Whoever said learning was just for children or students in academic settings?
It would have to be someone oblivious to the fact that learning is any process of the human mind that brings about change and can take many forms.
To limit education as simply academic undermines the wealth and breadth of life’s experiences that form an impression on our minds and, consequently, impact how we perceive ourselves and the world around us.
We’ve all heard that long before formal schooling a child’s mind is like a sponge.
It instinctively notes and absorbs its surroundings, including sights, sounds, smells, behaviours and actions.
It then learns to respond to these stimuli in a certain way.
However, the responses change as the individual grows older and this is due to ongoing learning that takes place within their expanding consciousness.
In pedagogical terms, this is referred to as “experiential learning” and it goes on through the course of human life.
It is of paramount importance that a nation or society that aspires to progress must first recognise, value and adopt the paradigm of lifelong learning.
This translates into developing infrastructure and facilities for diverse types of learning opportunities for all sectors of society across the socio-economic spectrum.
Education after all should be a right, not a privilege, and accessible to all.
Bahrain, with its huge population of unskilled imported manpower, has a dire need for more technical and vocational training providers.
With the great support offered through government initiatives like Tamkeen, private enterprises should strive to train and up-skill their personnel to improve quality and standards across all areas of service.
This would be a worthwhile investment due to the positive ripple effect in terms of staff retention, fewer mishaps and a happier and repeat clientele.
From horticulturalists, beauticians, waiters and front-desk staff to plumbers, electricians, mechanics and carpenters, structured competency-based training is an absolute must for producing a skilled workforce.
Many of these workers have years of practical work experience and know-how, but lack formal instruction.
The logical course is to implement a strong Recognition for Prior Learning (RPL) policy, as it makes no sense to reinvent the wheel.
To fully adopt the ethos of lifelong learning, a fully structured articulation framework must adopt RPL.
This makes economic sense and also saves time and resources for both employer and employees.
The articulation framework is a fool-proof pathway to progression in skills, qualifications and, ultimately, to career advancement.
Good for the worker, the business and at a macro level for the economy of our beloved Bahrain.
Community colleges or centres of continuing education are another type of learning facility commonly prevalent in educationally advanced countries.
Public or private tertiary institutions in Bahrain should seriously consider setting up commercially functional departments of external studies, offering day or evening classes for varied areas of interest such as languages, literature and philosophy.
Many housewives I know are desperately seeking such opportunities.
Such courses usually do not confer an academic qualification and have a less stringent assessment process as they are classified in the “special interest” or “leisure” category.
However, they provide a valuable learning experience to those motivated to join simply for the pleasure of learning.
Lifelong learning warrants recognition and value. It is a force to be reckoned with.
It is about acknowledging the dynamic nature of human development, which has demonstrated that learning can be an ongoing process from the cradle to the grave.
mobeenainam@hotmail.com
* Mobeena Inam is a Bahrain-based adult education and vocational training specialist from Sydney, Australia.