Educational NGOs - Revision history

Frederick Swarts: /* References */

2008-08-04T17:51:22Z

‎References

Frederick Swarts: /* Conclusion */

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‎Conclusion

Frederick Swarts: /* History and Strengths of Educational NGOs */

2008-08-04T17:50:09Z

‎History and Strengths of Educational NGOs

Frederick Swarts: /* The Private Sector/Foundations */

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‎The Private Sector/Foundations

Frederick Swarts: /* The Private Sector/Foundations */

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‎The Private Sector/Foundations

Frederick Swarts: /* Collaboration */

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‎Collaboration

Frederick Swarts: /* Closing the Gender Gap */

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‎Closing the Gender Gap

Frederick Swarts: /* Educational NGOS and Their Role in Peace and Human Rights Education */

2008-08-04T17:40:49Z

‎Educational NGOS and Their Role in Peace and Human Rights Education

Frederick Swarts: /* Closing the Gender Gap */

2008-08-04T17:34:57Z

‎Closing the Gender Gap

Frederick Swarts: /* Closing the Gender Gap */

2008-08-04T17:33:40Z

‎Closing the Gender Gap

@@ Line 83: / Line 83: @@
 Education is not simply the acquisition of reading skills and simple mathematics.  Instead, education encompasses learning about the environment, health and population issues, moral and affective domains, and spiritual and cultural values (CONGAD 2000).  Furthermore, high quality education is vital for sustained social and economic development of nations.  For many people living in developing nations, international NGOs provide hope for educational opportunities for their children.  International NGOs have access to global networks of transportation, communication, and information technology.  These associations promote universally recognized norms, including increases in educational enrollments, increased access to quality, standards of teacher training, and equal enrollments of boys and girls (Schafer 1999).  Therefore, it becomes clear that educational NGOs are a veritable force that impacts and improves lives in ways that the governmental sector cannot.
-===References===
+== References ==
 Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Announcements. 2000. Gandhi Institute Receives US$5 Million Grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation http://www.gatesfoundation.org/GlobalDevelopment/SpecialInitiatives/Announcements/Announce-287.htm

@@ Line 79: / Line 79: @@
 	A good example of a multiple stakeholders approach is found through the work of the international organization of the educational labor NGOs, the International Federation of Workers’ Education Associations (IFWEA), which was founded in 1947 and has 75 organizations in 51 countries and six affiliated international organizations. Its national affiliates include specialized education NGOs linked to the labor movement, trade unions (often through their education departments), educational institutions of social-democratic parties, think tanks and research institutes.  The IFWEA developed the International Study Circle (ISC) project, which aims to facilitate an international education program on globalization issues. The ISC involves using the Internet to bring together groups of participants based in several countries.  They then work simultaneously according to a common curriculum, set of materials and educational method. Each local study circle has a facilitator. Between meetings, each group has access to materials on the Internet, including the results of discussions and work completed by other countries in previous sessions (Gallin 2000).
-===Conclusion===
+==Conclusion==
-	Education is not simply the acquisition of reading skills and simple mathematics.  Instead, education encompasses learning about the environment, health and population issues, moral and affective domains, and spiritual and cultural values (CONGAD 2000).  Furthermore, high quality education is vital for sustained social and economic development of nations.  For many people living in developing nations, international NGOs provide hope for educational opportunities for their children.  International NGOs have access to global networks of transportation, communication, and information technology.  These associations promote universally recognized norms, including increases in educational enrollments, increased access to quality, standards of teacher training, and equal enrollments of boys and girls (Schafer 1999).  Therefore, it becomes clear that educational NGOs are a veritable force that impacts and improves lives in ways that the governmental sector cannot.
+Education is not simply the acquisition of reading skills and simple mathematics.  Instead, education encompasses learning about the environment, health and population issues, moral and affective domains, and spiritual and cultural values (CONGAD 2000).  Furthermore, high quality education is vital for sustained social and economic development of nations.  For many people living in developing nations, international NGOs provide hope for educational opportunities for their children.  International NGOs have access to global networks of transportation, communication, and information technology.  These associations promote universally recognized norms, including increases in educational enrollments, increased access to quality, standards of teacher training, and equal enrollments of boys and girls (Schafer 1999).  Therefore, it becomes clear that educational NGOs are a veritable force that impacts and improves lives in ways that the governmental sector cannot.
 ===References===
 Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Announcements. 2000. Gandhi Institute Receives US$5 Million Grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation http://www.gatesfoundation.org/GlobalDevelopment/SpecialInitiatives/Announcements/Announce-287.htm

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 	Educational NGOs have played key roles in economic and social development worldwide, from contributing to primary education in Angola to providing secondary school students in Eastern Europe with the necessary computer skills to succeed in today’s increasingly competitive labor landscape.  The strengths of NGOs lie in a number of areas.  NGOs
-*have proven access to poor and remote areas where government programs and macroeconomic policies have otherwise been unable to reach (Chaturvedi 1994).
+*have proven access to poor and remote areas where government programs and macroeconomic policies have otherwise been unable to reach
-*are able to mobilize the community through their local leadership (Chaturvedi 1994).
+*are able to mobilize the community through their local leadership
 *serve as low-cost intermediaries between government and rural communities, and give assistance to poor/deprived portions of a population (Chaturvedi 1994).
-*equip the population to help themselves (CONGAD 2000).
+*equip the population to help themselves
-*consider education within the framework of social development, and not as a simple mechanism of instruction (CONGAD 2000).
+*consider education within the framework of social development, and not as a simple mechanism of instruction
-*consider promotional activities of the educational sector as a natural prolongation of educational practices (CONGAD 2000).
+*consider promotional activities of the educational sector as a natural prolongation of educational practices (CONGAD 2000)
+*focus on employing effective trainers and capable organizers of community education programs (Chaturvedi 1994). By having training material, the community has a long term resource that can be used by future educational organizations. For example, CPAR and OXFAM developed a document entitled, “Training for Transformation, Problem Solving Participatory Approaches” in Malawi.  This has been used by other NGOs as a resource in subsequent initiatives in this region (Chaturvedi 1994).
 	This article will outline some of the activities carried out by NGOs in education, including involvement in civic education, gender issues in education, and peace and human rights education.  It will then outline the diversity in educational NGO collaborations, specifically partnerships with governments, the private sector, and multiple stakeholders will be examined.

@@ Line 71: / Line 71: @@
 Similarly, in 2000, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation donated US $5 million to The Gandhi Institute in India.  This NGO runs a program called the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's Free Job-Oriented Computer Training Programme, which targets educated, unemployed youth (Gandhi Institute of Computer Education and Information 2000). Other companies have worked closely with NGOs to support on-going programs in education through technical assistance in the forms of financial or managerial and information systems support.  There are many areas for growth in terms of private sector participation.  They include supporting
-*policy implementation at the management level;
+*policy implementation at the management level
-*the training of teachers and curriculum development;
+*the training of teachers and curriculum development
-*initiatives that directly reach children (e.g. equipment and materials);
+*initiatives that directly reach children (e.g. equipment and materials)
 *the general educational infrastructure (Wazir 2000).
-Multiple Stakeholders: Powerful Players to Move Global Education Forward - This type of collaboration has been identified as the most difficult to implement, since it requires the consideration of all parties involved, their motivations, needs, and goals.  However, if successful, it is an effective way to infiltrate the education system to improve the existing structures.  Collaboration between media, people’s movements, government officials, the corporate sector, foundations and philanthropic institutions, and trade unions are all possible avenues (Wazir 2000), and can have an immense impact on education, as each stakeholder covers various needs and can approach problems through their own specific expertise.
+====Multiple Stakeholders: Powerful Players to Move Global Education Forward====
 	A good example of a multiple stakeholders approach is found through the work of the international organization of the educational labor NGOs, the International Federation of Workers’ Education Associations (IFWEA), which was founded in 1947 and has 75 organizations in 51 countries and six affiliated international organizations. Its national affiliates include specialized education NGOs linked to the labor movement, trade unions (often through their education departments), educational institutions of social-democratic parties, think tanks and research institutes.  The IFWEA developed the International Study Circle (ISC) project, which aims to facilitate an international education program on globalization issues. The ISC involves using the Internet to bring together groups of participants based in several countries.  They then work simultaneously according to a common curriculum, set of materials and educational method. Each local study circle has a facilitator. Between meetings, each group has access to materials on the Internet, including the results of discussions and work completed by other countries in previous sessions (Gallin 2000).

@@ Line 70: / Line 70: @@
 The private sector has also found areas to collaborate with educational NGOs, and is increasingly supplementing resources that NGOs are unable to find in the public arena.  For example, in 2005, the Skoll Foundation granted the Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) $505,000 over 3 years to support and expand this program that educates girls in poor, rural communities in Africa.  CAMFED works with groups of girls who encourage one another to stay in school, get jobs, start businesses and become leaders in their communities. The organization has implemented its program in more than 30 districts in Zimbabwe, Ghana, Zambia and Tanzania and is looking to expand to other countries.  This organization supported over 68,290 children in school since 1993. It reached more than 480,000 community members through various initiatives in 2004 alone.  Skoll funding will helped CAMFED open 21 new district centers, develop training programs to support replication, promote national-level initiatives to support girls’ education and hire additional staff (Skoll 2005).
-Similarly, in 2000, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation donated US$5 million to The Gandhi Institute in India.  This NGO runs a program called the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's Free Job-Oriented Computer Training Programme, which targets educated, unemployed youth (Gandhi Institute of Computer Education and Information 2000). Other companies have worked closely with NGOs to support on-going programs in education through technical assistance in the forms of financial or managerial and information systems support.  There are many areas for growth in terms of private sector participation.  They include supporting
+Similarly, in 2000, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation donated US $5 million to The Gandhi Institute in India.  This NGO runs a program called the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's Free Job-Oriented Computer Training Programme, which targets educated, unemployed youth (Gandhi Institute of Computer Education and Information 2000). Other companies have worked closely with NGOs to support on-going programs in education through technical assistance in the forms of financial or managerial and information systems support.  There are many areas for growth in terms of private sector participation.  They include supporting
 *policy implementation at the management level;
 *the training of teachers and curriculum development;
@@ Line 77: / Line 77: @@
 Multiple Stakeholders: Powerful Players to Move Global Education Forward - This type of collaboration has been identified as the most difficult to implement, since it requires the consideration of all parties involved, their motivations, needs, and goals.  However, if successful, it is an effective way to infiltrate the education system to improve the existing structures.  Collaboration between media, people’s movements, government officials, the corporate sector, foundations and philanthropic institutions, and trade unions are all possible avenues (Wazir 2000), and can have an immense impact on education, as each stakeholder covers various needs and can approach problems through their own specific expertise.
 	A good example of a multiple stakeholders approach is found through the work of the international organization of the educational labor NGOs, the International Federation of Workers’ Education Associations (IFWEA), which was founded in 1947 and has 75 organizations in 51 countries and six affiliated international organizations. Its national affiliates include specialized education NGOs linked to the labor movement, trade unions (often through their education departments), educational institutions of social-democratic parties, think tanks and research institutes.  The IFWEA developed the International Study Circle (ISC) project, which aims to facilitate an international education program on globalization issues. The ISC involves using the Internet to bring together groups of participants based in several countries.  They then work simultaneously according to a common curriculum, set of materials and educational method. Each local study circle has a facilitator. Between meetings, each group has access to materials on the Internet, including the results of discussions and work completed by other countries in previous sessions (Gallin 2000).
 ===Conclusion===

@@ Line 65: / Line 65: @@
 ==Collaboration==
-Government - Many NGOs opt to collaborate with the government of the country they are operating within.  In India, NGOs complementing existing government educational programs has been an effective form of program delivery (Wazir 2000).  Similarly, in Malawi, collaborations have been mainly on a one-to-one basis between an NGO and the government.  In both instances, the problem that NGOs have run into is that there is no coordinating mechanism and framework for NGOs in general.  Therefore, though NGOs have been welcomed in the implementation of educational programs, often times they have not been consulted on the policies, creation, design and evaluation of these programs (Chaturvedi 1994).  NGOs often face insular governmental structures that may not want the input of outside agencies and interests.
+====Government====
-The Private Sector/Foundations & Educational NGOs - 	The private sector has also found areas to collaborate with educational NGOs, and is increasingly supplementing resources that NGOs are unable to find in the public arena.  For example, in 2005, the Skoll Foundation granted the Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) $505,000 over 3 years to support and expand this program that educates girls in poor, rural communities in Africa.  CAMFED works with groups of girls who encourage one another to stay in school, get jobs, start businesses and become leaders in their communities. The organization has implemented its program in more than 30 districts in Zimbabwe, Ghana, Zambia and Tanzania and is looking to expand to other countries.  This organization supported over 68,290 children in school since 1993. It reached more than 480,000 community members through various initiatives in 2004 alone.  Skoll funding will helped CAMFED open 21 new district centers, develop training programs to support replication, promote national-level initiatives to support girls’ education and hire additional staff (Skoll 2005).
+Many NGOs opt to collaborate with the government of the country they are operating within.  In India, NGOs complementing existing government educational programs has been an effective form of program delivery (Wazir 2000).  Similarly, in Malawi, collaborations have been mainly on a one-to-one basis between an NGO and the government.  In both instances, the problem that NGOs have run into is that there is no coordinating mechanism and framework for NGOs in general.  Therefore, though NGOs have been welcomed in the implementation of educational programs, often times they have not been consulted on the policies, creation, design and evaluation of these programs (Chaturvedi 1994).  NGOs often face insular governmental structures that may not want the input of outside agencies and interests.
 Similarly, in 2000, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation donated US$5 million to The Gandhi Institute in India.  This NGO runs a program called the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's Free Job-Oriented Computer Training Programme, which targets educated, unemployed youth (Gandhi Institute of Computer Education and Information 2000). Other companies have worked closely with NGOs to support on-going programs in education through technical assistance in the forms of financial or managerial and information systems support.  There are many areas for growth in terms of private sector participation.  They include supporting

@@ Line 40: / Line 40: @@
 There are a number of actions taken by educational NGOs that can work to decrease the gender gap. They include:
-#Raising awareness on the social and economic benefits to educating girls;
+#Raising awareness on the social and economic benefits to educating girls
-#Decreasing the cost of girls’ education for parents;
+#Decreasing the cost of girls’ education for parents
-#Developing relevant gender sensitive curriculum;
+#Developing relevant gender sensitive curriculum
-#Promoting the training and recruitment of female teachers;
+#Promoting the training and recruitment of female teachers
-#Improving access by reducing the distance to schools;
+#Improving access by reducing the distance to schools
-#Promoting community participation in the planning, development, and management of educational programs;
+#Promoting community participation in the planning, development, and management of educational programs
-#Promoting literacy training of parents;
+#Promoting literacy training of parents
 #Using multiple delivery systems ranging from formal to informal to alternative (Wazir 2000).

@@ Line 51: / Line 51: @@
 ==Educational NGOS and Their Role in Peace and Human Rights Education==
-	Peace education is a component of a child’s right to education. Section 1(d) of Article 29 of the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child addresses this:
+	Peace education is a component of a child’s right to education. Section 1(d) of Article 29 of the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child addresses this in saying “The preparation of the child for responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes, and friendship among all peoples, ethnic, national and religious groups and persons of indigenous origin ...” The right to an education includes an education in human rights, as it makes possible the educating of people about human rights and prepares them for the active protection of human rights of others (Spring 2004).
 Some objectives in delivering peace education include:
-*Teaching how to think rather than what to think about issues;
+*Teaching how to think rather than what to think about issues
-*Developing critical thinking skills in an informed citizenry;
+*Developing critical thinking skills in an informed citizenry
-*Deepening understanding of the multiple factors at the local, national, regional and global levels that either foster or undermine peace;
+*Deepening understanding of the multiple factors at the local, national, regional and global levels that either foster or undermine peace
-*Encouraging attitudes and actions which promote peace;
+*Encouraging attitudes and actions which promote peace
-*Conveying relevant information and fostering a responsive attitude to current and future security challenges through the development and widespread availability of improved methodologies and research techniques;
+*Conveying relevant information and fostering a responsive attitude to current and future security challenges through the development and widespread availability of improved methodologies and research techniques
-*Bridging political, regional and technological divides by bringing together ideas, concepts, people, groups and institutions;
+*Bridging political, regional and technological divides by bringing together ideas, concepts, people, groups and institutions
 *Projecting at all levels the values of peace, tolerance, non-violence, dialogue and consultation as the basis for interaction among peoples, countries and civilizations (Roche 2003).
-		Many NGOs deliver peace and human rights education to beneficiaries in differing ways.  For example, in Japan, organizations such as the Buraku Liberation League and National Association of Disabled People deal with minority education issues, and several Dowa Educators’ Associations across the country deliver ethnic minority education to address the discrimination that face people from the Dowa districts.  Some activities run by the National Federation of Dowa Educator’s Associations include an annual assembly of teachers, regular intensive discussions on its own policies, protests, and policy advocacy (Nabeshima et al 2001).
+Many NGOs deliver peace and human rights education to beneficiaries in differing ways.  For example, in Japan, organizations such as the Buraku Liberation League and National Association of Disabled People deal with minority education issues, and several Dowa Educators’ Associations across the country deliver ethnic minority education to address the discrimination that face people from the Dowa districts.  Some activities run by the National Federation of Dowa Educator’s Associations include an annual assembly of teachers, regular intensive discussions on its own policies, protests, and policy advocacy (Nabeshima et al 2001).
-===Collaboration===
+==Collaboration==
 Government - Many NGOs opt to collaborate with the government of the country they are operating within.  In India, NGOs complementing existing government educational programs has been an effective form of program delivery (Wazir 2000).  Similarly, in Malawi, collaborations have been mainly on a one-to-one basis between an NGO and the government.  In both instances, the problem that NGOs have run into is that there is no coordinating mechanism and framework for NGOs in general.  Therefore, though NGOs have been welcomed in the implementation of educational programs, often times they have not been consulted on the policies, creation, design and evaluation of these programs (Chaturvedi 1994).  NGOs often face insular governmental structures that may not want the input of outside agencies and interests.

@@ Line 35: / Line 35: @@
 The education of girls is closely related to social and economic development.  It is also linked to reduced fertility rates, improved child survival rates, longer life expectancies, lower death rates, greater provision of basic needs, and more rapid rates of economic growth (Schafer 1999).  It appears that gender inequality in education does impede economic growth.  A study by Klasen examines South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa and the impact of gender-balanced education on economic growth.  The findings show that if these regions had made more balanced educational achievements in 1960, and if they had done more to promote gender-balanced growth in education, their economic growth could have been up to 0.9% per year faster than what actually occurred (Klasen 1999).
-Many states have increasingly faced challenges in education, especially in the administering of equal education to female children.  Some of these challenges ranged from conflicting views on economic and social outcomes of primary education, to specific school-based issues such as improving the quality of textbooks and improving teachers’ performances, and finally to systemic problems such as reducing the gender gaps in enrollment, retention, and achievement, as well as increasing financing for primary education (Wazir 2000). NGOs have a large part to play in closing the gender gap in education across various countries in the developing world.  In Senegal, it was found that women would be the main beneficiaries of programs set up by NGOs.  Actions taken by NGOs would focus on combating exclusion, poverty, and ignorance.  Specifically, the main actions for women in Senegal were related to building classrooms, women’s homes, kindergartens, reading centers, and libraries.   Materials were also developed for this group that included learning guides, audio-visual equipment, a syllabus in national languages, brochures, and films (CONGAD 2000).
+Many states have increasingly faced challenges in education, especially in the administering of equal education to female children.  Some of these challenges ranged from conflicting views on economic and social outcomes of primary education, to specific school-based issues such as improving the quality of textbooks and improving teachers’ performances, and finally to systemic problems such as reducing the gender gaps in enrollment, retention, and achievement, as well as increasing financing for primary education (Wazir 2000).
-There are a number of actions taken by NGOs that can work to decrease the gender gap. They include:
+NGOs have a large part to play in closing the gender gap in education across various countries in the developing world.  In Senegal, it was found that women would be the main beneficiaries of programs set up by NGOs.  Actions taken by NGOs would focus on combating exclusion, poverty, and ignorance.  Specifically, the main actions for women in Senegal were related to building classrooms, women’s homes, kindergartens, reading centers, and libraries.   Materials were also developed for this group that included learning guides, audio-visual equipment, a syllabus in national languages, brochures, and films (CONGAD 2000).
 #Raising awareness on the social and economic benefits to educating girls;
 #Decreasing the cost of girls’ education for parents;