The Top 5: Your Inside Look Into World Education
1. World Education Blog’s top article for this week was an EFA report entitled “We will never eradicate poverty without quality education for all”. It assesses the need for education by citing statistics about world poverty levels being at 21% and claims that education leads to economic growth which gets people out of poverty.
One critique that could be applied to this article’s logic is its assumption that education leads to poverty reduction. Although education often gives people more opportunities, the Western focus of education often leads individuals to pursue work outside of their country. This leads to less economic growth domestically and more growth internationally, which does not always link to poverty reduction for the country in question.
2. “Why Girls’ Education Matters” by EFA report spotlights the impact of education on girls. According to the report 30 million primary school aged girls do not have access to education. The report continues to highlight the role education has been shown to have on reducing childhood arranged marriages, teenage pregnancies, and infant mortality rates.
While education can be a tool for the social advancement of girls, I think it is important to note that it does not always lead to social change. Some regimes choose to segregate girls and boys education and/or implement stricter laws against the types of education girls can receive.
http://efareport.wordpress.com/2013/10/10/why-girls-education-matters/
3. “Spotlight on Nigeria’s Education Crisis” by Pauline Rose looks at the issues within Nigeria’s education system and the efforts to solve them. 10.5 school aged children do not have access to education in Nigeria, which has led to a illiteracy problem effecting over half the population. They blame this phenomenon on high education costs coupled with high poverty rates in the country. UNICEF programs are working to reduce these numbers.
In questions of literacy rates, we must not focus only on children’s literacy. Adult literacy education is just as important because literate parents are better able to ensure their children’s literacy.
http://efareport.wordpress.com/2013/09/10/spotlight-on-nigerias-education-crisis/
4. “The Teacher Led Push for Quality Education” by Fred van Leeuwen, general secretary of Education International looks at the global effort to ensure accessible primary schooling worldwide. Education International has sent out 30 million teachers to countries in need of staff. Primary schooling has affected the lives of 10% additional students since 2000.
While it is great that there is an emphasis on sending international teachers into countries that lack quality education, it is important that these teachers are knowledgable of the local culture. All too often culture is lost or put at a lower priority when teachers are not from the country they are teaching in.
http://efareport.wordpress.com/2013/09/30/the-teacher-led-push-for-quality-education/
5.”New Partnerships are Needed to Improve Education Worldwide” by EFA report suggests that education programs should be a global effort. The report looks at the large number of children out of school and suggests that countries join together to organize education programs with countries in need of them and multilateral organizations working to promote education access.
Global efforts to increase education are great; however, regional efforts are more likely to have knowledge of the best options for individual countries within their region. Giving regional leaders and parents more of a say in how education systems are implemented will increase quality and lead to better prepared students.
http://efareport.wordpress.com/2013/09/24/new-partnerships-are-needed-to-improve-learning-worldwide/
this is great