Interrelationship between government, business and the educational sector

A country is nothing more than its land and its people. A successful strategy of development entails the people being governed properly by government, educated properly by its educational institutions and organized properly into business concerns under a free enterprise economy.

In the pursuit and implementation of this strategy of development, a crucial and paramount component is the proper interrelationship between the government, the business sector and the educational system. If each of these three vital sectors perform their respective designated role to the hilt, then the cycle of economic growth, development and industrialization will continuously spiral towards greater heights.

To begin with, the people can only be employed if they are employable. This means that they should have acquired the requisite knowledge and skills to position them to make a tangible, positive contribution to the country’s efforts at development. In this regard, it is the role and goal of the educational system to properly equip the people with the right knowledge and skills to make them productive.

The educational thrust, therefore, must be exact and purposeful. The educational system must focus and zero-in on a curriculum that is geared towards the dissemination of information, knowledge and skills in the field especially of science and technology.

In this modern age where infrastructure, power, transportation and communication, computer and the like are all part of our daily fare, it is not difficult to conclude that the educational courses that matter, and the knowledge one must possess must be in the fields of science, technology and engineering.

In the case of Japan for instance, they did not wait for their people to acquire these essential knowledge and skills at home, although they too devised an educational system that produced highly educated and motivated Japanese labor force that would serve as the strength by which their target industries can be fostered. More urgently, technology and technological know-how were obtained and acquired by the government and private firms by sending the Japanese abroad on a mission to search and bring back. Having studied and learned the technology of given products and processes abroad, the Japanese spies, so to speak, then came triumphantly back home with the bacon.

The Japanese knew exactly where they wanted to go and how to get there fast. Taking, therefore, the cue from our Japanese neighbor, our educational system must be charged with ensuring an ample future supply of scientists and engineers, who, apart from being trained as to technical know-how, must also be motivated, honest and dedicated workers.

One of the two components of the three-some vital partners of development is the government, which by itself has a pivotal, if not foremost, role to play in the development process. The government is the repository of sovereignty and the entity that lays down broad national policies and directions. It is in the distinct position of presenting the blueprint for development and industrialization as well as the national economic agenda, the strategy of development.

The significance of government churning out the right strategy of development can never be overemphasized. This strategy will be the framework, the guide, and the economic bible upon which private businesses will have to gear up and commit their economic resources and investments. A key component, of course, in the presentation of the strategy of development is the identification of the crucial and vital industries that should be given emphasis and priority in the context of the micro-development effort. These paramount industries, which shall form the solid and broad base of the industrial foundation must be given the proper and necessary government incentives for growth and expansion. Busines-ses must be supported by government by giving them access to long-term low-interest loan facilities in order for them to modernize their plant, equipment and operations, thereby ensuring their growth, success and competitiveness against their foreign counterparts. After all, the success of the Filipino enterprise is the success of the government itself because then more government revenues are collected from the increased tax payments of the prospering Filipino businesses.

When the government shall have presented the blueprint for the strategy of development, then the educational system shall be guided accordingly, knowing now the particular and specific requirements needed by way of producing the pool of skilled workforce.

For its part, the business sector can direct and muster its resources at achieving the development goals presented by the government. In the process, businesses would be employing scientists, engineers, technologists and skilled labor produced by the schools. In turn, business would be paying more taxes which the government can use to provide better governance to its people.

In short, in the overall scheme of team effort, the government prepares the plan, the educational system trains and produces the apt manpower, and the business sector implements the grand design. With the success of these three major players, the symbiosis between the government, the educational system and the business sector is complete.

(You may write your comments, thoughts, suggestions at 15/F Equitable Tower Paseo de Roxas, Salcedo Village, Makati City or through e-mail at [email protected])