International Education

Once hailed as a center of intellectual excellence, Egypt has lost its glowing reputation. But, they are working to make changes.  In the fall of 2018, Egypt implemented a brand new education system with the goal of reimagining and reinventing how Egyptian kids learn.

The new system’s unofficial motto is “Know, work, live and be…” The new approach to the curriculum has ushered in a shift in Egyptian schooling and academics. But, to understand what these changes mean in modern Egypt, you need a bit of background on the history of education in Egypt.

A Quick History of Egyptian Education

An ancient tradition of religiously based education was the system for many centuries. Then, secular education was introduced in the 1800s.  At that time, a dual education system was implemented where the general population went to religious schools, and civil servants attended government-funded secular schools. This elitist system allowed public school students far better opportunities than their counterparts in Muslim schools.

A more egalitarian system replaced the prejudiced one, but the education system in Egypt was focused on “old school” teaching methods and rote memorization skills.

So, what are the modern educators of Egypt to do?

The New System: Know, Work, Live and Be

Implemented in September 2018, beginning with Kindergarten and primary school, the new system is a complete overhaul with a focus on multidisciplinary learning. Development of problem solving and creativity are priorities over rote memorization and more superficial learning.

The country was formerly an intellectual and educational mecca. As a matter of fact, the nation is home to the world’s oldest university.   In recent history, Egypt has fallen prey to high unemployment and poverty.  The best and brightest often have their sights set for America or other countries where job opportunities are more plentiful. How will the new system change things?

Here are 7 things to know about this new system…

1. Fewer exams: Primary school students will move from Kindergarten to fourth grade without being assessed or facing the threat of being “held back.” In 5th grade, exams will commence. The Ministry of Education is also committed to altering the secondary school system. One of the first steps will be abolishing the unified national exam. The schools will, instead, hold 12 examinations throughout the school year.
2. Open Books: Historically, Egyptian educators have been criticized for the system’s focus on memorization and “drilling” rather than focusing on critical thinking skills. Open book exams will focus on comprehension rather than memorization.
3. Multidisciplinary Curriculum: An integrated, multidisciplinary curriculum helps students make connections between seemingly different subject matter. This also helps avoid repetition of the subject matter.
4. Focus on Teachers: Salaries for teachers in Egypt’s public schools are extremely low. This has led to a corrupt practice amongst teachers who intentionally withhold information during lessons and then charge for private tutoring sessions. Therefore, if you want the full lesson, you will have to pay. The new system will work to train and pay teachers better so that they are motivated to work hard for their students every day at school.
5. Critical Thinking: Development of problem solving and creativity are priorities over rote memorization and more superficial learning. Students will be given the tools needed in the 21st century for success in life and work.
6. Who am I?: The young children’s curriculum will focus on a “Who am I?” theme. Gaining self-awareness and identifying personal strengths early will prepare them for a successful secondary and college education.
7. Goals: The goals of the new system are simple: create self-aware, critical thinkers who can grow up to boost the economy and help the country regain its reputation as a center for superior education.

The Egyptian students of today are being set up for success. It is exciting and should be very interesting to watch and see how this new system unfolds and what types of student outcomes it produces.

Robots are a cool aspect that kids enjoy seeing in movies and as toys, but now robots are turning out to be more real than ever before. In China, some Kindergarten classrooms now have a robot teacher in place to help students learn.

What are These Robot Teachers?

This robot is a short, rounded educator with a screen for a face. It is just under two feet tall, and it moves around on two tiny wheels, so it is not created to represent or replace a real teacher by any means, but it can certainly help out in classrooms.

The robot is named Keeko, and it has made an appearance in over 600 kindergartens so far. It can interact with students by telling them stories and challenging them with logical problems. Whenever a kid answers one of Keeko’s questions right, its face will respond with heart-shaped eyes to congratulate them.

Pros of Robot Teachers

By having a cute little robot in the classroom, kids can easily become more engaged in learning. Since a robot is new and exciting, it would likely hold the attention span of young kids much longer than an adult would be able to.

In China, robots are being created to make lots of activities easier, such as grocery shopping and providing companionship to the elderly. Helping out in schools is just another thing that robots can make easier.

Robot teachers are programmed with modern methods of teaching, so it is easy to keep them up to date with new concepts and teaching styles. Their primary function is to serve as an assistant teacher, so teachers can gain extra help around the classroom without an additional teacher needing to be hired.

Cons of Robot Teachers

As cool as robot teachers are, they will never be able to replace a human teacher. This is because children need social human interactions to properly grow and learn, so even though robot teachers can benefit their learning, kids cannot rely solely on robots to teach them. Plus, if schools ever converted to an education system run completely by robot teachers, then lots of teachers would be without a job and would need to find a new career path.

Robots also do not have human emotions. While they can teach kids as a teacher would, they cannot sympathize with the kids and talk to them emotionally. However, human interactions are essential, so students need a human to teach them so that they can gain emotional intelligence instead of just learning facts from a robot.

Conclusion

While there are both pros and cons to robot teachers, we should have them in classrooms as long as they don’t get in the way of things. They should never be used as a replacement for teachers, but instead, they should be used as a learning tool to help out in the classroom. Not all schools will be able to afford these educational robots, but if given the opportunity, it could be an interesting teaching method to try out, especially for younger grade levels. However, robot teachers should never be a requirement for a classroom since teachers typically do just fine teaching on their own.

Educational inequality exists all around the globe, and Sierra Leone is no exception. Unfortunately, females are behind their male counterparts in literacy rates, and as of 2016, UNICEF reports that 46% of females, who are aged 15-24, are illiterate, while in contrast, 72% of males in the same age group can read and write. The stark difference in causes us to question why there are such barriers that exist for Sierra Leone’s young girls, and a study by Street Child, an NGO, investigated these.

One of the main barriers to education for girls in Sierra Leone is poverty. Forty percent of school-aged girls reported that poverty caused them to drop out or leave school. With minimal resources, families are focused on providing basic needs such as housing, food, clothing, and care to each family member, and because of this, pursuing an education falls on the back burner. Many of these girls are helping to provide these basic needs.

Other significant barriers that this study found were teenage pregnancy, the loss of their primary caregiver to illnesses or accidents (which is typical for these young girls), lack of parental care and encouragement, and overall negative cultural attitudes and beliefs towards girls’ education, among others. With the odds stacked against girls trying to obtain an education in Sierra Leone, it’s clear why there’s such a significant difference in literacy rates between young boys and girls.

The good news is that there are efforts to help provide girls with equal access to education.

According to the Borgen Project, Sierra Leone joined the Global Education Partnership in 2007, and this has tremendously helped the country’s progress towards equitable education. The latest grant with the Global Education Partnership is designed with the objective of “increas[ing] equitable access to education and improve learning outcomes for all boys and girls in pre-primary and primary schools.” They have a slotted timeline of 2018-2022 to work on this strategic plan. With the help of the Global Education Partnership, schools in Sierra Leone will hopefully have significantly more access to different resources that aid the initiatives of providing equity in education.

Sierra Leone is not the only country that faces inequitable education around the globe. Young girls in many other countries are experiencing similar barriers to equal education, but the social movements towards supporting girls’ education worldwide have continued to gain awareness over time. Michelle Obama’s White House initiative, Let Girls Learn, seeks to provide more equitable access to education around the globe as a response to the lack of education that girls receive.

The girls around the world who are not currently in school, as the White House initiative states, “have diminished economic opportunities and are more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS, early and forced marriage, and other forms of violence. When a girl receives a quality education, she is more likely to earn a decent living, raise a healthy, educated family, and improve the quality of life for herself, her family, and her community.”

Education should be treated as a fundamental human right. With the right initiatives and the move towards equitable access to education worldwide, we can accomplish this right for young girls around the world.

Social injustice from a worldwide perspective is the “denial or violation of economic, sociocultural, political, civil or human rights of specific populations or groups in a society based on the perception of their inferiority by those with more power and influence” (Levy, 2006). The emotions that come from social injustice are anger, horror, outrage, and resentment. These emotions then influence a form of action, like protests, petitions, and boycotts.

Throughout history, we have seen many groups of people revolt or fight back for what they thought was just in their countries. Notable events such as the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, Social Unrest in Nicaragua, and Apartheid in South Africa are great examples of social injustice movements.  Similarly, the groundwork for several of these movements started by gathering members within the community to participate in the cause. Community members almost always include churches, schools, and local businesses. If you think about it, these 3 entities are the backbones in the community that cater to social solutions.

In this day in time, social injustice can be defined the same way, but the approach might slightly be different. 

How are schools tackling social injustice

There are several schools worldwide that are tackling social injustice issues by engaging in Project Based Learning projects (PBL). PBL is an “instructional methodology that encourages students to apply knowledge and skills through an interactive and engaging experience” (O’Brien, 2018). Teachers find it more effective for their students to work on project-based learning projects to fully grasp the depths of social injustices in their societies. 

A teacher in Washington, D.C., says she incorporates music about social injustice into her PBLs. The music is often about political figures or sparks a conversation about community violence, death, and police brutality. All of these issues are happening commonly in the United States of America. These concepts in PBLs make the projects visible to the students. It is a perfect demonstration of social injustices that exist in the real world.

A teacher in China has encouraged his students to focus on PBLs related to historical, social activism. His students are focusing on social media campaigns. The campaigns are seen as a better form of activism for his student’s generation. A teacher in Colombia has formed partnerships with other educational institutions so students can get a better understanding of Colombia’s history to fully understand the country’s peace process.

Schools around the world are incorporating real-world problems into their curriculum. The projects are designed to make students think or brainstorm about solutions that combat social injustices. These Project Based Learning assignments are to help students understand how they can make a difference in the world.

Most of these teachers share the same goal, they want to teach their students how to be global citizens by contributing to the social problems caused by social injustices. The project-based learning assignments have focused on racism, socio-economic status, environmental rights/health, education, and human rights. The concept is effective because it focuses on real-world problems in real time, which makes it practical for students to understand.

For many children, access to free education is something that is taken for granted; however, there are millions of children worldwide who do not regularly attend school. Some of the barriers described in this article by Global Citizen that prevent children from receiving an education include cost, disability, and location. This article will explore these reasons and possible ways to reduce or eliminate these barriers.

1. Cost

Lack of finances is a huge barrier for many families in getting their children to attend school regularly. Impoverished children grow up without learning even basic skills, such as reading or math, which could help them acquire trade skills to get a job that supports their families and serves their communities. This continues an ongoing cycle of poverty in these struggling communities and families. Many places do not offer tax-supported public education, so all schools in those areas come with a hefty price tag for tuition. One of the ways this could be solved is by setting up public education systems that are supported by taxes. This could be done by raising local taxes, or preferably by reallocating funding from taxes to put towards building and maintaining public schools.

Tuition is not the only cost associated with attending school. Books, uniforms, supplies, and transportation to and from school all cost money that millions of families simply don’t have. There are many possible solutions to these problems, such as creating a library of shared books for each grade level that are reused every year by students, rather than requiring every child to buy new books each year. Poverty is not a speedy or straightforward problem to solve, however, and resolving the underlying issues of financial crises is much easier said than done.

2. Disability

Disability is another significant factor that prevents children from receiving an education. There is an abundance of students with various disabilities who are perfectly capable of learning but are not presented with accessible materials. With constant new advances in technology, there are more ways than ever to make education available to those with disabilities. For example, this article from Triple Pundit describes new computer programs that can automatically translate English to Braille for blind students, making reading the same assignments as their seeing classmates significantly easier. Technology, lesson plans, classroom spaces, and more must be designed with accessibility in mind.

3. Location

Many bright children are eager to learn but simply do not have access to transportation or to a school within a reasonable distance from their home. In many places, children are unsafe walking the trek from home to school, whether the hazards are from the climate, animals, or other humans. There are several ways to reduce this barrier, such as implementing technology, designing lessons for learning at home, having older or more advanced students tutor or mentor lower level students in the area, providing bicycles or other safe forms of transportation to students, and more. This article from Forbes explains new methods currently being implemented to share resources to rural communities without the need for Internet access. Connecting communities and creating programs designed for remote learning can help improve access to education for all.

Do you have any thoughts on how we can improve access to education around the world?

While the amount of student debt in the United States rises to over 1.5 trillion dollars, several countries offer their citizens (and in some cases, foreigners) free college tuition. Those countries are:

Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Kenya, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Morocco, Norway, Panama, Poland, Scotland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Uruguay

Free tuition has been a hot debate in the United States for many years, with attention to the issue growing as the student loan debt crisis has worsened. Those that support the idea of providing free education to Americans believe that this policy will help lessen the severity of student loan debt. They also point to the fact that after the GI Bill was passed (the policy that allows veterans to attend college for free), nearly half of all college students in 1947 were veterans. This includes over a million highly-skilled workers such as doctors, engineers, accountants, three Supreme Court Justices, and three presidents. An estimated 40% of these veterans would not have been able to attend college if they did not have the funding of the GI Bill to support them.

There are US states that currently offer their residents free tuition for college. These include Oregon, Nevada, Arkansas, New Jersey, Maryland, Tennessee, New York, Rhode Island, Delaware, Kentucky, and Indiana. Most of these states provide “last dollar” programs – meaning that they will cover the remaining tuition balance after other means of financial aid and grants are exhausted. These programs also typically cover tuition costs for 2-year and vocational schooling. New York’s tuition program is unique in that it is the first to cover tuition for 4-year institutions like the City University of New York and the State University of New York without being tied to students’ academic performance.

There are some that question the viability of a national tuition-free program. For one, these tuition-free programs do not cover all the costs of higher education. For the majority of the existing programs, students are still required to pay for room and board and textbooks. The federal or state funding of education also implies an increase in taxes for our citizens.

While some may believe that higher education is a cause worthy of higher taxes, others don’t feel it is fair to have to pay to cover someone else’s tuition. Those opposed to this policy also worry that funds will be taken away from other government responsibilities, such as infrastructure and military funding. They also argue that by funding higher education, we are decreasing the worth of diplomas and giving students that would not succeed in college the opportunity to use funds to enroll just to drop out without a degree.

It is not an uncommon belief that Chinese students are smarter than their American counterparts.  Education experts, psychologists, and scientists have hypothesized and studied why Chinese students often outperform American students.  Part of the answer lies in the foundational beliefs about the purpose of education.

Aim of Education

In China, learning aims to accumulate knowledge.  Chinese students are taught from the age of 2-3 years that learning is critical to success, and that discipline and strictness are required in that pursuit.  There is a high focus on memorization and a fundamental understanding of calculations—Chinese students are not even allowed to use calculators.

American education, on the other hand, focuses more on creativity and how the student will use the knowledge in society.  Homework is not just memorizing facts and demonstrating skills, but applying originality to the work in the form of critiquing thoughts and challenging the status quo.

Structure of Education

Chinese students stay with the same two or three teachers all the way through elementary school and into primary school, and the teachers are responsible for groups of 40 or more students.  The Chinese teacher thinks, “How can I help this group the most?”  Homework is assigned every day, with assignments over all of the holidays and breaks, and there is strong pressure to perform well on end of year exams.

In contrast, American teachers are encouraged to focus on individual students, creating plans like Individual Education Plans to structure a subject to a specific student’s learning needs.  The American teacher thinks, “How can I help this student the most?”  Many schools have done away with homework altogether, whether because they think students don’t need the extra practice or because students don’t bother to do it.  End of year exams are often viewed as just another test to pass. 

Societal Expectations

In Chinese society, there is a high value on learning and education for future success.  Beginning in preschool, Chinese parents communicate early that their children are expected to succeed in school, which has a very competitive environment.  Students do not typically have time for extra-curricular activities as the school day runs long and then they must complete homework. 

American parents tend to view education and learning as just another part of their children’s lives.  A majority of American children play sports, learn an instrument and socialize with friends from a young age.  School typically does not begin for the American child until five years, which is usually the first formal school experience.  And the American student does not have to strive in a competitive academic environment until late high school and into college as the American educational system is focused on any achievement, not just high grades. 

There are other significant reasons why Chinese students take education more seriously than American students, but the shift in academic focus and thinking seems unlikely for American educators.  However, American students would be wise to take notice of what Chinese students model and incorporate some of those strategies into their own learning.