Global Campaign for Education

While reviewing the information located within the ACEI website – I explored a link to the Global Campaign for Education. This site contains a variety of information, primarily presented as a Blog.  The latest article touts recent efforts of children worldwide to raise awareness of the millions who are still without access to an education by presenting the UNESCO Director-General with thousands of drawings from around the world. As per the article, there are still over 200 million children around the world annually who have limited or no access to an education due to poverty, poor nutrition and inadequate care – these children “will not attain their development potential” without prompt and adequate intervention (GCE, 2012, p 13). Not only does the article continue with additional information on the event, but is actually a follow up from previous posts.

As I continued to explore I found an interesting publication from the GCE (2012) that analyzes educational efforts from around the world and notes that the North America/Western Europe enroll nearly 80% of pre-primary children in early learning educational programs with only a minimal increase in the last decade, but in Sub-Saharan Africa (including Mali) enrollment has increased more than 40% since 1999 which sounds great until you realize that this increase still only includes less than 20% of children under the age of 5.

I continued to expand my research of this sight, I followed the square, orange link at the top of the page to “Your Country” to find more information about how the US is participating in these efforts. According to one article, President Obama has pledged $2 million for global education (http://www.campaignforeducationusa.org/about/education-for-all); saying that since other countries have dropped the ball, it is up to the US to take a lead in these efforts. However, another section identifies the Obama Administration as excluding education as a developmental priority (http://www.campaignforeducationusa.org/about). Seemingly conflicting information to be sure. More investigation is necessary to fully understand these claims. On a personal, and apparently cynical if not selfish note, I would like to think that this means that our government recognized that there are millions of children here in the US who need assistance before funds are invested in children overseas. Yes, we can participate and we can make a difference – but if the US is going to be able to compete and participate globally, we must support our own children’s education in order to ensure that we have strong leadership for our future.

For a quick video on one groups efforts in Washington:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VBSK5HiHevc

GCE (2012, April). Rights from the Start. Retrieved from http://globalactionweek.org/app/webroot/files/reports/GAW_RFTS_FINAL_ENG.pdf

[The Global Campaign for Education, U.S. Chapter (GCE-US) is a broad-based coalition (click here for a complete list of our coalition members) of U.S. organizations including faith-based groups, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), teachers unions, foundations, and think tanks dedicated to ensuring access to quality basic education in developing nations.]http://www.campaignforeducationusa.org/about/education-for-all

Equity in Education

"Education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that a son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine, that a child of farm workers can become the president of a great nation. It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another"

-      

Nelson Mandela

Mahamadou sent me a link this week to a recent publication regarding educational data collected from Sub-Saharan Africa.  While admittedly there are some countries that are providing well for their students, the majority “fall far below” as we would say. The information collected from 45 countries in the region illustrates a variety of factors that affect the quality of education for these children including teacher training, resource availability (ex: text books), and basic services such as electricity, sanitation, water.

As I read through the articles that are written by and intended for Americans, the information seems appalling that we have such a disparity between early childhood education from one school, county, state to the next. But when I look through the pages of “have nots” in this article I gain a larger perspective of what we do have and take for granted every day.

I fuss because I only have 29 text books and 34 students, but in many areas of Africa there are less than ½ the necessary books to go around, in fact, in Cameroon there are 13 children for each mathematics text book (UNESCO, 2012, figure 4)! What is more unfathomable is the fact that in many countries, less than ½ of their schools have no toilets or potable water.  And the next time I want to scream because I have more students in my classroom than I have chairs – I’ll remember the under-trained teachers in Mali who have between 55-65 students in their 1^st thru 3^rd grade classrooms and consider that the primary reason for lower class sizes by the 6^th grade is the fact that many students do not stay in school that long.  In addition, it is estimated that an increase of more than ¾ of the current teaching force will need to be added within the next few years to keep pace with the rise in school age children (2012, p. 10)

Equity issues do certainly exist and must be address in America – that is not argued. But when I look at the images of these children, I have a new respect for those who are fighting tirelessly for real change overseas.

UNESCO. (2012). School and Teaching Resources in Sub-Saharan Africa, Analysis of the 2011 UIS Regional Data Collection on Education. UIS Information Bulletin No9. Retrieved from http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/Documents/ib9-regional-education-africa-2012-en-v5.pdf

ACEI Resources

In relation to my international “friend”, I find the Global Resources section of the ACEI website particularly interesting.

Today as I was browsing through the articles and highlights, I found a blurb from Senegal, a small country just West of Mali. Granted, the notation was several years ago but it attempted to share encouraging news regarding efforts to increase early learning opportunities for children in that region.

The thing I found so interesting, though, was that the articles that followed were much more recent and much more detailed. One report created last year identified that in the last 5 years the total enrollment primary school has not significantly changed. The average school size is around 375 students, but the data only included information of the number of teachers from 2005/06, which was approximately 100 teachers per school. The big difference is that the countries mentioned are all in Southeastern Africa (Mozambique, Botswana, and Ethiopia.

This information seems to further support my friend’s statement that there is a large disparity between nations who have the financial means to support their children’s education and those who do not. 

International Communication Continued

Good Evening (or morning, afternoon, night depending on when you are reading this!),
I am excited to share some good news and some not so good news...
I have a "friend" from Mali, Africa!!!
(Unfortunately, I don't really know his name yet.) Sounds strange, but it's true.

Since everyone was experiencing so many challenges on the email route, I thought I would try a different avenue: Facebook. I started with the Association for Childhood Education International home page, and began sending requests to random people who also "liked" the site. Low and behold - I got a response! I believe his name is Mahamadou Cisse, but I can't be sure. His Facebook Username is Appel du Mali, vision sur un continent which translates into Call of Mali, a vision of continent.
I then followed his Facebook links to his Blog: http://mahamadouc.blogspot.com/p/cible.html which is where I found what I believe to be his name. (This could sound like stalking if I wasn't actually conversing with the man.)

We have only be chatting for a little over a week, but already I am amazed by what I have learned. One of the most intersesting elements is that his Blog and Facebook pages are in French! (Hooray for Google Translator!) To my relief, though, he also speaks English. He is a student at the University studying Literatures and Civilizations of english countries ( England and United States). But I do say that finding information on his pages is fun and I may just learn a little French before all is said and done.

Mahamadouc is not really an Early Childhood professional, but is very active in regards to education in Africa. Graciously, he has passed my request on to several of his colleagues who are in the EC field. In our latest communique he spoke of the severe inadequacy of the education system, mentioning that most urban, public schools may have up to 200 students per teacher and that rural schools are exponentially worse!  It came as no big surprise that Mahameadouc also says that there is a definite line between the "haves" and "have nots" and that only the more affluent can afford to spend money on their chidren's education.

I so look forward to continuing our conversations as well as the prospect of meeting even more friends around the globe that can aid me in my journey to understanding the plight and prosperity of children all over the world.

Sharing Web Resources

The Association for Childhood Education International http://www.acei.org/ is a global organization with ties to the United Nations that strives to support Early Childhood Professionals along their journey in the field as a means to significantly impact the changing world of children – educationally and developmentally. 

A recently published Global News article focuses on the urgent need for quality, accessible preschool for all children as well as an expanded awareness and attention to the issue of childhood malnutrition and its effect on learning. It does not come as a big surprise that children who spend at least one year in pre-schooling are more successful in primary school and beyond. One outstanding point relates to the battle against childhood malnutrition - that it is not necessarily money that is the issue, but governmental and societal leaders who fail to combat this condition head on (UNESCO, 2012, p 2).

UNESCO (2012, April) Expanding equitable early childhood care and education is an urgent need. EFA GMR.

Retrieved from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0021/002160/216038E.pdf

International Contacts & Professional Organization

Although I have made minimal progress in establishing contact with an Early Childhood professional in another country, I have put out a few feelers. 

In the mean time, I have visited the World Forum and listened to a couple of radio podcasts: Maysoun Chehab from the Arab Resource Collective spoke of efforts to support children, families and educators in post war Beirut, Lebanon and Deevia Bhana, a professor at the University of KwaZulu – Natal in South Africa, who discussed the issue of educating and advocating for primary school children who are dealing with sexual violence and HIV/AIDS.

While it is sad to think that young children are experiencing such horrific events like war, it is unimaginable to me that girls as young as 7 are in fear of boys and men because of the threat of contact or attack by those who may be infected with HIV or AIDS. It boggles my mind that a first or second grader would have to know about sex and abstinence at all, much less to ensure personal survival.

Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) has an intriguing website filled with news articles, publications and related events. The most interesting links I have discovered thus far are   the Global Resource links that specifically address educational diversity around the world: at the moment, there are six regions from which to choose and research.  I look forward to spending time perusing this site throughout this course and beyond!

https://www.acei.org/