Internet, which information proactive teachers can access directly.

There are authentic, open online learning resources which are available to teachers across the globe. Google has brought virtual reality to the classroom. The Google Classroom App makes teaching/learning interesting, innovative, interactive. The community dialogue that accompanies the App. enables teachers to share experiences across the world. Questions and challenges can be shared for constructive, innovative responses. Edutopia and Empatico are similar sites that offer a lifeline to teachers across school levels. Enthusiastic teachers take advantage of such resources to improve teaching and classroom interaction. There is opportunity for teachers to explore synchronous or asynchronous channels in the virtual classroom. Indeed, there is no shortage of teaching/learning materials. However, there is a list of qualities in acute shortage: Innovation, commitment, enthusiasm, diligence, dynamism, critical perspectives, all capped by failure to utilize resources effectively.

One heavily underutilized resource is the android or iPhone which any teacher can afford these days. Through that medium, a teacher can access online resources to teach the new syllabus. Parents can guide their children to utilize the former’s phone (or computers) to research good learning materials online. All the telecommunication companies in the country claim variously that where there is a sky, their networks can be accessed. This is the time to test their claim. If teachers/learners are unable to access the syllabus and helpful materials online from location, the telecoms, not the Government, should be taken to task.

One must deconstruct the situation in order to get the actual picture. For many a Ghanaian teacher, teaching implies a physical classroom with a writing board. It is difficult to imagine other alternatives; such elements prefer to maintain the status quo. Therefore, the possibility of online teaching/learning resources is the remotest reality. The absence of textbooks implies failure. Additionally, hardcopy textbooks has financial implications for a cross-section of the publishing industry. Materials can be sold online, but given our penchant for sticking to old ways, one wonders whether such options have occurred to publishing stakeholders.

If one brought back the Effective or Practical English books or the Primary English Courses, one could teach the new syllabus effectively. What is needed is a teacher’s ability to adapt text to contemporary situations, locate lessons in pragmatic analysis, help learners to apply text in practical terms in order to make meaning out of them. Such measures would equally ensure that learners take the centre, initiate some of the learning processes. In such situations, the teacher becomes the facilitator who helps the learner to develop a sense of autonomy in the learning process. That is the innovation the system needs to become education again.

New textbooks would not automatically imply teacher innovation, commitment, as well as learner enthusiasm. If the apathy does not change, nothing would. Above all, if we do not abjure commercialization of information in order to target knowledge, we would continue to dig our own graves. The only way to reverse the degeneration of education is to yank the system from the clutches of the 18^th Century, flung it into the 21^st Century, so that we can pursue the Knowledge Economy. Only the strongest act of willpower can achieve that. The challenge is not about the absence of hardcopy textbooks and teaching/learning materials. It is the test of educating the heart and mind for human-centred ideas that promote the quality of human existence through dignity, diligence, determination, and responsibility. Let’s work towards changing the narrative to that effect.  Our call!