Blog 7: MIT professor discusses education reform
Abhijit Banerjee, an economist
from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, spoke at the Gallatin School of
Individualized Study. He suggested that educators need to change their mindset
of “the colonial view of education”. It
would not necessarily involve spending money to see an improvement. He believes
that educators need to take advantage of what resources are already
available. Mr. Banerjee went on to say
that education systems in developed countries are at fault for the educational problems
in developing nations by setting such a high standard. The standards make it
difficult for these students to reach that same level and at the same time,
they feel inadequate when compared to other students in developed countries.
His suggestion to reform education in Southeast Asia and Africa is to train
local volunteers to teach remedial classes which would not involve spending
money and using local resources. Some of the audience members liked his ideas
and some argued that it appeared that he was willing to settle for less in the
way of improving education in developing countries.
I do not think it is a bad
idea to train local volunteers to help teach children there. Sometimes money is
not the best or the only solution. If it is in fact true that our country, for
instance, has caused the difficulties in Africa, for instance, by setting the
standards too high, then should we lower our standards or spend some money and
resources to send actual accredited teachers to them? But this brings to mind
what Dr. Steven Sills said in class today, “education access IS success”. When
children of developing countries actually have access to schools, the first
step of improving education has Mr. Banerjee may have a point in his solution
to the education problems in Southeast Asia and been accomplished. Maybe we
should not set the bar too high, but maybe setting it too low is just not the
answer.
http://www.nyunews.com/news/2012/02/29/29banerjee/
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