18/02/2026
Lately, there have been many cases related to education circulating on social media due to various incidents in schools. As a result, one common question has been raised: What makes education good?
Is it the policies? The curriculum? Or the teachers? And would a “good education” produce human resources who are knowledgeable, ethical, and moral members of society?
And who should be responsible for this “good education”? Is it the ministries that develops the policies and curriculum? Is it the teachers who teach the students? Or is it the parents—or even the students themselves?
Through my journey from being a student to becoming a teacher, I have come to realize that this is a complex question. There are many variables and stakeholders to consider, and perhaps some stakeholders are more responsible than others. But we should remember that it is easier for us as a society to question and blame one stakeholder over the others.
Personally, I am still learning what makes “good education” and how I can contribute to making it “good,” because my job, after all, is a teacher. But of now I have now come to the realization, and the belief that "every one of us is responsible for raising the younger generation into good, ethical, and moral citizens." More or less we influence our next generation in one way or another.
With this reflection, I learned that good policies and curriculum can only serve as the roadmap toward the an end-goal destination. Qualified and well-trained teachers are the guides who lead students toward that destination. At the same time, parents are the motivators who keep students on track, while the students themselves are the runners of this race.
As a society, we must also remember that students are like blank sheets of paper; we are all responsible for what is written on them through our daily actions and behaviors (both online and offline). So instead of asking who is at fault, we should reflect on what we can do to help students reach their potential. Our environment/society influences who our children grow up to become.
Of course, there are even more variables, such as accessibility and inclusivity in education, that we must consider to ensure that every student receives the support they need to reach the destination of becoming a good citizen and a responsible global citizen.
So if we want to create “good education” and ensure that students grow up to become knowledgeable, ethical, and moral members of society, it must start with all of us, both inside and outside the classroom. It starts at homes, schools, and everywhere else our children may venture to.
And of course, this is easier said than done. This journey is not easy, but we must keep going and keep growing to ensure our education system becomes what it needs to be.
