MEDIA RELEASE

WHAT EDUCATION SUITS TOMORROWS WORLD?

By John Mason

Chairman, International Accreditation and Recognition Council

Principal, Australian Correspondence Schools

We all know the world is changing fast, and that education is the key to a successful future?

The big questions though, are:

                     What school or college? …and What course?

The world of the 21^st century calls for a different mix of skills to what was needed last century.

Some things that were not so important in the past, may be increasingly important in the future.

The problem is, most education in Australia is still run or at least controlled by bureaucratic government systems. In a world that changes fast, we need to be changing what we teach even faster, and bureaucracies don’t work that way. Fast for a government body is to spend a couple of years developing an ideas, and a couple more implementing  it: but with knowledge doubling every 5-10 years; that is not fast enough.

Choosing a School for Yourself or your Child

The best education will be highly flexible, changing direction and adapting to the changing world as it is undertaken. Irrespective of what is taught, the student will learn to adapt and be innovative in that discipline.

A school that achieves this goal will be one that has high standards, is relatively unencumbered by bureaucracy, is not under extraneous pressures (such as funding shortages) and employs extraordinary teaching staff.

The fact that a school is “recognised” or a course “accredited”, no longer means what it once did. Recognition and accreditation simply mean that there is adherence to some bureaucratic system; and in fact that may be more of a disadvantage than advantage in achieving the very best education.

If you want the best school, college or university; forget accreditation, but look very hard and close at things such as:

-who is doing the teaching, what is their background (Without excellent teaching staff the course will not be excellent –and there are minimally experienced and qualified teachers in many colleges).

-are there restrictions on services due to funding pressure or understaffing (ie. Is there a guarantee you can get help whenever you want it, and fast –don’t take the word of the institution: talk to some students).

-how varied, flexible and innovative is the institutions approach to everything (an innovative and flexible institution will tend to foster a more innovative and flexible style in it’s graduates. A bureaucratic institution may be more likely to produce graduates who are more bureaucratic).

-how successful are graduates.

You can only judge these things by comparing a range of institutions. Most colleges will tell you they are excellent in every way; but when you closely compare several, differences will emerge.

WHAT CHANGES ARE OCCURING

-Knowledge and skills are increasingly more important than ever before

-Underpinning knowledge and an ability to adapt are more important than specific skills (which can change frequently)

-Formal qualifications while still valued are diminishing in importance 

-International and industry recognition of studies are growing in importance, while government recognition in many areas is shrinking.

-Globalisation of economies and workforces is making government regulations less influential and the laws of global economics more influential

-Work opportunities in private enterprise are increasing, and in government employment are decreasing.

-There is growing emphasis on the ability to be efficient (and productive in dollar terms)

-Workplaces are using machines more and manpower less

-There continues to be an increasing world wide shortage of forward thinking people with abilities to think laterally

-Networking & contacts are in some ways becoming more important than qualifications (a good course should develop these though)

-Our surveys of employers have indicated that more than 90% of employers consider accreditation by government, or even industry bodies to be of minor importance.

The World has Changed….

Today you can’t go past Distance Education!

Distance education today is able to offer more service for the dollar than any other form of education.

With government colleges being starved for funds…and distance education utilising technology that wasn’t available 10 years ago.

One School with a Focus on the Future

The Australian Correspondence Schools offers you more hands on experiences, and opportunity for personal attention from tutors than a classroom course. It focuses heavily on the future, and service to students in number 1.

-Courses are reviewed and where appropriate, updated through a questionnaire when every student completes a module.

-Tutors are instantly contacted 5 days a week, by the Internet, phone, or in person

-Problems are almost always answered immediately.

-There is no limit on your contact with a tutor (as there usually is with a classroom based course).

-In general, our tutors are more involved with industry than most classroom teachers

-The school has established a Video Production Unit this year (you can borrow videos as you wish to support studies).

-ACS have introduced On Line Chat facilities (so you can conference with tutors & other students in real time over the Internet).

For more information:

Australian Correspondence Schools

Phone: 07 5530 4855

Web  http://www.acs.edu.au

E mail  [email protected]