After so many years of education...

I have been wondering. It is that part of the political season. Stories of corruption in the previous government abound. Tales of inflated contracts are common place.

One is more aware of the misappropriation of state resources over the past eight years. And it is obvious a few have enriched their lives at the expense of the general population.

We hear such tales every eight years. Government in, government out, corrupt practices and plain thievery are always at the front burner.

This is definitely nothing new. And we are at the risk of getting used to it. For the political fanatic, his response is more often than not “your party did worst.” Then there is a shrug of shoulder. And we all move on. We all go to bed. This is the country we live in.

The culprits in all of these are the educated elites. People who have had the finest education. People who have had extensive exposure. People who speak fine and polished English. People who have benefitted from the sweat and toil of cocoa farmers.

The corrupt ones are the ones in whose care the country has been left to – thanks to a global system which makes one redundant without formal education.

The subject of educated Africans and how they end up creating and spearheading a corruption industry on the continent has been considered extensively in African literature.

A classic example is Chinua Achebe’s “A Man of the People” which tells the tale of a man, Chief Nanga, who rises from his humble background as a teacher to the top of the social ladder kind courtesy education only to rip off the state.

Our collective history as a nation has taught us one thing – education has bred a gang of thieves who care for nothing but their self interest.

Gone were the days when people were educated with the view of representing the interest of the community they come from. Those days are far gone. This was more spectacular in the pre-colonial era when people like John Mensah Sarbah, Kwame Nkrumah and JB Danquah never turned their back on the purpose for which they were educated.

Sit back. Watch. Take a look at the various corruption scandals that you’ve heard of over the years. What are the backgrounds and standing of such persons? Certainly men and women of solid and expensive education. Don’t limit it to only politics. Look all around you.

Business persons have had reason to complain of the deeply ingrained bribe culture in this country. There was a recent story in which the American and Danish ambassadors to Ghana were complaining of how their nationals are faced with the challenge of paying a bribe every step along the way.

And once again, who are those at the forefront? The educated!

This should really make us wonder what we’ve got to show for the education that we have in this country.

How and what an individual thinks of the world are dependent on the kind and quality of education that the individual has received.

If you think narrowly, it is probably because of the kind of education you received. If you think broadly as well, it is probably the outcome of the kind of education you have received.

There are far too many people who walk about thinking it is okay to rip off the state. And they do not apologise for it. It is a view that they share proudly. And some shout it out in their private conversations.

Since words are the path to action, it is not surprising at all that theft and corruption continues to be the bane of our national development.

Of course, corruption or theft (as it should probably be called) is not that simple. There are a whole lot of factors that induce people to becoming corrupt. For instance, there are social pressures on the educated elite to live up some particular lifestyle. These elites are also pressured with social obligations that they cannot keep up with.

But then again, what is the purpose of education that is not alive to the challenges that its beneficiaries are confronted with.

What is the value of an outdated educational system that churns out men and women into the world without the adequate survival strategies to ensure success?

We must admit it. We have a failed educational system. Education is to ensure the holistic training of the head, heart and hand. An educational system which focuses only on the head and hand without focusing on the heart is clearly doomed.

That is the current challenge we may have with checking the formal boxes. We may be able to check the boxes for enrolment and all. But we should not lose sight of the quality and nature of the human resources being trained as well.

politics_today@yahoo.com