Blog 13: Shabby School surrounded by skyscrapers

Sanya, which is near the west part of China, is more of the underdeveloped part of China.  In this rural area, sits very tall skyscrapers and beautiful landscapes which all surround an old broken down primary school.  Haipo Primary School is the school that educates about 140 students and has 13 educators.  This school is under horrible conditions.  This primary school has broken windows and dirty walls that are very visible compared to the luxury surroundings.  The school has yet to start the renovation of the school because it has been rezoned for property use.  Many parents have moved their kids to better schools, but others still have to stay because they do not have the means to do so because of financially reasons.

Feng, who happens to be a teacher, believes that education is overlooked by the government often.  The government is mainly focused on economic growth and development.  So the children of Haipo Primary School are being overlooked.  The school is under hazardous conditions and the government has ceased to start improvements on this school.  The quality of education is bad and many environmental factors affect the students in this school as well. More emphasis needs to be put on education because it is beneficial to success in student’s life.  When more children are educated in a nation then they tend to be prepared for the workforce which helps a country compete in the market.  These underdeveloped countries in China need to invest in education so that they can develop into a developed country.   Education is very important and should not be taken lightly.  Quality education and schools under good condition need to be put into place for all children no matter the social status.  

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2012-04/20/c_131540183.htm

Blog 12: Right to Education Act Upheld

In India’s capital, New Delhi, the Supreme Court has supported the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act.  This Right to Education Act states that students up to age 14 from a socially and economically struggling family have a right to free education.  The Supreme Court now backs the fact that this act applies to all schools even private-owned and irrespective of the board.  Starting the school year of 2012-2013, private schools have to admit at least 25% students from socially and economically backward families.  When these students attend the private school their education is still going to be free.  Classroom atmosphere will change now because these students will be allowed in the classroom with other advantaged students.  There will no longer be separate shifts for the students of poor families.  This integration is said to be beneficial for the students.

This issue seems to be bittersweet.  In this world we live in we want all children to have the right to equal education.  Private schools tend to have better quality education and better resources are accessible.  The government is only allowing 25% of students from socially and economically disadvantaged families which seems to be unfair because all children should be allowed to have a free education at the best schools.  Parents of the students are complaining because they may have to pick up the increased cost of the private schools.  This situation is similar to the one in Turkey about the minority schools.  These school systems are both allowing students from a disadvantaged background into the more advanced schools.  This issue displays the social problems within the educational system.  The educational system need to find ways to make all schools good quality instead of allowing a small percentage of students to get the chance to a good education.  This is still inequality because there are still those students who will not get the luxury of this type of education.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/SC-upholds-Right-to-Education-Act-paves-way-for-revolution-in-schooling/articleshow/12642231.cms

Blog 11: Minority Schools

The Turkey education system has adopted a new system.  The new system allows minority schooled students to attend a private school after four years of primary education.  This new change to the system has given minority students better options for their education.  School officials are predicting that minority schools will see a drop in attendance because of this change.  Before the change, minority students were not allowed to attend private schools.  This change has raised some concerns with administrators.  Many administrators want minorities to stay in minority school and they feel that the new regulations need to be changed and adjusted accordingly.

This article is a prime example of the injustice in the educational system.  This is a problem that children around the globe face.  The Turkish government amended a statement about education for minority students.  The statement stated, in my own words, “Only Turkish citizen could attend private schools (good schools) and minority had to attend minority schools.”  The quality of education at the private schools is better than at the minority schools.  So if the educational system allows the minority students to get the same education it will decrease the attendance of those at minority school.  The minorities consist of people from Armenia, Greek and Jewish backgrounds.  It is a known fact that Turkish citizens and Armenian people have conflict.  So not wanting these students to get the same quality education is unfair.  The educational system is fixed in a way to allow the “majority” children to get the best education whereas the “minority” has to settle for less.  This problem needs to be addressed because all children have a human right to education.  It should not matter their ethnicity, income, etc on whether or not they get good quality education because even though there are some minority students who can afford good quality education at the private schools.  We need to keep in mind that there are still those who have to stay at the minority schools because they cannot afford it.  This is saddening and equality of education needs to be fixed for the sake of all the children.

http://www.todayszaman.com/news-276359-minority-schools-demand-new-regulations.html

Blog 10: Afghan Refugee Children Deprived Education

Afghan children who are refugees are not receiving their human right to education. The representatives for the UNHCR released the statistics to the amount of afghan children in Pakistan who were not getting education and the statistics were a surprisingly eighty percent of the refugee children. It is estimated that about 1.74 million people are still refugees in Pakistan.  Of that 1.74 million only 5% have completed primary school and only 20% school-aged children are enrolled in primary education.  The quality education that the Afghan children receive is very low.  The classroom environments are also very poor.  UNHCR representatives believe that education is not just for the individual child, but for society as whole.

 

Education is known as the universal human right for all.  All children have a right to primary education.  Education for refugee children need to be handled better because a lot of children are not receiving education and if they are the quality is very poor.  The schools situations vary because some have very little resources and conditions are poor whereas other schools are acceptable.   Some governments assist in making sure that refugee children get education, but the truth of the matter is that some cannot even afford to provide primary education to their own kids.  For example, the refugee children in some areas of South Africa are also missing out on their schooling just as the Afghan children.  These countries are in a bad state and funding is not distributed equally.  These countries are trying to make sure that they have enough funding for their own kids and then taking on the responsibility of the refugee children as well.  This is an issue that needs attention because we have a universal education right to children, but the quality of that education is still questionable.  Funds need to be distributed equally so that maybe the percentage of children not receiving education can decrease or even cease to exist.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/357243/afghan-refugees-children-deprived-of-education/

Blog 9: Pakistan's Failing Education System

The education system in Pakistan is almost disastrous.  The global enrollment rate for primary schools are 87% which would be considered a little alarming, but in Pakistan enrollment rate is almost 57%.  This low enrollment rate has caused concern about their educational system.   The educational system is in an emergency state, but it is believed to be able to be fixed.  Changes have already been put in place to make primary education a right for all citizens.  So with that amendment all children should be in school, but a large percentage of children are still not enrolled in school and an average of half attending primary school make it to secondary education.  It is a slow process, but with the help of their neighboring country the UK.  The UK is making plans to help Pakistan’s education system flourish within the next few years.

This article explains the global social problem with education.  The statistics even show for it.  In Pakistan they have an amendment that says all children have a right to primary education, yet their enrollment rate is still low.  This is a problem because if Pakistan does not have children who are educated then they can in no way shape or form compete in the economy.  The UK is taking time out to help the people of Pakistan with their emergency situation because they have the means to do so in this situation.  The UK has a well-developed system that can help benefit. Pakistan has lack of funding for their education system.  It is very concerning that only about 57% are enrolled in primary school.  This should be called to attention by everyone because this percentage not only affects Pakistan, but the global percentage.  It is said that based on the seven million out of school of the entire population of Karachi that 1 out of every 10 is a child from Pakistan.  This all relates to the inequality of education and funding.   I think that UK providing help to Pakistan is what should be done around the world for other nations that are struggling with their education systems, India is one example.  Other nations should take the time out to help better other education systems so they can thrive and compete.

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/columns/22-Mar-2012/pakistan-s-education-emergency-failing-its-future

Blog 8: Give Somalia Children Protection and Education

In Adan Abdi’s classroom, his students do not seem at all interested in their education.  They do find interest in running around pretending to shoot a gun.  These acts the students carry out are mainly due to the constant violence they witness every day. Somalia is known for their militant violence.  The students see people carrying guns all the time and some of their friends have been trained to fight in armed groups and some forced.  This conflict is a distraction from student’s education and the reason why a lot of students do not receive their basic education.  It is estimated that about one-third of the young kids of Somalia are enrolled in primary school.  Abdi thinks that they need to put more emphasis on education in order to steer them down the right path.

This is a major social problem in education especially for countries that are in constant warfare.  Young children are being steered away from their education into military forces as child soldiers.  The sad thing about this issue is that the students in schools of Somalia are not interested in their education, they want to shoot guns.  This shows that the students are not getting quality education.  The students are probably bored in class and are being led toward things that seem exciting.  Classrooms altogether are moving away from teaching the whole child.  Good quality education does not only mean teaching math and reading, but teaching life skills.  School should be an interactive learning experience and not just teacher-focused and all eyes on the instructor.  The same issues that are going on in Somalia, in a different aspect, are going on in America as we speak.  In Compton, California for example, students are not receiving quality education that interests them so they then resort to involving themselves in gangs and illegal selling of drugs.  Students everywhere are being drawn in by outside sources because the education system is failing to invest more in education.  More programs need to be implemented in schools and teaching students basic principles are needed.  The education system needs to extend outside of the book and provide better quality education to all students.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/un-official-give-somalia-children-protection-education-to-bring-peace-after-decades-of-war/2012/03/13/gIQAOYQD9R_story.html

Blog 7: Students Reach Boiling Point

The students of Valencia high schools in Spain are protesting.  These students are protesting because of the budget cuts placed in local high schools.  Valencia is in debt because they owe the regional government thousands of dollars.  The students go to school by day and protest by night.  The students of high schools such as Lluis Vives are being put in classroom filled with at least 50 students.  Some schools are cutting different departments in the school and utility bills are not getting paid.  Some students have stated that they carry blankets to school because of the lack of a heating system in the school.  Conditions in Valencia for student are bad and the students are fighting for some change.

The students of Valencia have to suffer because of this debt.  Out of all the school systems in Spain Valencia seems to be one of the worse off educational systems.  This situation displays the inequality in education.  These students are getting basic resources taken away from them which are needed.  Many studies show that classroom climate and environment has an effect on academic achievement.  If students are in overcrowded, non-heated classrooms then they will more likely not perform as well.  The educational system is setting the student of Valencia up for failure.  Richer parts of Spain such as San Sebastian do not have to worry about budget cuts and lack of resources.  When it comes to funding the lower-economic schools tend to get less funding and is more susceptible to budget cuts.  This inequality needs to be fixed because it is hurting student’s educational development.  This not only happens in Valencia, but the US, Asia, Europe, etc.  The quality of education needs to be improved and equal for all schools.  Funds need to be distributed equally among all schools so no school’s debt will be greater than other, like in Valencia.

http://www.npr.org/2012/03/01/147743214/students-police-clash-as-spain-reaches-boiling-point?ft=1&f=1004

Blog 6: Orange County wants more schooling

The Orange County education chief of Costa Meso, California says that their students need more school.  William Habermehl, education chief, believes that more time spent in school is needed in order to compete in the global economy with places like China, Japan, etc.  In Orange County and other US educational systems students spend on average about 180 days a year in school compared to the 200-220 days a year students in China and other Asia countries do.  Federal funding may not be able to afford more days especially since some schools are cutting days.  Habermehl wants the federal government to stop running to the aid of other countries while spending millions of dollars and help take care of home first, like the educational system.

In this news story, Habermehl thinks that adding more school days will help better prepare students in Orange County.  Many studies have been done and it has shown that quality is more beneficially than the quantity of education.  Habermehl may have the best intentions on improving the educational system, but adding more days will not do any good until good quality education is provided.  In order to provide this type of education they need more resources.  Federal funding for schools need to  focus on providing quality to education than quantity of adding days that may not even increase a better outcome for students.  In richer parts of Asia, they have quality education along with more school days.  Singapore which is in Southeast Asia has primary schools of top academic excellence.  Academic excellence is the way of telling if the education there is of good quality.  These schools usually have 8 hours of instruction, better technology/resources, individual help or group help.  The difference in education quality varies because of the unequal distribution of funds.  Wealthy schools get more funding and draw in higher quality teachers.  They have better resources and smaller teacher to child ratios.  Unequal funding in the educational system is a problem that exists across the globe.

http://www.ocregister.com/news/school-341623-students-education.html

Blog 5: ASU to help Africa's educational system

Albany State University officials are in route to helping Africa’s educational system.  Dr. Titi, who happened to be from Africa, knows firsthand what the educational system is like in Africa and is bringing people along to help improve the system.  Dr. Titi goes on to say that we are a global society and we should be helping other countries because quality education is a global struggle for all of us.  Officials from Albany State are having a forum in order to discuss possible educational policy reforms for Africa. They are looking to better the educational systems even for places in Georgia, which officials claim to be similar to educational systems in Africa. 

The main problem addressed in this news story is the quality of education.  There is an inequality in education because of the lack of resources.  Lack of resources includes quality teachers, technology advances, and even the physical characteristics of the school are a factor.  This article refers to rural Africa which is a rather poor area, but not places like Cape Town, Africa where they have private schools and good quality education.  Schools in Cape Town have well-built facilities and computer labs, whereas poor parts of Africa have little to no resources available for schooling.  Rural places in Africa are in close proximity to places like Cape Town, Africa and education is a way bigger struggle in some areas then others.  Every child should have a right to equal education, but that is not happening.  This is not just happening in Africa, but the United States as well.  The news story says that Southwest Georgia’s educational system is heading in the same direction as rural Africa.  That is a problem, which is affecting children globally. “The struggle for a better quality of education is a global struggle and the challenges of educating students are also global,” this statement is so true and needs immediate attention because disadvantaged children are getting left out of the loop.  This is not equal education.

http://www.mysouthwestga.com/news/story.aspx?id=717758