My Credo about Education

In such country as Cambodia, where economic development, technology, social infrastructure, and politics co-exist with flaws and a certain level of inefficiency, I believe education figures as one of the key truths towards a difference. But what difference is being thrown into focus here and what does education has to do with this difference? By the means of education – a process through which one studies and accumulates a certain level of knowledge, skills, and know-how – Cambodian people can somehow manage their ignorance, qualify themselves for jobs/careers that pay, and acquire intellectual ability to decide and do whatever that bears positive impact on themselves, on their family and friends, on their community and, more or less ultimately, on their country. Although a clear, concrete picture of how this chain of impact sometimes cannot be easily seen, one way or another, education can lead to a betterment of Cambodia. To put in a narrower sense, an example of a below-average farming family can be looked at. Educational activities, either in formal, non-formal or informal environment, which any member participates, can turn things around for that family. Amid unprofitable consequences from their farming businesses, through education,  a silver lining can be spotted, new perspectives and creativity can emerge out of a look at the situation from a different angle, and improvement (or in other word, a difference) ensues.  In this case, a difference is in the form of betterment of humans’ lives and their community, nurtured by education.

Besides my hope in education to bring about change and difference, I also see education as a platform where one can stand and execute their qualification as a leader, as the one with the power and compelling quality to influence and lead others, and as the one that deserves people’s respect and admiration. When in school, ones are put into situations where they can listen, be presented with facts, question various ideas and concepts, and produce related writing and speech, which are just some of the activities that enrich their experience and boost their level of knowledge and understanding to a certain level. As longer time is invested and higher levels are pursued, their level of knowledge and understanding goes up accordingly. What is being conveyed here is that with what they acquire by being educated, they achieve a certain level of credibility to the eyes and ears of other people; they tend to have the charisma and the reasoning ability, in addition to the recognition of their degrees of higher education, that automatically and easily earn trust and attention from other people. And that embodies leadership, as well as respect.

Other than my firm beliefs in these afore-mentioned positive impacts put forth by education, in terms of how education should be carried out, one of my strongest beliefs lies in quality of educators and their open-mindedness towards students’ freedom to go beyond their imaginary boundaries. Teachers should be the one who knows best about what they are teaching, not necessarily the best in the country or the best in their institution, but at least the best among their class. In events of teachers lecturing what they are not sure and not competent enough about and, at the worst case scenario, choosing to hide such insecurity and fake a confident conclusion about certain things, not only does that project a bad model to students, but students can also risk absorbing inaccurate inputs, which could be proven harmful in students’ future endeavors. As an educated person and as an educator, teachers should be open-minded to and encourage changes, so that the class environment can be most productive for students. Students should be made feel comfortable to ask questions, to question ideas put forward, and think outside the box, instead of feeling afraid to go for what they think is right and just apathetically move on despite doubts and resulting anxiety in their head. I believe, with such practices not only can knowledge and skills aimed be attained, students’ creativity, critical thinking, self-confidence and the like can also simultaneously nurtured and invigorated, or else, hampered.