Getting down to essentials of education

Educational issues involving preschool through college levels have become major topics in the media and on officials' policy agendas. Critics offering their observations include researchers, educators, students, parents and even administrators.

When suggestions are made for solutions to problems such as the need to improve the all-round quality of education and develop students' creativity, writers and speakers resort to only one idea - reform the education system. However, that task is too formidable, presenting educators with an important question: Is there anything we can do now to better equip our students for their future careers and lives?

Understanding teaching and learning communication processes reveals that it is unwise to adopt any established model of education on a wholesale basis, nor is there any such ready-made model that can guarantee it will lead to students' success and happiness.