“I speak not for myself, but so those without a voice can be heard. Those who have fought for their rights. Their right to live in peace. Their right to be treated with dignity. Their right to equality of opportunity. Their right to be educated.” -Malala Youssef

NORRAG’s post on the post conflict education strategies following the 2015 deadlines of the MDGs, starts with a powerful quote from an inspirational girl. Malala’s fight for education is one that she is sharing with the world and is changing the conversation global education policies. These policies have primarily been focused on access with Education for All and Learning for All policies.

After acknowledging the problems with these uniform policies, namely their failure to address the different situations that they are being implemented in. NORRAG’s looks at this in the context of conflicts and how to fit education policies into aid that is arriving in these areas. As told by education consultant Christopher Talbot, “Neglecting education can sow the seeds for a next conflict. Education in emergencies is demanded, life-saving and life-sustaining.” The importance of the conflict education cannot be understated and is something that must be included in new education policies.

The conversation on education in conflicts and in post-conflict relief is becoming more and more relevant. With the spotlight on conflicts and disaster situations in Syria and the Philippines, the lack of comprehensive relief plans that include education are being shown to the globe. It is necessary that a framework for these unique circumstances be developed in order to create a sense of normalcy. Education can provide emotional support for children who have gone through traumatic events in addition to standard learning and this needs to be a priority in relief. Since this cannot be specifically addressed in the broad policies such as EFA and the MDGs, 2015 is the perfect time to implement new and creative ways to look at areas of conflict.

NORRAG’s blog post by Mieke Lopes Cardozo and Ritesh Shah addressing this issue of education frameworks in conflict and disaster areas is fantastic but it is only the start. Awareness of the problems and lack of solutions provides a perfect stepping stone for international organizations to build their policies. In order for new policies to come into effect, more voices like Malala’s must be heard and acknowledged.

Public versus private: an age old question that only seems to outweigh one another in an individual’s eyes, thus, hardly ever finding objective light. David Archer, the Head of Programme Development with ActionAid and a board member of the Global Campaign for Education, blogged on Education in Crisis’ website in order to comment on a recent decision of the Department for International Development. For the past three years, funds have been allocated to private education systems in poor nations by public funds from the UK. While he acknowledges the immediate importance of aid to many developing nations in regards to education, he does not unconditionally support aid to all education. Instead, he brings the point across that promoting private education, even low-cost private schools, perpetuates a larger problem of inequality rather than a remedy for the education gap, accessibility conundrum and extreme poverty that the DFID is trying to eradicate.

Although Archer focuses on the responsibility of the DFID and the conflicting ethics of public UK aid for private for-profit systems, the underlying issue of this blog post hits on something much larger. Whether private education is a vessel for improving educational access and consequently, ending extreme poverty, is up for contention. According to Archer, “the biggest gains in education occurred when governments eliminated user fees to deliver on the right to education, leading to tens of millions of children enrolling in school for the first time, and supporting low-cost private schools mocks the importance of that evidence.” Perhaps, Archer’s correct. It is common for private schools to charge amounts that exclude members of lower classes and force parents to prioritize which child should receive education. This often leaves girls and children with disabilities at a cyclical life disadvantage and stuck without opportunity.

However, I believe that a glance through a radical lens could justify public funds for private schooling. There is a saying that may apply to this situation in regards to development— a rising tide lifts all boats. Simply put, helping the larger issue can bring success to every member of a struggling society.  Meaning, that just possibly, some countries that lack government funds and the means to build schools could benefit in the long term from privatized help.

Educating and building a working class from a privileged group of citizens may cause immediate inequality, but it seems important to consider that educating some, is better than educating none. Archer argues that private education systems in these countries hinder the government’s responsibility of ensuring education for all, but I suggest that private education may be a stepping stone for the DFID’s eventual goal of attaining money for all. For where there is money, there are options to alleviate poverty, illiteracy and more social inequalities. Even if it’s not changed over night, what more could we strive to universally achieve?

This post is in response to the original Education in Crisis blog post— “Should Public Money Be Used for Private Schools?”

Check out the original post here

In May 2015 South Korea will hold a Global Conference on Education, this conference will follow in the tradition of the 1990 EFA conference in Thailand and the 2000 EFA conference in Senegal. So what will be the talk of the conference?

Here are 5 topics NORRAG NEWSBite expects to be on the agenda:

1. The fate of EFA EFA has been associated with its large goal to provide primary education in developing countries and in turn its fatal lack of success. Nonetheless its successes have been attributed to the EFA Global Monitoring Report (GMR) however, it is skeptical that the EFA GMR will continue without new EFA Goals [1]. There will also be discussion of what the new EFA goals, if any, will look like, the steps in constructing them, and their relation to prior EFA goals. 
2. Data and Measurement of Outcomes The necessity to use more and better data for advocacy and accountability is greatly acknowledged but in collecting this data a push for measurement rather than assessment will be made. A focus on outputs rather than outcomes will be advocated, which should be measured differently than the traditional neoclassical economic fashion [2]. 
3. Top Down Approach The traditional top down approach will be contested and the need for more bottom-up agencies will be advocated [3]. Large international organizations such as the World Bank, are dictating what is taught and how education is assessed. A bottom-up approach will add country context to insure specific educational needs are being met. 
4. Quality vs. Quantity The EFA conferences held in the past and the MDGs have all placed large emphasis on the access and quantity of schools rather than the quality of education. In the past it has been a numbers game when it came to access and quantity of schools; experts fear that in the upcoming discussions quality will too, will become a numbers game [4].
5. Equity, No One Left Behind The debate on equity is most centered around language and the decrease in successful education to those who speak a minority language. Many are taught in a language in which they do not speak nor understand. Therefore, education is adding to inequity and inequality ultimately expanding the gap between the majority and minorities [5]. Lastly, emphasis has also been placed on third world countries, but many of those suffering from inequity live in middle-income countries, therefore to achieve equity, a balance between focus on third world and middle-income countries must be discussed at the Post-2015 education conference.    

1. King, Kenneth. “The Global Education Conference-South Korea, May 2015: Debates About Education Beyond 2015 and the EFA Goals”. NORAGG NEWSBite. 4. Nov. 2013. Web

2. Langstaff, Stéphanie. “The Post-2015 Data Revolution for Education and Development: One Measurement to Rule Them All?” NORRAG NEWSBite. 7. Nov. 2013. Web

3. Langstaff, Stéphanie. “The Post-2015 Data Revolution for Education and Development: One Measurement to Rule Them All?” NORRAG NEWSBite. 7. Nov. 2013. Web

4. King, Kenneth. “Post-1990; Post-2000; Post-2015 – Education and Skills – North & South”. NORRAG NEWSBite. 10. Sept. 2013. Web.

5. King, Kenneth. “Post-1990; Post-2000; Post-2015 – Education and Skills – North & South”. NORRAG NEWSBite. 10. Sept. 2013. Web.

On the education for all blog the main focuses that seems to span across many of the posts is the goal to give every child a shot in getting a quality education.  I find it intriguing to look at some of the ways they are trying to accomplish this and also some of the other articles that have furthered my knowledge on the subject on educating the world.  I think that one of the articles that really interested me was talking about getting the youth involved in spreading global education.  These kids know how the education system works seeing that they have been in it, and can understand how to better things, and how to possibly bring about changes where needed.  It seems like a good move to get young people involved to further the spread of knowledge and awareness around the world.

Another article that caught my eye was an article that talked about that ability to read in Liberia.  The article talks about students lack of reading skills which not only inhibits them from being able to learn from reading in class and outside of class, but it also hurts them significantly on tests.  These tests have directions on them that require the student to read them and the subsequently answer those questions.  Because of the students  lack of basic reading skills it is hard for them to move on in schooling.  They end up failing out and not being able to continue their education. The way they want to try and implement a better approach to reading is by giving the teachers better training in how to teach reading skills.  They are also going to encourage the kids to work things out on their own instead of just having them write down things and not speak during class. The “I do, We do, You do” approach seems to be very successful and changing the way that things work in Liberia for the betterment of children’s reading.  Therefore moving their education along as well.

I think that this is a great blog and has helped me learn more an more about educating the world.

At this point, the conflict in Syria has become so convoluted and violent, it is nearly impossible to identify the root of all the violence. In an attempt to educate myself on the history of conflict in Syria, I read through a BBC timeline. From what I can gather, conflict between the government and different ethnic groups in Syria has brewed for decades. Not to mention, the ongoing international conflict with Israel, and perpetual international sanctions against nuclear weapons within the country. The conflict in Syria is disruptive, cruel, and destructive. With no apparent solution in sight, the conflict continues. Alone, conflict and violence are detrimental, but what are the other social impacts?

Within the last six months, nearly one million Syrians have fled the country. Refugees are forced to migrate to neighboring countries such as Lebanon and Jordan. The influx of Syrian refugees is staggering. Now, Jordanian and Lebanese governments and policy makers must figure out how to best cater to these refugees in a sustainable and humane way. With so many displaced, and more Syrians seeking refuge each day, serious issues such as education are called to question. International organizations are working to meet the educational needs of Syrians both in the country and those who have already fled, however their needs will be almost impossible to meet, “The U.N. Syria Regional Response Plan 4 anticipated and planned for coverage for up to 1.1 million refugees through the end of June, but this estimate has been surpassed and is projected to swell to 3.45 million by the end of the year.” Prior to the most recent outbreak of conflict in Syria, over “93 percent of children were enrolled in primary school and 67 percent in secondary school.” Now nearly 90 percent of Syrian children and youth have no means, no infrastructure, and no compelling motivation to go to school.

The international community is faced with a huge monetary burden to try and support Syrian refugees in countries like Lebanon. Brookings own colleague Kevin Watkins estimated that the international community would need to contribute $500 million to support displaced Syrians. Education is a crucial provision, even during times of war. Syrian society is already facing extreme social ramifications. The consequences of failing to educate the Syrian population will only lead to more degradation in the future. In addition, educational issues become exacerbated in times of conflict, and it is important when consulting and deliberating solutions that the international communities keep certain things in mind.

For example, unemployment in the Middle East is already extremely high. Syrians, now faced with conflict, forced to leave their homes, as well as overcome language barriers are even more affected by the pressures of unemployment. Additionally, conflict creates even more gender disparity. Both the discomfort of mixed gender schools and fear of student safety restrict Syrian girls from accessing education. As we learned previously in the term when discussing gender-based educational issues in Afghanistan, providing suitable access and options for female students is a conflict in and of itself. Overall, as more international actors become involved, and the number of Syrian refugees increases, it is crucial that the international community keep in mind the influence of education, despite brewing conflict, and find creative and innovative ways for implementing education access.

Acherman, Xanthe. “Responding to Syria’s Education Crisis: Critical Points for the International Community.” Brookings . 24 10 2013: n. page. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. <http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/education-plus-development/posts/2013/10/24-syria-education-crisis-ackerman?rssid=education plus development>.

With technology rapidly advancing, the ways in which our people communicate changes as well.  Technology has been continuously evolving but educators and students are at a stand still about the ways in which technology should be interrogated education.
In the “education for all blog” a blog caught my interest that was addressing how high poverty stricken countries should utilize the growing technology of the growing world.  With cell phones, laptops, and projection monitors in almost every classroom of the developed countries.  As this blog entry has made clear to me, most developing countries are struggling to even get electricity in the classrooms.  Therefore, these less developed countries are in a interesting position to decide how the improving technology can be utilized.

I have been looking into the structure of schooling around the world and the complexity of education and teaching became really apparent to me. The structure of schooling has not been changed in over 100 years.  The system of all chairs facing forward, one teacher, all students sitting quietly attentively listen to the teacher lecture has become standard.  One factor that has dramatic changed the system is technology.
Access to broadband and Internet has been one of the most dramatic changes in the way students are educated, but the digital dived continues to grow.  In an era where the answer to a question is on a Google search away, students have been granted access to knowledge like never before. This blog, created by, Mary Burns, looks to address alternatives to the rapidly growing technology industry.

She ultimately suggests that connection to broadband can improve the education of student’s dramatically.  Furthermore, she found that showing direct results of improvement is extremely difficult.  Burns states, ” There is lack of research showing impact on learning, and there is still the issue of broadband connectivity, and most important, access to electricity (Burns, 2013).”  This has caused a huge struggle for teachers and students to argue for the use of technology.  The importance and relevance of technology is obvious but with out definitive signs, like test scores and standardized grading, the true benefits are overlooked.

But many places with often problematic broadband access—like India, many African countries, and Indonesia have excellent cellular networks and phone calls are extremely cheap. Across the globe, we are seeing more and more initiatives using cell phones for student learning.

Some of the largest global educational initiatives currently use feature phones as the essential component of their technology interventions. For instance, the core of Bangladesh’s  English in Action initiative involves personalized phone-based instruction in which English-language learners (both adults and students) can follow the course at their own speed. The mobile phone lessons recognize the learner’s phone number and pick up where the learner left off the next time they call in.

http://www.educationforallblog.org/education-and-technology/what-are-the-technology-options-for-low-income-countries

While following the blog, Education in Crisis, I read a very interesting article about using educational aid monies to fund low-cost private schools in extremely poor countries like Nigeria, Ghana and Pakistan. In the October 14, 2013 article, “Should Public Money Be Used for Private Schools?” author David Archer of Actionaid.org expressed his concern that funding low-cost schools has a detrimental effect on educating children in developing countries. Archer brings up an interesting topic regarding the best use of educational aid funds. However, where he believes that aid funds can only be used in one way, to support governmental public schools; I feel that they can be used to support other polices as well, like funding private schools. Archer writes that the British government’s aid organization, the Department for International Development (DFID) is wrong in its current policy of allocating some its publicly funded educational aid monies to low-cost private schools for the following reasons:

• Low-cost private schools are motivated to make a profit so they pay teachers an extremely low wage-20% of what government teachers earn and due to this low wage they employ under qualified teachers who provide a low quality education.
• The schools charge amounts that families living in poverty cannot afford- e.g. in India, $8 per child each month when most families earn a dollar a day.
• Due to the affordability issue, boys are prioritized over girls and children with disabilities.

However, proponents of low-cost private schools feel that they are a beneficial part of an educational policy in developing countries. They cite the following positive reasons to fund these schools:

• They are generally located in areas such as slum settlements that governments do not recognize and so do not provide public schools.
• They are accountable to paying parents which motivates them to provide a better quality education than public school.

Archer feels strongly that eliminating the user fees that governments charge to attend public schools is the better policy to promote. He states in his article, “In recent years, the biggest gains in education occurred when governments eliminated user fees to deliver on the right to education, leading to tens of millions of children enrolling in school for the first time, and supporting low-cost private schools mocks the importance of that evidence.”

I agree that eliminating user fees is the best possible solution but unfortunately we cannot control a country’s educational policies. I feel that providing some aid to low-cost private schools does provide educational benefits. A majority of these schools, since they are located in slum settlements, are the only option that children living there have to receive an education. In countries that do not view educating girls as necessary, parents are able to pay to have their girls educated.  Archer indicates that studies have shown that there is better educational quality in low-cost private schools but he believes the studies are flawed. But what if they are right?  I do not think that they should abandon a policy that appears to working.

I support Archer’s view that educational aid should continue to be used to improve the quality and accessibility of public schools. However, I think it is appropriate for some of the funds to be used to fund low-cost private schools. I believe that the funds should be allocated with some requirements:

• Teachers must be paid the same wage as public school teachers.
• Subsidies must be provided for girls and disabled children so that they meet a certain percentage of enrollments.
• Schools must be accountable to the agencies providing the funding by meeting certain standards of educational instruction.

With accountability and safeguards, a policy of providing funding to low-cost private schools could have tremendous benefits by providing a quality education for extremely poor children living in slum settlements as well as female and disabled children.

http://educationincrisis.net/blog/item/1044-should-public-money-be-used-for-private-schools?

The international community has largely been focusing on achieving universal education, shown through agendas like the Millennium Development Goals and Education For All. These are important goals but the national community has started to realize that numbers are not all that matters. There has been a push for equity, quality, and ways of implementing education that consider the local community and culture.

However, reading the World Education Blog (WEB) has made me realize there is not enough focus on one of the key elements in implementing education: teachers.

Education in schools is impossible without them, but instead of focusing on how we (as a universal community) can recruit and retain enough well trained educators, we are focused on getting the kids into the schools. I feel like this is backwards; what is the point of having a bunch of children in school if there are not enough teachers for all of them?

Currently, there is a huge need for professional and well-supported teachers for both primary and secondary schools [1].  One WEB article by Pauline Rose highlights that if we are going to achieve universal primary education by 2015, we will need an extra 1.6 million teachers, a number that is only going to continue to grow as the population does.

If we want our children to receive (quality) education we need to start with our teachers.

Another WEB article by Sunny Varkey suggests the importance of respect for teachers [2]. I think that the international community needs to work to improve the poor reputations and status of teachers across the globe. The stigma currently surrounding teaching professions only further discourages people from becoming educators. Even in America I have had several people say to me, “Don’t be a teacher, you can do better than that” which sends the message that being a teacher is not to be valued.

Nobody wants to hold a position that isn’t valued. As UNESCO said many years ago, “It should be recognized that the proper status of teachers and due public regard for the profession of teaching are of major importance” [3]. If a culture or the community looks down upon being a teacher, people are less likely to pursue the profession and the shortage of teachers will continue.

Along the same lines, there is a need to increase incentives for teachers. If they are valued they are more likely to consider the profession, but higher salaries, greater benefits and better resources will help retain them.  As another WEB article points out, research shows that when teachers are paid more, their students learn more [4]. Increasing scholarships and training centers for teachers will encourage them, and in places were gender equity is an issue, attracting female teachers can help this disparity [5].

Though getting children in school is important, we first need to focus on our teachers. Without quality training, incentives, resources, and respect from the community, the number of teachers will not keep up with the population. We need to improve and reinforce the importance of our educators because education without teachers is impossible.

[1] Rose, Pauline. “World Teacher’s Day shines spotlight on global teacher shortage | World Education Blog. World Education Blog. N.p., 3 Oct. 2013. Web. 5. Nov. 2013

<http://efareport.wordpress.com/2013/10/03/world-teachers-day-shines-spotlight-on-global-teacher-shortage/#more-3851>

[2] Varkey, Sunny. “Valuing teachers is about more than their salaries | World Education Blog. World Educaiton Blog. N.p., 14. Oct. 2013. Web. 5 Nove. 2013.

<http://efareport.wordpress.com/2013/10/14/valuing-teachers-is-about-more-than-their-salaries/#more-3909>

[3] UNESCO, Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers. UNESCO.Org. 5 Oct 1966

[4] The World Bank: Building Human Capital In Afghanistan

Upon summoning my creative inspiration (-al juices) to determine the intent of today’s blog post, I confess my ability to become side-tracked amidst a myriad of information as provided by the research capability of the internet. I must ask, how grateful is my generation for the technological revolution we began to witness at primary school age or before?

I can still remember the initial sessions of “Computer Lab” and its positive correlation to my position in the world today, at Columbus Elementary during my 4th and 5th grade school years at the ages of 9 and 10. Such a ripe learning age, with the safety of a warm-hearted computer lab teacher, the room warmed by extensively heat-producing ’90s Macintosh computing technology, the rhythmic humming of dozens of computer’s fans to still the chatter of our little bodies… Yes, it was a very warm, safe, and pleasant way to learn the basics of computer skills. And, without these learning experiences in my primary school, surely I would be even further behind in the technological revolution that I am already now.

Whats that?? There’s just been a discovered a gaping hole in the time and space continuum and the lab sessions I attended as primary schooler are being interrupted by the Second American Civil War, the ’90s are now a time of rebellion and the use of various weapons of war by the US government against its own people are now part of my personal history??… Hang on! This hypothetical situation was created by me (KP the blogger) to instill sensations of terror into my peaceful memoires so that I may better understand the context of the Reality for the young primary school age children of Syria in present time.

After allowing space for introductory prose, there is now a need to concern my 2nd blog post with updates of the effects that the Civil War in Syria has upon the development of education within Syria and in regional context. Following the Brooking’s Institute’s education and development blog, the article “Responding to Syria’s Education Crisis for the International Community,” posted on Oct. 24th by Xanthe Ackerman, has inspired me to seek awareness of the effects that conflict has upon the individual’s ability to develop their own personal faculties. The article primarily concerns itself with the inability for Syria’s regional neighbors to respond to burgeoning flow of Syrian war refugees, especially in terms of educational capacity.

There seems to be no end in sight to the conflict, but as time passes, Syrian refugees are falling further behind in the globalized context of today’s competitive world economy. How is this disparity (whose effects for the 2.5 million refugees will be experienced in the coming future at a level of Nation-State proportion, as is the nature of a civil war to permeate the entire nation-state across multiple levels of human existence, education and development in this context)

The facts are as thus:

Before the conflict began, 93% of children were enrolled in primary school, and 67% in secondary school. Following the conflict, 90% of Syrian children ages 6-17 are estimated to be Out of School… That leaves us with a current 3% operational efficacy of Syrian schools.

3,000 Syrian schools have been damaged or destroyed since conflict began in 2011.

Lebanon is harboring 1/4 of Syrian Refugee children in its schools, thus reducing the learning capacity of Lebanese school age nationals due to the influx of neighboring refugees.

UNICEF and other organizations are responding to the crisis, but the number refugees exceeds the quantity of basic and educational resources, especially in the border-towns. For example, in Turkey’s border towns, refugees outnumber Turkish nationals 2-1.

Gender differences are also playing a pivotal role in the provision of education for Syrian refugee children, reportedly, as displaced Syrian families are restricting the movement of young women especially for fear of their safety amidst their status of refugia.

The UN Syrian Regional Response Plan 4 is coordinated to provide for 1.1 million, but projections for refugees is expected to exceed 3.4 million by the end of this year.

These facts being introduced, there are great concerns for regional stability in the short run, as well as for the learning capabilities in the long run for the many Syrians displaced by the conflict.

The international community and especially the Middle East is again facing a war-crisis whose effect’s will echo throughout the currents of time and space, and in my particular interest, the loss of learning potential for the many young people ages 4-24 which will harbor socioeconomic restraint against them as they struggle to rise out of refugee status.

My question is—How will refugees, who have already their homes, belongings, and localized ability to obtain a livelihood through social connections and trade, be assured to provide for themselves and their families without the guardians of knowledge to guide them? I apologize if that question is unclear, but as anything associated with the Middle East proves to be thus, there is indeed no simple question, nor answer to be associated with the recent developments in the Syrian Conflict.

In conclusion, the article by Ackerman includes several bulleted points which are to be kept in mind by the readers and international community. I highlight this one:

• 5. Youth voices provide important input for policy…. There are many Syrian youth leaders.

Corresponding with the nature of revolutionary crisis’, the interest of the youth (because they represent the future and are the direct inheritors of the choices of the present) should be kept in consideration for policy making organizations during and following the Syrian conflict. The international community would be wise to hear from the viewpoints of these displaced youth, those who are willing to speak up and then, hopefully we can see a new dawn for the future of the Syrian people. Until then, there is much to heed attention to.

K. Purdy on the status of education for 2.5 million Syrian refugees, 11.3.2013

This morning I read a post that offered gleaming hope about the future prospect of our world. I’m following the World Bank Blog, Education for Global Development and yes there are interesting stories, but this one stood out to me.

The story is titled: Inspired by Malala, Raising Girls’ Voices, written by Carolyn Reynolds on October 16^th 2013. The author recounts the dialogue between Malala Yousafzai and the World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim at the annual World Bank meeting of the International Day of the Girl Child. The post is strongly, compellingly, and enthusiastically written, but what I liked most are Malala’s quotes in it. Malala is the sixteen year old girl from Pakistan, who was shot by the Taliban for speaking out for girls’ education. Now, she tours the world, spreading the word and raising awareness for education for all.

To see her talk about her cause, watch the video that shows the interview in full length. Click on the link at the bottom of the page.

Words of Inspiration…

The sentence that sparked my attention was in the fourth paragraph (or video -26min) when she said: “The best way to fight terrorism is not through guns…” That is correct. That is exactly what I think too

I understand that some will say what I am going to write about is totally unrealistic. Nevertheless, it should still be considered and reflected upon even though we seem to be far from it. Then again, there is Malala and there is a new generation of young people growing up. There are some signs, little glimpses, that point to a future with sanity and reason, a path that hopefully could lead us to apply more common sense for crucial decisions concerning our future. Maybe I’m fantasizing, dreaming, or too optimistic. However, I still believe that one day we will manage to deal with weapons reasonably and intelligently.

I like to think of a total global disarmament. Then, with a redistribution of those resources, aid and policies, such as Education For All, packed in a box, tightly tied, with a ribbon wrapped around it and delivered promptly would make much more sense.

For me, the production and distribution of weapons is of no earthly use. We create so much harm, not only in the so-called developed world, but even more so in all the countries to which we sell them. Most developing countries wouldn’t have the capacity to produce weapons in their own countries, but the West seems rather eager to recklessly sell weapons, wherever they can make a profit. Thus, the developed world’s business model does not shy away from killing, right? I have always found this appalling.

Back to the article, Malala advocates for education for all, particularly girls. In my first blog, I uttered my doubts about EFA’s chances of success when continued as hitherto when I critiqued the exclusive economy model and the misinterpretation of most Westerners, who project All to the rest of the world, but take themselves out of the equation. I have asked if it is about economic growth or if we are simply selling the world and dreaming a lie. For me the answer is clear.

If we really want to level the playing field, we should stop riding the vehicle of development double-tracked with aid and exploitation side by side. We have a divided world, in which, on one side you get everything and more, while on the other side, (much bigger part too!) basic human needs are not met. Now again, if we are really to help, can’t we first get our own house in order? Let us globally reduce armaments. I would of course love total disarmament, but let us compromise to at least get rid of all the excessive weaponry that sits around. This decreasing trend of weapon possession and distribution, especially by the countries that have countless and more military machinery than any one world could ever use, would unquestionably serve as a first step to a more just world. At the same time, money that before was spent on arms could now actually be spent on true, honest, and sustainable development in both worlds. Malala makes a similar argument by pointing out that the same amount of money that is spent on weapons should be used for education. I hear her, but for me, I clearly want to see a drastic decrease of money allocated to the weapons industry.

The current dominant neoliberal model supports the notion of selling one’s own grandmother, for the sake of economic growth. In the year 2013, I would think that the educated developed world could restrict making business with arms proliferation if we are serious about a world, in which fundamental human rights are to be achieved.

Malala proclaims “education is the only solution.” I agree. Education For All is needed to reach the people who are in the weaponry business, as well as the weapon fanatics, to finally realize that we could do without them. All applies to all and not just one part of the world. Malala also emphasizes that “everyone should take part” in the change he or she wants to see.

Malala and her generation could live in a harmonious and progressed environment. A world, in which economic interests would not dominate and lead to such inequalities, but rather an inclusive world system with room for everyone. That is what the world needs now.

http://blogs.worldbank.org/education/inspired-malala-raising-girls-voices

Source Picture: Peace is the Way http://www.changingworld.com/catalog/there-peace-peace-quote-from-thich-nhat-hanh-vietnamese-monk-picasso-peace-dove-click-read-more-p-1570.html

“Before, you spoke our language, my son.”
(Source: “That Was Before America’s Capitalist Society Betrayed Him — and Us…” from ¡No Pasarán!)

Joseph Nhan-O’Reilly notes in his blog post entitled “Bridging the Language Divide in Vietnam”, that the language of instruction for education heavily influences the success of a student. He claims that educating minority children in their native language during elementary school assists their overall educational development more than merely educating minority students in a foreign language to begin with (Nhan-O’Reilly, 2013)¹.

Nhan-O’Reilly’s case study is Vietnam, but I have seen the same setbacks he mentions facing students in my hometown of Redmond, Oregon.

Even in America, as pluralistic as it claims to be, English education is largely forced upon a number of minorities throughout the country, severely stinting their educational development. Speaking predominantly Spanish or an indigenous language at home, the overwhelming majority of students who were behind on their reading level in my community were either Hispanic or Native American. School taught them English, not their family. As a result, they were told to have, in Paulo Friere’s terms, “an absolute ignorance” (2005, p. 72), and as such they were deemed “problem children”, just like the Vietnamese students who would, “drop out of school altogether, while others fail their examinations and spend years repeating grades” (Nhan-O’Reilly, 2013).

In the United States and other countries with minority groups, we need more programs like the ones Nhan-O’Reilly mentions in Vietnam. As a new sector for teachers in education would open up, community members who would normally face trouble finding a job, such as poorly educated minorities, could acquire a quick teacher’s license and then help out the children from their communities (Nhan-O’Reilly, 2013). This would create both an economic incentive for increased attention paid to minority’s education, but it could also harken to the effects noted by Nhan-O’Reilly where students were, “[motivated] to read, including in Vietnamese” (2013). When the children learn first in their mother tongue, they are more successful in education and at learning other languages later on.

We know from the colonial history of numerous countries that education is both a means of inclusion and exclusion (Nhan-O’Reilly, 2013). We cannot afford to continue to exclude minorities in education within the United States. If the least successful students on paper got a chance at education on their own terms, then these students could possibly be the next Einstein as neoliberalism so resolutely wants them to be.

However, it is not as if the entire education system needs to be reorganized to benefit the few at the expense of the majority. I merely argue that at the rudimentary level of public education, students should be given an equal opportunity to succeed regardless of background and language. I acknowledge that satisfying the needs of all minority groups in every geographic region is nearly impossible in a practical sense, but our lack of ability to do everything to help minorities does not mean we should do nothing to help.

Language and education are essential for human development across the board. Otherwise we would merely be left with the Lonely Island’s knowledge of education: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M94ii6MVilw 

Nhan-O’Reilly’s piece can be found here:
http://www.educationforallblog.org/regions/east-asia-and-pacific/bridging-the-language-divide-in-vietnam

Paulo Friere’s book:
Paulo, F. (2005). The Pedagogy of the Oppressed. The Continuum International Publishing Group Inc. United States of America.

(Source: “Race starts early for ethnic minority students” from Earth Times)

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.

http://efareport.wordpress.com/2013/10/17/we-will-never-eradicate-poverty-without-quality-education-for-all/

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 film perfectly put into words and images the ideas I have been searching to understand and describe in the last two years: Western education is not the only solution or path to live life contentedly and sustainably. One of the critiques of education in this documentary which I personally agree with is how Westerners think Western education is superior to other forms of learning, but it is not. Learning is and should be an exchange of skills and ideas, and a dialogue between people rather than formal lecture style. Modern schooling is focused on the measure of material success. However, there is more than one way to educate children and people.

Henry David Thoreau described the process of schooling as: “Education…makes a straight-cut ditch out of a free, meandering brook”. His profound insight is startlingly true. The Western system of education creates a hierarchy of knowledge, which therefore brands people who have not gone through the system as failures. One of the problems with formal schooling is the desire to create cookie-cutter versions of what is valued as knowledge. Social injustice and hierarchy are created through modern education. The film documented many cases around the world where adults and elders believed themselves to be disappointments who knew nothing because they did not go through formal schooling.

The Lamdon Model School in Ladakh, India was founded by a European (I believe she was German) woman named Heidi. Heidi’s view on education regards that children always gain something positive from school, hence the reason she helped start the Lamdon Model School. Heidi also added that the school was exactly what the community needed to “overcome poverty”. She came to Ladakh and fell in love with the people and their way of life, and decided that it needed to be improved through education. In this regards, Heidi concluded that the Ladakh people were impoverished and needed to be helped. Thus, education was linked with development where it was automatically assumed (by a foreigner) that schooling would have a progressive impact on the community. In Heidi’s eyes as an outsider looking in, the slow-moving, agricultural way of life in Ladakh did not meet their standards of adequate living.

The film interviewed several teenagers and young adults who had gone through the Lamdon Model School. All of their reactions to the impact of Western education on their community agreed that many, if not all, the children who went through the school forgot their Ladakh traditions, language, and culture. Furthermore, schools in Ladakh result in families being separated because parents believe they must send their children to school in order for them to get ahead in life: their belief is that education results in higher paying jobs. In many cases around the world this is true because education allows access to better opportunities. However, the Western system of education also changes the structure of the familial unit in many cultures. In Ladakh, several mothers described their feelings of loneliness and missing their children who had gone to the cities to find work because that was the necessary step after they received their education. They wished their children were back at home. This is an example of Western education changing the community’s concept of familial togetherness towards separateness and individuality (which are celebrated in the West, especially in America). There is a connection with becoming educated and wanting to leave to obtain work and other opportunities elsewhere. The way many Americans view education is similar to that of Heidi’s perspective. The majority of Americans believe any community can be bettered with formal education. I used to agree, however, “Schooling the World” challenged this assertion and changed my opinion.

What exactly is knowledge? Is it the ability to prove your point using statistics, or to be able to grow your own food and prepare your own meals? There is no right answer, because knowledge is both of these things and a whole lot more. Education does not just happen in a classroom, and knowledge comes from experiences both in and outside of an institution’s walls.

The documentary Schooling the World (STW) critiques the use of the Western education system around the world. [1.] Whether as a means to end poverty, empower people, or integrate them into a globalized economy, there is no doubt that this implementation of Western education has both positive and negative impacts on these societies.

Though education can present opportunities and equip people with skills they may need, “the right to education is often in opposition to the right to maintain one’s cultural, religious and linguistic tradition.”[2.] We (that is, the west) have created an international education system that does not take into account the surroundings, the opportunities for jobs (or lack thereof), the types of jobs, the socioeconomic status, the religious beliefs, or the cultures in general, of those that are being impacted by the system. This itself defeats the purpose of empowerment because it can lead to useless tools and information while also slowly deteriorating culture.

Along with these new schools comes the religions and language of the West. As shown in the documentary STW, students in Ladkh are being forced to pray “The Lord’s Prayer” though they are traditionally a Buddhist society. Why should they be forced to learn something that is not a part of their culture, and not necessarily something they believe? They shouldn’t, but because the West has the power and means to educate and influence, those on the receiving end are subject to the creator’s perspectives.

On the same subject, English has become the main language and in some cases the only language to be used in schools. This may not necessarily be a bad thing as English is one of the most common languages in the world. However, punishing a child with a fine because they are speaking their native tongue suggests that anything but English is wrong. This sends the disrespectful and untrue message that their culture and native tongue is not as admirable as those of the West.

As the new generation leaves home in order to go to school and find jobs that integrate them into this globalized society, it has created a generation of discredited elders who see themselves as undereducated and therefore inferior. As demonstrated in STW, the parents and grandparents argue that though their children are becoming educated at school, they can still “know nothing” (referring to the fact that many of them don’t know how to cultivate the land or use their natural resources). These skills may be just as valuable as what they are learning at school, and in some cases maybe they are more important.

It is crucial that we help inform others so long as we take their culture into consideration while doing so. We should be asking them to help us create the type of education system that will work well for their society and culture instead of basing the way we educate them off of ours. I think National Geographic Society’s Wade Davis explained it best during the film when he said, “There is a difference between sharing your ideas than going in and telling people, ‘your way of doing things is wrong.’”

[1.Black, Carol. Schooling the World:The White Man’s Last Burden. 2010. Film.]

¹

The movie Schooling the World gives inputs on how imposing western style education to developing countries may not necessarily be helping them and could be damaging.

In Ladakh, a town where people live in a closely-tied community and is famous for their joyful way of living, people are now educating their children differently then they traditionally used to – sending their children to school.

This questions about what development is in the first place. Who defines development, and is the definition of development the same throughout the world? The speakers in the movie questions the universality of the concept of development.

While most of the developing countries value educational background as one of the key components of success in life, and the idea of higher level of education will ultimately lead to better paying jobs, and luxurious life, and this is partially because living expenses may be quite expensive in developing countries. But the situation is not the same in developing countries.

Education may be one of the solutions that could bring better living standards to people. However, what the movie was trying to say was that before anybody from the industrialized countries try to promote the western style education to a developing country, even with good intentions, need to throw away the bias that education is the solution to the development of their societies, and have to remember to evaluate the culture and see what they value.

My childhood was filled with lessons that were given to me by my parents, my schoolteachers and even my peers. The guilt-filled lunches were not unfamiliar as I recall the need to eat everything on my plate. I was taught that waste was a privilege I need not indulge in, because of course, there are millions of starving children throughout the African continent. It was this constant reminder that subconsciously instilled an idea of Western superiority in me from a young age. I believed I was being cultivated to be a responsible “citizen of the world” by being conscious of the good fortune that my circumstances allowed. I believed in the methodology of the “developed” world and was well aware that rest of the world did not yet match our good fortune. I found injustice in unequal opportunity and began connecting my own dots. I rooted the cause of hunger to poverty, poverty to a lack of education, a lack of education as a sign of underdevelopment and underdevelopment meaning they needed our “help”.

After watching “Schooling the World” my preconceived notions were challenged and my perspectives were utterly changed. Like so many other optimistic and well-intentioned souls, I believed wholeheartedly that education was the key to empowerment and equality. A society could only progress once it attained an educated middle class. I had believed poverty would be eradicated by complete access to education and that each community needed to fulfill this human right to basic access of elementary education, so they too could be progressive. However, considering what education might look like, what might be taught, or who sets the standards never crossed my mind. I, like many other Westerners, just wanted to “help” those I considered in need.

Is it possible to help?

I became stumped by this question and the need to find a silver lining. “Schooling the World” portrayed a side of international education that highlighted the grievances of many villages considered to be in poverty— forced to send their kids to school. These villages are losing their youthful populations to boarding schools that are teaching impractical skills and are instilling cultures that are foreign from their own. It strikes a unique cord to realize that these villages are not suffering from poverty but from the forced assumption that they are ignorant and need to develop in order to stay competitive within global markets. I believed that Helena Norberg-Hodge hit the nail directly on the head when she stated within the film that, “It is the creation of development and aid that has created modern day poverty” [1]. My view that some communities are innately poor was radically challenged. Questions flared up for me: Is GDP the best measure of poverty? Why are these countries struggling to compete in the Western market? What sacrifices are being made to ensure that these people are “given opportunity”.

In the film, there are interviews with teachers that have given up their former lives to share their knowledge with these children, principals that are striving to create the best education and interviews with the students who have experienced the system. Watching each of them, it is clear to see the good intention that the teachers hold– wanting each of these kids to rise above their outdated culture and step into the global economy. However, many of these children are being subjected to Western influenced schools that emphasize ideals that are not their own, taught in languages that are not the same as their parents, without practical skills that are transferable to the home lives they have left. Developed countries are giving the “developing world” an education system that does not equalize their middle class, but eradicates their culture and undermines their future.

Alternatives in Education

The need for education was a blind plight that I was ready to venture before watching the film. I believed that English was a language that I could happily teach in Thailand, Malawi or within the rural villages of India. I was optimistic that schools would fight cultural genocide and create opportunities instead of more inequality. Although this film challenged my belief system that all education is good education, there is no reason to fully lose hope that the power of education need always be wielded as a weapon for capitalism. There is a school in Ladakh, founded by a Tibetan monk that believes in an education that need not exploit people but instead, return to the fundamentals of education. As written on their about page, “The Siddhartha School gives the children of Ladakh access to the highest-quality, thoroughly modern education in the region, while also honoring their life-ways and traditions in the curriculum and school activities” [2]. This school teaches in English, Tibetan, Hindi and Ladakhi and fights the notion that all educations must be based on a Western education. Alternatives in international education exist and becoming aware of each option is worth the extra time to ensure that “help” is created by a local community and not a single western goal.

[1] Carol Black. (Director) Schooling the World: The White Man’s Last Burden. 2010. Web.

[2] “About Siddhartha School.” Siddhartha School Project. N.p., 10 Oct. 2013. Web. 14 Oct. 2013.

Our education system makes the assumption that the Western world has already reached perfection and cannot possibly improve any more, and that the rest of the world ought to be following our glowing example of how to live well.

In actuality, only 1 out of every 10 of the children who undergo Western-style schooling in impoverished countries grow up to become successful doctors, engineers, lawyers, or businessmen[1]. We LOVE to tell stories about the children in this ten percent and brag about how much good we are doing in the world through education. But what happens to the other 90%? We try to sweep them under the rug and pretend they don’t exist. But they do. And they are not just statistics. They are people, same as you and I.

So what happens to the 90% who fail – either while in school, or in finding employment after graduation?

Most end up in SLUMS.

What exactly are slums anyway? Slums grow when people move to the city looking for “good jobs”, but such jobs are limited, and only a small portion of them actually end up with one. Many people from the countryside have zero income, so they come to the city to make money. A man might end up working in a factory and earn four times the amount he had before, but the work he must do usually turns out to be much more dangerous, tedious, and less fulfilling than his previous way of life.

Where did education get him? The people in the slums are often the same ones who went through school. Helena Norberg-Hodge, an expert on globalization, puts it like this: “People are led to believe that the future is this modern urban consumer culture. And they are going into debt; they are selling their houses, to give their child an education. The great hope is that they are going to get a good job as an engineer, as a doctor in the modern economy.” But that doesn’t happen. So now what? They don’t have any money left. They spent it all on an education that didn’t lead to a prestigious job as promised. All that hard work, and they are reduced to living in a tiny shack on government-owned land and digging through the trash piles for food.

It is evident that we have a problem. But what precisely is the problem? Is it that our culture is actually inferior to traditional societies’? Is it in what we are teaching people? Is it in the way we are teaching them? The film Schooling the World seeks to open a dialogue about this by showing the world the ways our education system is failing to make the world a better place, and people moving to slums is only one of the many negative effects Western education is having. However, in doing criticizing our system, it is easy to romanticize traditional culture as better than our own. I would argue that what’s wrong is not so much that our culture sucks, but that we’ve decided our culture is right, and are trying to force it on the rest of the world. Of course, as this film clearly shows, our culture is not right, and the world is suffering from being shoved into it. However, we would have just as much of a problem if any people group on earth were to go out to the rest of the world and force its farming techniques, education style and other customs upon it. Perhaps our problem is not our education itself, because it does have a time and place, but the fact that we want everyone in the world to go through it. Not everyone can be an engineer or doctor. Our system fails to take into account how different people are, and does not allow them to be creative, challenge the system, and change the world.