International Education

Access to education is a basic human right and a subject of importance in every part of the world. The desire and dedication to go to school are present and thriving in third world countries, despite the cultural or socioeconomic limitations students face. When these students are able to go to school, however, they are often met with an empty classroom or an ill-equipped teacher. Teachers in poorer countries are often neglected by their governments and do not receive things as simple as proper training. Governments should consider the following in order to assist teachers in their profession.

Prioritize

Make high quality teacher instructors a high priority. At the start, verify the credentials and qualifications of teacher instructors. There should be regulations in place that will dictate if an instructor is competent. Additionally, be aware of the curriculum and methods teachers are learning. Teachers will be bringing these methods and attitudes into the classroom. Just like student achievement is dependent upon their teachers, so is teacher development dependent on their own instructors.

Professional Development

When training teachers, this means establishing realistic standards for teaching and professional development. A clear definition of what “quality teaching” means must be determined and built upon. Policy and decision makers must be up to date on current events, on the realities that teachers are dealing with on a daily basis. Hold those who provide support through professional development (i.e. “assessment, communication, classroom management, learning, and development) accountable for the training they are administering. Teacher training must be evaluated strictly and consistently in order to observe how teachers are learning, the resources they are given, and how they are instructed to use them.

Teacher training must also take into account the realities of student life. Students in developing countries would be sacrificing precious time earning money for their family by going to school. Teacher training can be improved by evaluating the relevance of the curriculum they will be teaching. In countries of extreme poverty, students are still following a Westernized curriculum, studying subjects such as Western mythology.  In an educational setting where most students don’t advance beyond elementary school, using a Western curriculum is not productive.

Instead, teacher training should include creating a curriculum that will offer life-skill building for students’ everyday lives. For example, the Math curriculum should include budgeting. Teaching students the value of saving money and investing it in other ventures are skills directly applicable to their everyday lives.

Additionally, teacher training must include practices that are backed by evidence and proven to be effective, such as student-centered learning. Considering the state of their schools and the kind of lives their students lead, teachers in developing countries need to be equipped with the best tools.

Collaboration

Bring teachers together and promote community building. This will allow them to trade notes, share tips, discuss teacher training, and maintain continuity in the classroom. Encourage teachers to take on leadership roles as well in order to give them a different perspective on their profession and to give other teachers a model to aspire to.

Support

Teachers must be valued as professionals and for the work that they do. They should be supported in all aspects such as ensuring they have access to resources from teaching materials to school supplies. Support can also be given through positive relationships with capable administrators who will guide them and validate their experiences.

Additionally, while funding will always be a subject of contention, it must be considered in terms of how much teachers will be compensated for training. For example, take into account where teacher training will be held. In developing countries, students are not the only ones who have to travel some distance to go to school, but teachers as well. Travel expenses must also be considered, as a teacher may choose to be absent instead if it meant preserving some of their money for other necessities.

Economic Benefits

Increased teacher quality leads to improved academic achievement. Academic achievement, along with teacher support, will take students further to either higher education or to their professions. Research has shown that this progression will not only improve a student’s way of life but the economy as well overall.

Recognition

Teacher development, especially in countries of high poverty and war, is an ongoing crisis that will need determination and consistent work. The classroom always starts with the same person – the teacher. Once governments give teachers adequate support to lift up their students, it will have a domino effect. Capable, effective, and passionate teachers will urge students forward, building up a youth that will enter society with better knowledge and skills with the potential to contribute more to their country.

While the novel coronavirus has brought the entire world to a standstill, it’s the education sector that will suffer the most consequences. Almost all across the globe, the closure of schools, and universities, has darkened the clouds over the future of many young and adult students.

But if schools and colleges are allowed to open, the pandemic may continue for years to come. Besides, there are little to no preventative procedures in place to avoid this eventuality. Moreover, we are not even sure if fever detection will suffice, or if more is required to ensure the well being of children.

So, let’s dive into how the COVID pandemic has brought about an educational crisis.

Implications of COVID-19 for K-12

Many of the K-12 students educated from 2020 to 2021 will be missing up to 2 years of foundational academic skills. A lot of these babies will be 8-10 years old before they start to read picture books—what a sobering epiphany.

As per UNESCO, 1.6 billion children in 191 countries have been impacted by COVID-19. Though the closures are in the interest of safeguarding children’s health, it is also a reality that not every kid can learn via remote learning.

Besides this, there are K-12 kids from across various societal strata who are now deprived of nutritional school meals, which are otherwise unaffordable for them. And while there is a need to ensure connectivity, extra attention, and support for their parents, the task is easier said than done.

In the U.S., many schools are starting to reopen, either with an on-time or delayed start to the 2020-2021 school year. Some have decided to go back to all face to face courses, some have embraced a blended approach, and others have decided to start the school year with fully online courses. No matter how they start, most of their students will end up getting left behind.

For the college level students

College students are also negatively impacted by the pandemic. While their classes were shifted online, many were forced to go back home, with little to no internet connectivity. Some had no home to go to.

This fall, many of these students are gearing to go back to college, and just like K-12 schools, Some have decided to go back to all face to face courses, some have embraced a blended approach, and others have decided to start the school year with fully online courses. No matter how they start, most of their students will end up matriculating and then graduating without the skills that they need to succeed in their chosen profession.

Tapping into the power and promise of digital resources

However, hopefully, taken, this could mean that – now is the time to turn challenges into opportunities!

Though governmental and non-governmental bodies will have to strive hard to provide technological access, it may change the education paradigm. Before there was COVID-19, there were still millions of kids, who are deprived of formal education. Yet, the current pandemic has opened a pandora’s box where and shined a spotlight on these “savage inequities.” Many cash strapped schools have been turning to free digital and OER (Open Education Resources) to provide the curriculum and resources that they need to educate their students.

It’s not just the kids but also the teachers who need better training and access to quality materials. But while teachers must be encouraged via incentives, societal honors, and more, they must be selected through a thorough proper vetting process. And they must also be encouraged to continue learning via professional development.

With digital resources and online classes, we can tap into the power and promise of the internet. Who knows, remote learning may also turn out to be a novel medium to strengthen student-teacher interaction.

Concluding thoughts

We have established that the pandemic is creating a global education crisis. The question is, how do we respond to it in a way that will produce positive student outcomes?

Almost two dozen countries provide free or nearly-free university-level education to their citizens. Some even allow students from other countries to participate in their free education programs; some limit student involvement to themselves or only citizens from European countries. While plans to eliminate student debt in America are being discussed, these countries have figured out how to get it to work for them.

Where Can University Students Learn For Free?

Out of the 24 countries that provide free education, 16 are based in Europe. Only one country in North America offers the program, as well as it being rare in Asia. Three countries are within South America, with three countries also being in Africa.

Europe

1. Norway: Tuition is not only reduced or free for citizens but also international students. Taxpayers’ money covers attendance to state universities, but the tradeoff is higher living expenses.
2. Sweden: Although previously offered to all students, their tuition is now only free to citizens and European students. There was an increase in scholarship programs to compensate.
3. Germany: Some universities have recently begun charging some tuition fees, but the majority of them still offer free education to all students, even international. They may ask for a small contribution each semester, but it is nowhere near the price of full tuition.
4. Denmark: All Danish citizens are offered scholarships and aid, but most colleges are entirely free. They offer their programs to citizens, European students, and students with certain visas.
5. Finland: Finland is a country that offers completely free education and only charges fees to non-European students that wish to take classes in English. Living expenses are not covered.
6. Austria: Not quite a tuition-free country, but very close. Tuition and school fees are very low for citizens and European students with a slight increase for non-European students.
7. Greece: Free education is available for citizens of Greece and European students; international fees are very low in comparison to regular tuition fees in other countries.
8. France: Not free, but very low. If you are native to France or Europe, you will only be paying a few hundred euros. International fees do go up to thousands per year.

South America

1. Uruguay: Education is free to all Uruguay citizens. In common South American fashion, it does not extend to European or non-European students.
2. Brazil: University-level education is free for all students, even international students. Just be prepared to take all classes in Portuguese as they do not offer English.
3. Argentina: Free education is only offered to Argentinian students and citizens; it is not available for international students.

North America

1. Panama: Free to all students, with no concern for nationality. That includes citizens, Europeans, and all international students.

Asia

1. Malaysia: Not surprisingly as free tuition is uncommon within Asia, free education is only available to Malaysian citizens.

Africa

1. Morocco: Free tuition to all citizens, but does not outreach to international students.
2. Egypt: Also, only free tuition to all citizens, but not to international students. Their programs are meant to decrease poverty within their country.
3. Kenya: Different than other African countries, they allow free education for citizens and also to international students. International students are limited to public tuition if they’re high-scoring secondary school students.

Is The U.S. Falling Behind?

While other countries are offering free education to their citizens, their continent, or even to everyone, the U.S. has not committed to these programs. The idea of free education is expanding through countries, they’re implementing new programs each year. With the abundance of grants and scholarships available for students attending colleges in the U.S. is there even a way to convert schools to accept students and provide free education? Not likely, but we will all just have to wait and see.

While most in the education field believe they are underpaid for the work they do, there are many people who argue that teachers’ pay is fair. Some of the arguments that teachers are fairly compensated for their work is the paid time off teachers enjoy during breaks, they receive health insurance and other benefits that supplement their salaries, and that teaching has lower education requirements. This article will counter these arguments and discuss what needs to change regarding teachers’ pay in order to effectively reform education. 

1. Teachers’ current pay is fair because of the amount of paid time off built into their work schedules

This argument is an inaccurate and unfair assessment of a teachers’ work year and is detrimental to both teachers and students. This article shows that because teachers are so underpaid most are forced to get second or even third jobs just to get by. And because teachers work full-time during the school year, this either means they are stressed out and exhausted from working too many hours during the school year, or they are competing with their students for low-paying part-time jobs in the summer. Also, many teachers have to teach summer school to make ends meet, so their breaks really aren’t what many people outside the education field imagine them to be. 

2. Teachers’ current pay is fair because they receive health insurance and other benefits to supplement their salaries

Many salaried positions also offer health insurance and other benefits, and this is not a valid argument for lower pay in any role. And teachers’ health insurance and other benefits are not as great as some may think. This article describes how many teachers in Texas are outraged by their high health insurance premiums, with many avoiding visits to doctors or having to take second jobs just to pay for their so-called “benefits.” Again, this is time and energy that should be put into teaching, not making ends meet on the side because teachers are paid so poorly.

3. Teachers’ current pay is fair because their jobs have low education requirements

This is a more complicated argument against raising teachers’ pay that addresses other issues at the heart of education reform. It’s true that currently, most teaching positions (for high school grade and below) require a bachelor’s degree. Higher paid positions, for example in the medical field, have justified high salaries to help pay off the many years of school those types of jobs require. According to this article, education majors are the lowest performers among all college students. This isn’t to suggest that teachers aren’t smart, dedicated, and hard-working people. But teacher pay needs to be higher, and so do the educational requirements to become a teacher. This will attract stronger candidates for teaching positions, which will benefit students. 

In order to improve the education system, teachers must be compensated fairly for the work they do. This doesn’t only mean that teachers should receive higher pay, but that the requirements for teachers should change too to reflect the importance and difficulty of the position. The education system is crying out for reform, and teachers’ pay is at the heart of the issue.

Global education is an ideology that deals with the enhancement of individual perception of the whole world. It is an approach that helps us to become global citizens. Global education has transcended the regular. With the dynamic nature of the society, global education has changed tune and it needs to dance to the tune of meeting societal wants. To meet these needs, we must take an innovative approach. Our challenges to achieving positive results include; curricular rigidity, the influence of mass media, uninformed teachers and so on. To solve these problems, we need to take the following innovative approaches;

1. Encouraging a non-bias system

It’s a very good initiative for us to come up with innovations that will discourage any form of discrimination. We must strive to attain a global village where we are not separated by our race, gender or religion in learning. These processes can be in the form of an interactive diversity talk show where we organize conversations and discussions in a thoughtful way to discourage discrimination. If we implement this, it will help to solve discrimination, bias, stereotype, and assumptions hindering effective global education by promoting a very good environment for learning.

2. Embracing a better story-telling approach

While story-telling may be a very good approach to promoting global education, telling the right story is one innovative means to counter stereotype. Such story-telling activity may be tagged oneness project where the world is literally brought to the classroom with free multi-cultural stories and lesson plans to explore cultural, social, and environmental issues. These stories will connect human experience to global issues such as climate change, water scarcity, migration, poverty, food insecurity, and sustainability.

3. Educating the poor

To make education thoroughly global, it must not be restrictive. Innovative and well-themed student organizations will serve as a platform for members(student) to volunteer and take part in rural education. These projects will help teachers in rural areas to design a student-centered course around problem-solving.

4. Partnerships with non-state actors

A very important innovative approach is a partnership which is critical for improving
educational capacity. Partnership encourages governments to fulfill education promised benefits in the ecosystem to meet the challenges ahead. With relaxed regulations and effective partnerships, Non-governmental organizations, businesses, and employers can work closely to build an outstanding learning generation.

5. Building a flexible curricula system

We all have to support open online courses in order to facilitate learning, support the delivery of industries and employers and to enhance their approaches to skills acquisition. In order to match the diversity of flexible learning opportunities, we need to encourage online learning. This includes computer-aided learning that will make it possible to factor in cultural differences and learning paces into modes of technological educational delivery.

6. After-school network

The development of students’ global competence is not limited to a regular day in school. After-school programs can provide a valuable opportunity for students to further develop global competence while gaining additional academic enrichment.

Conclusion

In order to overcome global education challenges, we need to have well-taught humans who can always think of solutions. Challenges may abound but a very good approach will enhance global education.

Malala Yousafzai in her book I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban powerfully writes:

“His sisters — my aunts — did not go to school at all, just like millions of girls in my country. Education had been a great gift for him. He believed that lack of education was the root of all of Pakistan’s problems. Ignorance allowed politicians to fool people and bad administrators to be re-elected. He believed schooling should be available for all, rich and poor, boys and girls.”

Malala’s story is as heartbreaking as it is empowering. The overarching message that education should be a basic human right to everyone, regardless of gender, speaks loudly. Her quote above about her father sheds light on an important fact; poor education systems hurt a country on nearly every scale. An uneducated populace stagnates growth and innovation and affects a country from its economics to its human rights. 

Setting the Stage

The Global Partnership for Education compiled a tremendous amount of data from across the world utilizing UNICEF, the World Bank, and numerous other organizations to take a look at the impact education has on countries. All of this helps builds the case that Malala’s story is a part of that teachers are an invaluable resource to developing countries but are woefully swept the side. Consider some of the following facts:

• According to UNESCO Institute for Statistics in their 2017 study on out-of-school children, there are 262 million (1 out of every 5) children between the ages of 6 and 17 out of school
• 420 million people would be lifted out of poverty with a secondary education which will reduce the number of poor worldwide by more than half.
• TheEducation Commission’s report The Learning Generation found that for every $1 invested in education creates an increase of $10 in low-income countries
• UNESCO’s International Literacy Day paper found “a person without basic literacy lacks real opportunities to effectively engage with democratic institutions, to make choices, exercise his/her citizenship rights and act for a perceived common good. […] only then can a nation be brought closer to peace. However if literacy is to become an enabler of democracy it cannot be confined to basic skills, and thus to functional literacy.”

The Role of Teachers

While it is obvious how vital education is to radically change a country not only as a whole but on the individual level, it cannot be forgotten that to educate the students you need qualified and supported teachers. Sadly the reality of teachers, and teacher training, in developing countries leaves much to be desired. 

The EFA Global Monitoring Report found that in one-third less than 75% of teachers were professionally trained. The countries referred to are the undeveloped/developing countries that lack not only the resources to adequately train their teachers but also the infrastructure and even sometimes general desire to do so. 

In these types of countries, the teaching profession is not always viewed positively in addition to suffering from extremely low salaries (which in turn means that teachers need to attain a second job) among numerous other issues. For example, The World Development Report 2018 found astonishing levels of teacher absenteeism in sub-Saharan Africa not only within their classroom but the school itself which gives a closeup view on some of the issues going on in these types of countries and why quality education continues to be a large hurdle to overcome. 

Teachers are the nation-builders but for a country to grow and thrive from an educated and literate population, they need to be invested in, supported, and celebrated. There is no silver bullet solution for such a change to happen. It will take many years of concerted efforts on a social, political, and legislative front to make such a shift but the benefits are indescribable.