| To
achieve the 2015 goal of universal access to
and completion of primary education, it is essential
that the quality of education is improved. Only
then will enrolled children continue to stay
in
schools until completion of primary education.
Based on this fundamental premise, a panel convened
by UNICEF looked at ways to improve the quality
of education for all.
The
panel, comprising of prominent individuals working
in the field of education, shared their experiences
and insights about the issue. The Global Campaign for
Education, a worldwide alliance of NGOs and trade unions
active in more than 150 countries, highlighted priority
actions for governments, donors and societies in a
published paper.
Recent studies show that many children in
developing countries are leaving school without
learning to read, write or do basic sums. This
is a waste of human potential and increases
costs due to high drop-out and repetition rates.
Steve
Woodhouse of the UNICEF said, "Access
without quality is tantamount to nothing. We
are shortchanging children and their parents,
if the quality of education is not good."
To improve the quality of education, he said,
one needed to assess and work on five broad
areas: what learners bring to the learning
environment, the learning environment itself,
the content of learning, the learning and teaching
processes and the outcome.
Emmy Simmons of the USAID addressed the issue
of the number and quality of teachers. Quality
education can only be achieved when all teachers
are properly trained, supported and paid.
She also recommended a closer association
between businesses and classrooms, since businesses
were going to employ the students of today.
Mia
Farrow, the famous theater and screen personality,
a champion for children¹s
causes and a Special Representative of the
UNICEF, focused on the issue of equity in education.
Speaking on behalf of the more than 70 million
girls who are deprived of primary education,
she said, "Educating girls needs to be
everyone¹s commitment."
Bill
Bell of Save the Children, UK followed Farrow¹s appeals with specific recommendations.
He suggested a three-pronged approach: one,
make the school environment safe for girls;
two, make the curriculum more relevant to girls;
and three, work towards getting financial support
so as to abolish fees, because a family¹s
economic hardship has a disproportionate effect
on the education of girl children.
Dr.
Cream Wright, officer in charge of UNICEF¹s
education section, summed up the session by
saying, "Trust the children. They know
good quality education when they experience
it."
Look
to the children for answers are
they wide-eyed and enthusiastic about learning
or are they disconnected and disinterested that
is the best assessment whether education is
effective or not, he added.
In
the open discussion session, one of the most
passionate
arguments came from a 15-year-old
youth delegate from Canada. Describing her
own schooling experiences, she said, "It¹s
about teachers who inspire children, who let
every child be the best she can be."
There¹s
not just one way of teaching children, she
said. Children learn many skills
in their homes and communities, and should
not be categorized as smart or stupid based
on standardized tests.
Imploring
the attendees to create a fundamental paradigm
shift, she said in a choked voice, "Don¹t
simply think about buildings, and computers,
and textbooks. Think of communities as schools.
We need to support them."
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