GLOBALISATION has been a buzzword for several years now. The rapid technological advances in the fields of communication and microelectronics has fuelled the impact of globalisation. A broad definition of globalisation is that it involves the meeting and mixing of cultural, political, economical and technological ideas and intellectual resources across all borders.

Globalisation is multifaceted rather than singular and affects every sector of society, but I would like to focus on the field of education. Education is officially a human right with potential to improve any nation’s economy.

Globalisation particularly affects tertiary education and, to a lesser extent, secondary education. Pertaining to education, it is the integration of similar education systems and knowledge across all borders on a global scale. It blurs national boundaries and enhances accessibility to learning, allowing the learner to be more marketable and competitive on an international scale.

The recent pandemic has demonstrated the use of online distance learning and digital technology as powerful tools especially for developing countries where education deficits are typically greater. It has also shown that the typical ‘in-person school’ has lost its monopoly over teaching and training as the global education market is wide open.

Higher education now becomes available not only to the elite but to the masses. It reduces the need for expensive physical infrastructure, thus enabling funds to be channeled for use in improving communications equipment and technology leading to a new information-based society. A consequence of globalisation is the emphasis on mathematics and the science curricula as well as communication skills.

The traditional classroom is being replaced by blended learning as the once foreign videoconferencing technology has become commonplace as a result of the pandemic. Globalisation has also seen the improvement of teaching methods where teachers across the planet can collaborate and integrate methods to provide the learner with more effective and lucrative pedagogy.

This is not to be taken lightly as for long-term improvement in our education system, our teachers must improve competence in knowledge delivery and must gain insight and skills needed to address the neurodiverse student population. There is now a stronger need for curriculum and assessment reforms coupled with greater accountability to parents. At the same time, now that the pandemic is over, our teachers should not dismiss face-to-face learning. Many have become reliant on the use of online resources rather than in-class instruction.

The globalisation of education not only refers to academics, as learners must also be educated with the multicultural world and be familiar with and tolerant of the major religions, social norms and differing politics across the world. We must become global citizens. Global citizenship includes the sharing of knowledge and skills along with collaboration and teamwork. The potential improvement of human capital will only accelerate the economic growth of a country.

With all things, there is a downside. There are some disadvantages to globalisation in education. These include a fall in academic standards and performance of graduates thus making the quality of education increasingly relevant and weighty. Quality assurance must not be diminished and must be prioritised by education management and policymakers.

Accreditation both locally and internationally becomes more crucial. Additionally, it is customary for educated workers from developing nations to move outside their country for meaningful employment. This depletion or ‘brain drain’ reduces the expected rewards in that country as education is linked to economic growth. There ought to be incentives to keep our educated workforce in the developing country.

We must carefully examine the role globalisation has on nation building and must ensure that it works to our advantage.

Dr Karla Hylton is the founder and CEO of Your Empowerment Solutions (YES) Institute, offering mathematics and science tutoring as well as a host of workshops for parents, teachers, and students. She is the author of Yes! You Can Help Your Child Achieve Academic Success and Complete Chemistry for Caribbean High Schools. Reach her at (876) 564-1347; e-mail: ceo@yes-institute.com; or visit www.yes-institute.com, or www.khylton.com.