Page 40 - Blooms Schools Yearbook 2019

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EDUCATION AS A TOOL FOR SOCIETAL DEVELOPMENT

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Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36 President of the United States, sat in his breeding office at the White House and
had a revelation. In his words “At the desk where I sit, I have learned one great truth. The answer to all our
national problems - the answer to all the problems of the world - comes to a single word. That is
education.” For decades to come, LBJ as he was fondly called will be remembered for striving to use
education as a tool for nation building. Understanding that the future of a nation lies in the four walls of a
classroom, LBJ fought to develop the education sector of the nation and Presidents of the United State
after him have followed suit. It may be argued that LBJ took his cue from John F. Kennedy who explained
that “our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education.”

Americans have long invested importance in education as a means of societal improvement and individual
fulfillment. Not only are educational leaders in the United States respected for their roles in shaping the
lives of children,, they are also respected for developing the nation. What must be realized is that the
United States of America is considered the most powerful nation today because of its emphasis on quality
education.

The giant strides made by most Asian countries that are fast competing with the developed countries of
Europe and North America had to also work on the quality and relevance of their education system to
ensure that it met their needs of science and technology.

The role of education in the development of a society has been vastly documented in academic journals
and it would not be revisited here. The focus of this essay is to highlight the responsibilities of educational
leaders in societal developments and examine ways educational leaders can use education as a tool for
societal development. However, before flooding pages with speculations, examples and recommendations,
it is first important to know who an educational leader is and what societal development entails.
Educational leaders mean different things to different people but in a nutshell, educational leaders are
specialists in the theory and methods of education. Educational leaders have an influential role in inspiring,
motivating, affirming and also challenging or extending the practice and pedagogy of educators. They are
people who have a special knowledge of the principles and methods of teaching. Putting it more broadly,

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