Multi-dimensional education systems breed students who are well balanced in both knowledge and skill. Developing countries should emulate this educational system to close up the gap with developed countries.
The perception that education takes place in the classroom limited the potentials of past generations, even the present.
Individuals who access educational content, books, videos, and e-learning platforms have amassed knowledge more than the walls of education can provide.
Multi-dimensional education benefits
The likes of Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Jackie Chan, benefited from a multi-dimensional educational system.These personalities never had the privilege as many would see attending the four walls classroom, but now they are celebrated worldwide.
Down in Africa, specifically Nigeria, military school as much as other learning platforms, are not perceived as appropriate education. Ibrahim Babangida, Sani Abacha, Olusegun Obasanjo, Yakubu Gowon, Murtala Mohammed, and Muhammadu Buhari are not seen as scholars in their respective jurisdictions.
Considering the merits and demerits of various education perceptions, how then should education be defined for the benefit of all? Examining a recent publication by a high college dropout, Kiki Mordi. Mordi conducted an investigative analysis on sexual molestation (sex for grades) in African universities, the University of Lagos, Nigeria, and Legon in Ghana.
Being a high college dropout without “adequate education,” Mordi had little or no expectation on him. How much more to conduct an investigative analysis.
Education should not be limited to a classroom setting. High school and colleges are NOT enough to mold students for significant impacts.
The Igbo nation is one community that is prominent for its love for the multi-dimensional educational system, one which has delivered wealthy personalities.
Just like the Asian communities, the multi-dimensional education system had made their citizens notable in all spheres of life, via a mixture of classroom and vocational training system.
An American Journalist, Robert Neuwirth, studied the Igbo community. In his report, he described the city as one with an educational system worth researching and emulating.
Great societies are made from a multi-dimensional educational system
Multi-dimensional education framework produces celebrity musicians, fashion designers, artists, the list is unending.
From K-12 up to college and university level, the multi-dimensional educational system should be incorporated.
The former Nigerian football legend, Segun Odegbami, showed how. He established a sports academy in Ogun State where students are tutored in football, tennis, athletics, and basketball.
Segun Odegbami’s action is worth emulating by other African education systems.
However, there are also additional concerns about multidimensional educational systems. Life is complex and so is instruction in
our classrooms. Recent developments outside the classroom that are strongly related to an increasing Internet and media use make for greater complexity for teachers and students.
Widespread non-academic Internet use, which is highly attractive to students, has been repeatedly found to be negatively correlated inside and outside the classroom (Dindar & Akbulut, 2016). Others have found that IQ has declined in children and adolescents over the last decades (Dutton & Lynn, 2015) with excessive media use as one major reason for this (Rindermann, Becker, & Coyle, 2017).
Correlationships have also been found between media-related addiction and mental problems (Ko, Yen, Yen, Chen, & Chen, 2012), unrealistic attitudes or values (Owens, Behun, Manning, & Reid, 2012), as well as nonstandard and faulty language use (Lyddy, Farina, Hanney, Farrell, & O’Neill, 2014). Also, it has been revealed that exposure to violent media (e.g., video games) is a risk factor for increased aggression and for decreased empathy and prosocial behavior (Anderson et al., 2010).
Evidently, some balance and guidance need to be set for students by equipped teachers.
