Quality Education for Children Across the Globe

Sustainable Development Goal 4 is to provide quality education for all. (via: https://www.bbva.com/en/bbva-champions-quality-education-for-all/)

Education is often seen as being literate, but quality education is entirely different. What is then considered quality education? A quality education is one that ensures there is emphasis on developing the social, emotional, mental, physical, and cognitive development of the child, irrespective of gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or geographic location (Slade). Most importantly, the purpose of providing quality education is not to evaluate their test scores, but to prepare them for a fulfilled life. The first president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela once encapsulated this when he said, “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”.

Unfortunately, according to UNESCO, “over 600 million children and adolescents worldwide are unable to attain minimum proficiency levels in reading and mathematics, even though two thirds of them are in school”. Out of the world’s 787 million children of primary school age, 58.4 million children do not go to school (UNESCO). These are all results of the barriers to education and the challenges to the provision of quality education for children.

Barriers to Quality Education

The lack of quality education most often occurs in developing countries and rural areas where the economy is unstable, and the level of poverty is high (The Human Journey). Children in such areas faces burdensome education costs barriers that prevents them from accessing quality education (Global Citizen). Hence, they are often being taught under harsh learning environments such as overcrowded classrooms, where it is challenging for them to pay attention to the lessons and instructions that the teachers give out(NSBA). In impoverished countries such as, Malawi, where schools have first grade students in classrooms that have on average 130 children, student are less likely to receive high quality education (Global Citizen).

Another cause that is responsible for this is the shortages in educational resources, which includes the lack of teaching materials and qualified teachers. An example of that would be outdated textbook which are shared by several students. In Cameroon, for example, 11 primary school students share one reading textbook, and 13 students a mathematics textbook in second grade. Additionally, whether schools have qualified teachers as well have a direct and substantial impact on the quality of education that the pupils receive. In a lot of the cases, schools are settling for quantity over quality, as stated in a broadcast from Weekend Edition Saturday, “schools…are scrambling to try to find qualified special education teachers for their classrooms…they are often forced to settle for people who are willing but under-qualified”. Hiring under-qualified teachers could result in children failing in mastering the basic literacy and numeracy skills(Global Citizen). This then prevents them from being prepared for employment and thus the ability to shape their own future.

Solutions to Remove the Barriers

Now that the problems are clear, how can we then resolve them and ensure that children across the globe are receiving quality education? To ensure that the problems are urgently addressed especially for those who have been left on the sidelines in terms of education, the following measures could be enacted.

Qualified Teachers

Increasing the number of teachers would be an effective and efficient way to increase the quality of education that students receive, because it would help lower the student-teacher ratio (The Hun School of Princeton). The the fewer students a teacher has, the more likely they are to tailor their education to each student’s unique, individual learning style. They may also create strong one-on-one mentoring connections with pupils, providing guidance and support in ways that are less likely to be achieved inside of a larger classroom.

So how can we increase the number of qualified teachers in needed areas? To attract good, qualified teachers to areas where they are lacked the most, it is important to either pay them a market related salary or raise their wages. Examples that can be analyzed on are how, in the face of a teacher shortage, 11 states in the U.S. have passed legislation to raise teacher salaries and offer various monetary incentives to entice more teachers to their ranks and encourage the ones they already have to remain in their positions (Prince). However, few incentives are specifically targeted to recruit and retain teachers in places where teacher shortage hits the hardest—low in-come areas and underserved schools. Thus, what the governments and school officials around the world can began to do is to increase the number of teachers in such places—through similar ways—to improve the quality of the education that children in those areas receive. A Stanford study examining the link between teacher wages and student outcomes found that the high school dropout rates could be reduced by 3% to 4% if the wage of teachers is adjusted with an increase of 10% (Loeb and Page). This is because increased salaries would likely result in the probability of hiring teachers who are more qualified and experienced in teaching; therefore, addressing the problem of qualified teachers in low-income areas.

Abolition of School Fees

Abolishing school fees in low-income areas and providing free material have also become popular methods adopted by governments across the world. By abolishing school fees, more children in poverty will be able to access schools which provide a higher quality of education. Usually, these high quality schools charge a higher fee, and this problem of fees will be addressed if it is abolished. So how should this measure be  enacted? In order to eliminate school fees, the governments need to make education a priority and increase funding to cater for the provision of basic education services, allocation of more student places, trained teachers, and learning materials. The specific measures must also be put in place within a good policy framework. Hence, the governments and development partners need to be gathering data and cost/enrollment estimates, examining education plans and budgets, finding inefficiencies, and considering new reform options (INEE). Greater accountability from local levels is needed as well. There has been evidence of this in low- income countries, such as in Sub- Saharan, where school enrollment increased after such measures were put in place.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, one-fifth of children who are between average ages of 6 and 11, followed by one-third of 12- to 14-year-old youth, are out of school—the highest rates of education exclusion (UNESCO). However, over the past several years, countries in the region were able to make tangible progress in terms of improving the education for children by eliminating school fees.
An example is how schools in Kenya have demonstrated a dramatic fall in students’ dropout rate and sudden surges in school enrollment, after the Kenyan government announced that it would stop charging fees for primary school education. Between 2002 to 2004, there was a 1.22 million increase in the primary school enrollments in Kenya. This huge increase proved to the Kenyan educators and their international partners that abolishing fees and affordable fees are feasible and effective ways to progress towards providing access to quality education for the poor. Huge growth in primary school enrollment has also been experienced in several other countries where school fees was eliminated. An estimation on the overall primary school enrollment in sub-Saharan Africa was made by the UN Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), stating that it rose by 42 percent between 2000 and 2007 (Fleshman).

Despite these positive outcomes of the abolition of school fees, there are others who continues to express their worries in terms of the financing, regulation on the size of classes and teacher quality. These concerns are in fact reasonable because there have been issues occurring after the elimination of school fees, that are related to those aspects. For instance, Ethiopia’s average student teacher ratio grew from 33 to 1 to 66 to 1 after abolishing the fees (Olk). This means that the teachers will be less likely to be able to provide quality education for every and each of the students, which therefore decreases the quality of teaching. This also leads to the problem of overcrowding within classrooms, but fortunately, similar to the increase in teachers’ salaries—in terms of needing large financial support—, this kind of situation can be also resolved with the help of funding. Dina Craissati, a UNICEF primary education specialist also stated that, “the abolition of school fees should not be seen as a problem, but as an opportunity” (Africa Renewal). It can be concluded that she believes that, despite all difficulties, eliminating school fees still provides a great chance of improving education.

Funding for Quality Education 

From a financing perspective, to support the increase in school enrollment and the improvement in quality, it must be ensured that safe and quality learning environments are established. This is also to prevent the occurrence of problems such as overcrowded classroom. As a result, particularly when distributing funds, governments and donors should be adhering to the progressive universalism concept and ensuring that the most underprivileged are not left behind (Zubairi and Rose). Bursaries, for example, could be provided for to the neediest students who require assistance in meeting expenditures for uniforms, transportation, and boarding. It’s also necessary to make better use of formula financing to allocate resources to the areas and schools which are in urgent needs. Furthermore, to address the shortages in educational resources, the governments and other relevant NGOs that are based in high in-come countries, such as Save the Children International, could be allocating more funds into buying school materials, hiring qualified teachers, and building more classrooms.

What We Can Do to Help

Apart from the above solutions, there are also things that the public and/or communities can do to help solve the issues, regarding the education sector. For example, funding could be increased through ways such as charity donation to supply educational resources. We can start off small, allocating the funds for donations of school materials to the children in need, which may include textbooks, notebooks, and writing utensils. Similarly, charitable events, such as charity auctions, could be held in communities to raise funding for building and/or upgrading education facilities that cater for children with disabilities. This will help provide safe and inclusive learning environments for the students. Moreover, we could be raising awareness regarding this matter through online platforms and social media, to further promote charity donations and encourage parents to send their children to school at the appropriate age, so that the education being provided to them is suitable for their learning.

Looking at the Bigger Picture

As stated in The Global Goals, “[education] is the key to prosperity and opens a world of opportunities, making it possible for each of us to contribute to a progressive, healthy society.” It is the foundation of sustainable development and innovation. There may appear to be—as this is the reality—countless barriers to the provision of quality education for children, including but not limited to poverty, the lack of resources and qualified teachers, as well as funding shortages. In spite of these difficulties, we—referring to the public, governments, and relevant organizations—must joint as a collaborative and cooperative force to recognize and address these many issues. Together, we can build a better future for the children’s education sector of the world.

Works Cited

Cai, Jinghong. “Safe and Healthy Buildings.” NSBA, National School Boards Association, 1 Aug. 2021, www.nsba.org/ASBJ/2021/august/safe-and-healthy-buildings.

“Education in the Developing World.” The Human Journey, 17 Apr. 2019, humanjourney.us/health-and-education-in-the-modern-world/education-in-the-developing-world.

Fleshman, Michael. “Abolishing Fees Boosts African Schooling.” Africa Renewal, United Nations Africa Renewal, 12 Aug. 2016, www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/january-2010/abolishing-fees-boosts-african-schooling.

Global Citizen. “10 Barriers to Education around the World.” Global Citizen, 30 May 2014, www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/10-barriers-to-education-around-the-world/?gclid=CjwKCAjwj42UBhAAEiwACIhADgkwFVCAZi_w99uR1LLAILjpr44Y_isXlwE7dZib6kc-dkz4YBGixBoCR5AQAvD_BwE.

Loeb, Susanna, and Marianne E. Page. “Examining the Link between Teacher Wages and Student Outcomes: The Importance of Alternative Labor Market Opportunities and Non-Pecuniary Variation.” Review of Economics and Statistics, vol. 82, no. 3, 2000, pp. 393–408. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.1162/003465300558894.

Olk, Sara. “Abolishing School Fees in Africa: Effects on Impoverished Children.” BORGEN, 8 July 2018, www.borgenmagazine.com/school-fees-in-africa.

Prince, Cynthia. “Attracting Well-Qualified Teachers to Struggling Schools.” American Federation of Teachers, 3 Nov. 2014, www.aft.org/periodical/american-educator/winter-2002/attracting-well-qualified-teachers-struggling.

Project Everyone. “Goal 4: Quality Education.” The Global Goals, 15 Mar. 2022, www.globalgoals.org/goals/4-quality-education.

“Six Steps to Abolishing Primary School Fees: Operational Guide.” INEE, The World Bank, 1 Jan. 2009, https://inee.org/resources/six-steps-abolishing-primary-school-fees-operational-guide.

Slade, Sean. “What Do We Mean by a Quality Education?” HuffPost, 22 Feb. 2017, www.huffpost.com/entry/what-do-we-mean-by-a-qual_b_9284130.

“Student-Teacher Ratios: Everything You Need to Know | The Hun School.” The Hun School of Princeton, Dec. 2019, www.hunschool.org/resources/student-teacher-ratios#:%7E:text=Additionally%2C%20a%20lower%20ratio%20will,and%20making%20their%20needs%20known.

UNESCO UIS. “Education in Africa | UNESCO UIS.” UNESCO Institute for Statistics, uis.unesco.org/en/topic/education-africa. Accessed 1 June 2022.

UNICEF. “Education.” UNICEF, www.unicef.org/education. Accessed 1 June 2022.

Weekend Edition Saturday. “Solving The Special Ed Teacher Shortage: Quality, Not Quantity – Document – Gale In Context: Middle School.” Gale’s Research In Context, National Public Radio, Inc. (NPR), 16 Jan. 2016, go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=MSIC&u=cnisbj&id=GALE|A441831321&v=2.1&it=r&sid=bookmark-MSIC&asid=91f8de07.

Zubairi, Asma, and Pauline Rose. “Equitable Financing of Secondary Education in Sub-Saharan Africa .” MasterCard Foundation, Feb. 2019, https://mastercardfdn.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/SEA-Finance-Equity_REAL_Final-Version_Feb-2019.pdf.

For the final task of the humanities book club lessons, we were’s asked to record a video of ourselves presenting a book talk to explain the theme of the books we were reading. The book that’s been reading for the past 10 days is “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas. The central theme in this novel is the importance of speaking out against racism in order to end the cyclical nature of this phenomena and the injustice that results from this.

How does Percy’s attitude toward school and emotional management impact Percy’s choices and behavior? How could he improve? 

ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is a common condition experienced by a number of people—particularly specifying on young people/adolescents in academic years–and it impacts how they behave. Percy’s choices and behaviors are impacted by ADHD, in terms of his attitude toward school and emotional management; this situation could be improved with the help of mindfulness practices, his teachers, and relevant tools and apps. ADHD is often revealed with hyperactivity symptoms that are associated with self-control. As a result, individuals with ADHD often experience difficulties in terms of regulating their emotions. These challenges may greatly impact such an individual’s well-being, self-esteem, and school performance/attitude.

On page 5 of the book, “The Lightning Thief”, where Percy shouts out in the museum to Nancy Bobofit, “Will you shut up!?”, and later noted that the statement “came out louder than I meant”. Since blurting out things in class is classified as one of the hyperactivity symptoms—based on the Newsela article (Neurodiversity: A different view of ADHD) —ADHD was clearly shown to be a major cause for his inappropriate behavior, in the social setting of the museum. Furthermore, getting easily distracted and being unable to focus/pay attention, is another symptom that ADHD suffers experience. This affects Percy quite drastically and this can be seen when he says, “What was so great about me? A dyslexic, hyperactive boy with a D+ report card, kicked out of school for the sixth time in six years” (p. 38).

Furthermore, on page 7, Percy had stated that “Mr. Brunner expected me to be as good as everybody else, despite the fact that I have dyslexia and attention deficit disorder and I have never made above a C- in my life”. In these lines, we see how Percy says in a very matter of fact way that ADHD appears to be one of the main factors that impacted his learning and behavior in school. In addition, Percy exhibits very low self-esteem, resulting in a negative spiral in terms of how he sees himself and making him believe that he is incapable of getting good results. This has gradually caused Percy to establish a habitual negative and/or resentful attitude towards school. Further evidence of his lack of interest can be seen when his English teacher, Mr. Nicoll, asks him, “for the millionth time why he was too lazy to study for spelling test”, Percy called him an “old sot” (pg.17). Based on research from the website, “Thriving with ADHD” states that frustration for individuals with ADHD is likely to result in verbal and physical aggression; Percy’s behavior fits this pattern. An individual’s emotional response can be problematic in that it can have a negative impact on social relationships and including attitude toward school.

Nonetheless, Percy’s choices and behaviors could still be improved. While emotional agility is one of the strongest indicators of success in business and life; this ability to self-regulate is influenced by whether or not an individual has been eating well, getting enough sleep, exercising, and participating in stress-relieving activities, etc. On top of that, emotional mastery entails a self-awareness where individuals not only recognize their emotions but also realize how these emotions impact their behaviors. Thus, to improve emotional management, Percy can first start off with practicing mindfulness; it is a proven way to gain perspective on self-feelings. As Percy begin developing an awareness of his feelings, he will then be able to pay closer attention to how he is behaving, and how his behavior is influencing/impacting others. Meanwhile, according to the Newsela article, “people who have ADHD could be very focused when something interests them”. Percy’s teachers could try figuring out what interests Percy and help him set up a study plan; especially towards supporting him in the areas of his interest. This action could help him develop a more positive attitude towards school. The knock-on effect is that it would help with how he relates to the different persons he comes into contact with. Moreover, as a matter of fact, there are as well many tools and apps to help someone get organized (cited from the Newsela article). Since people could be easily distracted during certain times or activities, and especially people who have ADHD–as an example: Percy–a variety of different apps and tools are designed to help. These sorts of tools can help people keep track of their time, build better habits, and improve work efficiency, which will greatly help improve one’s self-management skills.

Percy had made a range of choices relevant to school behavior/performance, in chapters 1-3. All above explanation concludes that ADHD impacts Percy on his emotional management and his attitude toward school, with symptoms including blurting out things in a social setting, low self-esteem, verbal and physical aggression. He could accordingly improve these behaviors with mindfulness practices–which helps enhance his self-awareness–, a study plan, and relevant tools/apps.

This my group’s (me, Angelina, Judy)parody song for our Choir project and also for my Humanities “Make or Perform project”. The first part is recorded by Angelina; the second part is recorded by Judy; the last part is recorded by me.

This is my “Early Human and Us” Thinglink project for my humanities class. My topic for this project is explaining how communication has developed over time, and how its development has affected humans throughout history. This Thinglink below include a timeline of the development of communication, a paragraph about my topic, images of the early human form of communication, an image of the modern human form of communication, and source links.