Marguerite Orane, Contributor
We have often heard the view expressed in educational circles that business should stick to business and leave education alone. We beg to differ.
Education is very much the
business of business, for two
fundamental reasons - firstly, the output of our education system is a direct input into the business
sector.
Or put another way, business is the 'customer' of the education system. Secondly, business pays for education, through corporate taxes and the taxes of its individual employees.
To the first point: Businesses require various inputs which they convert to products and services that add value to our lives. It is in this conversion that the output of the education system is critical. It is people who take the inanimate inputs and create value.
The more educated and skilled they are, the more efficient the process and the more effective the output.
Business leaders recognise that their success is based on the right people with the right skills. There is evidence that the Jamaican education system is NOT fulfilling these needs. For example, the recent expansion at Jamalco required that company to import skills as the local pool of technical skills was deficient. Further, we have had two meetings this week alone with business leaders who are concerned that the growth of their businesses is being stymied because they are unable to find employees with the capabilities they require.
Advancements
Gone are the days when
businesses need people who are simply 'literate, numerate and trainable.' With the shift to
knowledge-based economies, the only true competitive advantage is intellectual capital. Business needs people who think critically, who are creative and innovative, who are fearless in their questioning, who are open to change and willing to take risks. This is what our education system must provide for Jamaica to prosper in the 21st
century.
Government's recurrent expenditure on education of $34 billion is financed out of the $170 billion in taxation. Where does taxation come from? Two sources - individuals through employment and
consumption, and businesses in their provision of goods and
services and generation of profit. Therefore, business funds, either directly or indirectly the recurrent expenditure on education.
In addition to taxation, the
business sector is also a large contributor to education through its philanthropic efforts. Most large corporations have foundations, all of which have education as an area of focus. Smaller firms contribute to education by supporting schools in their communities and assisting employees with scholarships and back-to-school expenses.
With such a high stake in the demand and supply dynamics of education, it is high time that
business starts to influence what
is happening, and we suggest the following:
Define its intellectual capital needs and hold the Government accountable for implementing the policies that will satisfy these needs.
Demand accountability for the way in which its hard-earned taxes are being spent in education - and indeed in all sectors.
Introduce new models of private sector involvement in education that are being practised in other parts of the world.
It is not simply a right, but a duty, that all citizens demand accountability from government. Persons in the business sector,
individually and collectively, must therefore exercise their respective constitutional rights and civic duties.
Marguerite Orane is a partner in the management consultancy firm, Growth Facilitators. Ms. Orane is eager to receive comments on this article and can be reached at
mo@cwjamaica.com
