Posted on: Friday, October 11, 2002

Island Voices
Education is the key to survival

By Richard W. Griggs
Richard W. Griggs lives on O'ahu.

As a retired Army officer with 24 years of service and six years experience as a Junior ROTC instructor, I have been an educator for 30 years. While on active duty I educated my charges as if their life depended on what they learned. It did.

Things are no different for my students today. Education remains the key to survival.

The continuing struggle to implement the Hawai'i Commission on Performance Standards suggests some educators cannot even agree on student performance standards. Unfortunately, if we don't know where we're going, we'll probably end up somewhere else.

If, indeed, it takes a village to raise a child, we must all take responsibility for ensuring that our children are properly prepared to compete in today's highly competitive, rapidly changing world.

Comments by Robert F. Clarke, head of Hawaiian Electric Industries, at the recent Department of Education School to Work Conference suggest some answers to the dilemma facing public education in Hawai'i. He stated that we need to modify the "skill set" we teach as workplace demands change. (Sadly, he stated that only 17 percent of HEI job applicants could currently pass the company's aptitude test.)

The successful worker of today, says Clarke, must be computer intelligent, a team player, possess a "do it" attitude, and be bilingual (Spanish is back) and globally aware.

Finally, much has been said about Hawai'i's dismal test scores. Yet, how can we expect our students to score well on tests if teachers continue to use test formats inconsistent with current national formats. We must train to national norm test formats.

An attitude adjustment seems required by all concerned to produce students who have these aptitudes and attitudes. Education must become demand-oriented. Employers must articulate to all concerned the "skill set" they demand. Educators must ensure that students are taught these critical skills, recognizing that they may not be the particular skills that contributed to their own success.

Educators must also work closely with parents to ensure that they understand the demands placed on their children.

Foremost, students must learn and be able to demonstrate the aptitudes and attitudes required by their chosen profession.

There is much to be done. A more collaborative education process is the key to success. Let's get moving.