Difference between revisions of "Educational NGOs"
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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). | 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 | + | 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). |
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| + | 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; | ||
Revision as of 11:33, 4 August 2008
Contents
Overview of Educational NGOs
NGOs are civil society actors. They have a specific agenda for the improvement of society, and act on the desire to advance and improve the human condition (Gallin 2000). In 1990, the decade of “Education for All” (EFA) was launched in Jomtien, Thailand. There were six goals set in Jomtien and in 2000 in Dakar, Senegal, these goals were reaffirmed for another 15 years until 2015 (Torres). They are:
- Expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children.
- Ensuring that by 2015 all children, particularly girls, children in difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities, have access to, and complete, free and compulsory primary education of good quality.
- Ensuring that the learning needs of all young people and adults are met through equitable access to appropriate learning and life-skills programs.
- Achieving a 50 percent improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015, especially for women, and equitable access to basic and continuing education for all adults.
- Eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005, and achieving gender equality in education by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls’ full and equal access to and achievement in basic education of good quality.
- Improving all aspects of the quality of education and ensuring excellence of all so that recognized and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all, especially in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills (UNESCO 2000).
Since the Dakar conference, the coordination group has been set up to ensure, in collaboration with UNESCO, that there are follow-up of activities as well as programs and mechanisms for NGOs under the area of “Education For All”. The Coordination Group is composed of eight representatives of civil society organizations, comprised of five regional organizations, two international organizations, and one representative of the UNESCO/NGO Liaison Committee (CCNGO 2001).
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