Education and Fragility in Nepal

The INEE website was completely new for me to explore, lots of great information and resources.  I have not traveled outside the United States of American, nor have I followed much of the emergencies that plague other countries and how it impacts education.  Friends of mine are extensively involved with work in a primary school K-6 they started in Haiti through The Power of Education Foundation.  I have seen the work they are doing to improve education opportunities for students in dire poverty conditions.  This was one of the reasons I selected Education and Fragility as my theme.

Learning more about Education and Fragility from the website, brought me back to a conversation I had with Earle Canfield, the Executive Director of ANSWER Nepal prior to the start of this course.  Over the past year, I have worked with high school students on Interfaith Understanding.  We’ve done a number of training and events, and congregational visits to build understanding of other religions.  Visit our facebook page to see what we’ve been up to over the past year, one event we were able to meet Tony Blair!  One of my students was selected to be a Hope Not Hate Fellow for the Americans for Informed Democracy, one of seven selected from across the USA!  A recent newspaper article about her and the work she is doing with Hope Not Hate, lead to my phone call from Earle.  He is interested in finding a student ambassador for ANSWER Nepal program and was quite interest in the work of this student.  We discussed the idea and the possible opportunity for a high school student to be able to visit Nepal and work with students there.  I offered several suggestions about how to move forward with a project like this and he suggest I attend a board meeting to discuss and maybe even consider joining the board for this NGO.  I serve on a number of boards in my community, so I didn’t really consider joining the board at that time.

I had received an informational packet about the organization, its mission and purpose.  Because of what I was reading on the INEE website, I was inspired to take a more in depth look at the materials about ANSWER (American-Nepali Student & Women’s Educational Relief).  What I’ve discovered through this course and these materials has me serious considering joining this effort, and moving into a more active role for education of students in Nepal.  The INEE website could be a great resource for this initiative.

ANSWER began in 2001, after Earle was on a trip to Nepal.  He met a little girl named Uma.  She was on a corner under a street lamp selling cigarettes to support her family.  In one arm she held her baby brother, while she wrote her lessons in her copy book with the other hand.  Every night, she was faithfully multitasking under the street lamp.  He decided to help Uma, by paying to put her into private school and pledging to support her education through college.  Uma learned English and has since graduated from nursing school, now works and has an apartment.  Earle figured if he could make that big of a difference for one student and her family, there might be others interested to help Nepalese kids too.

Nepal has a limited number of public schools and they can be far from where many children live.  Students are also required to pay fees, buy school supplies, uniforms and shoes.  Although Nepalese value education, many families cannot afford to send their children to school.  There are generally 50-70 students per classroom and very basic English is taught for two years.  Colleges, businesses and professional careers require English fluency in Nepal.  Approximately 60% of girls and 30% of boys in Nepal are illiterate.

The government of Nepal still remains unstable and fragile.  Nepal's comprehensive peace accord formally ended the country's decade-long Maoist insurgency in 2006. The 2011 seven-point agreement to implement the accord committed Nepal's political leadership to the reintegration and rehabilitation of ex-combatants, completing the constitutional drafting process, and initiating state restructuring, remain far from complete.  Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world and is prone to natural disasters. The country faces several medium- and long-term development challenges, including strained capacity in government, civil society, and the private sector to drive the development agenda, high vulnerability to climate change, and a massive youth bulge.

More than 500 children attend 100 private schools all over Nepal through the efforts of ANSWER, with a goal of having 800 students enrolled by 2020.  The more that I learn about their mission, the more impressed I am with the group’s efforts.  Their approach is quite unique and especially draws my interest because it supports the student through college or professional schools, not just primary grades.  They only educate one child per family, since that child will eventually have the means to support the entire family.  Families have to buy one pair of shoes or book bag to become invested in their child’s education.  Students are strategically selected, selecting girls over boys because of the great gender disparities.  They use only upper caste private schools that teach in English, public schools reinforce the cast system and the cycle of poverty.  They approach education holistically, where they have an emergency fund for medical costs for all family members, as a living parent is vital in keeping a child in school.  They work with 120 schools and colleges, schools are held accountable for learning, and otherwise the student will be transferred to another school.  Their administrative cost are supported through separate fundraising efforts, with paid staff in Nepal and volunteers in the USA.  Donors sponsor students with 100% of the donation going to the education of that student.  Donors are required to make a 3 year commitment, with encouragement to sponsor a student through college/professional training.  Sponsors communicate with the child that they sponsor for updates and progress.  Although there are a number of other great factors, the one that really grabs my attention is that at the current pace of change, ANSWER believes their children will be among the new leaders in Nepal as they represent the largest educated group from disadvantaged backgrounds.  They, like no generation before them, understand and are eager to forge a more level, more democratic playing field for future generations.

I am now more motivated than ever to help Nepalese students get an education and believe I can contribute to the goal of 800 students by 2020 for ANSWER.  I am planning to attend their August board meeting to share the INEE website and how I can participate in this program.  I believe they have developed their program to meet a great need in educating the most vulnerable population in Nepal and give these students and their families the tools they need to move out of poverty into engaged participants in their community and government.  I hope others that read this, will be inspired to join forces and possibly sponsor a child:

http://answernepal.org/

Session 6 Assignment - Development Letter

July 23, 2013

Dear Bre,

Congratulations on your college graduation in a field near and dear to me - education!  I am honored to know you and appreciate the mission work you have done in Africa and Haiti to help students and schools.  As someone passionate about working with an organization that helps with education in Haiti, I want to share information with you as you plan for your future endeavors.

As you probably saw on your last mission trip, Haiti is still struggling and corruption is rampant.   Even though Americans gave billions in relief aid, only 38 percent of it has been used for recovery and rebuilding in 2011.  While most money raised, by reputable organizations, has been spent needs continue.  See the article from The Chronicle of Philanthropy:  http://philanthropy.com/article/Charities-Have-Spent-Most-of/130223/

There are many great organizations working in Haiti, but I’d like to suggest that you look into the school started by The Power of Education Foundation.  They are a non-profit organization started in 2009 from people in our community.  Their mission is to provide long term educational opportunities for impoverished children at their school in Fontamara, Haiti, a neighborhood of Port au Prince.  Next year they expect to serve 180 K-6 students.  They believe in a holistic approach to education, not only providing access to free quality education, but also medical and nutritional support, teacher training and parent education.  They have school to school partnerships to raise students' awareness and sensitivity to global issues by developing compassion and empathy through interactive lesson plans and meaningful service projects for the school in Haiti.  They also have teacher resources available, in case you decide to get a job in a USA school district.

The cost to educate one child is $300 for the year.  PEF seeks to partner with donors to support the education of these students.  They are having a fundraiser on Aug. 8 at the Bistro Chloe Elan in Ada.  You can learn more about the organization and how to purchase a ticket for the fundraiser, find teaching resources, school partnership information or support a student at their website:  http://www.powerofeducationfoundation.org/

They have also put together a great video showcasing their work:  http://youtu.be/qTf-PPp-agM

A friend of mine is the executive director and I’m sure would love to talk to you about the opportunities!  I would be happy to introduce you to her at the event.  If you are not able to make the event, let me know and I will email introduce the two of you.  I know you would be a great asset for them and it is one of those charitable organizations that can be trusted with your time and money!

I look forward to learning what you do with your future and how you assist students from around the world.  The world could really use more educators like you to lead the changes that we need to educate all students.

Best wishes for continued success,

Julie Mushing

Education for the 21st Century Learners in Michigan

Having recently read “Learning the Treasure Within”, a report to UNESCO, I found many relevant ideas that can help Michigan schools meet the educational needs for 21^st Century learning. 

Michigan has a strong belief in the importance of lifelong learning.

According to Learning the Treasure Within, Delors J (1996 pp 20-21) the basis for the report is to focus on the four pillars of education:

• learning to know,
• learning to do,
• learning to live together, learning to live with others
• learning to be.

This is underpinned by the importance of “learning how to learn”.

For Michigan to educate for the 21^st Century learning, we must promote learning in its diversity of forms and raise the profile of learning in the community.  Economic and social knowledge are both important factors in preparing our youth to be successful, active participants in our communities and the world at large. 

In preparing students to become lifelong learners, teachers play a critical role in preparing students the how of learning.  Students have very different learning styles and learning needs.  A highly effective teacher will build relationships with their students to best understand each individual’s learning needs.  Many reports indicated teacher’s knowledge of subject and ability to build relationships with students have the most and best impact for growth in learning.

To prepare for college, careers, and citizenship, it’s not enough to only master academ­ics. Students also need to acquire a set of life skills. To be able to solve problems in our complex, fast-changing world, students must become creative thinkers who can work well with others.

These 21^st century skills are summed up as the “4Cs” by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (p21.org). They include the following, with my connections to the four pillars:

• Collaboration: Students are able to work effectively with diverse groups and exercise flexibility in making compromises to achieve common goals. (Learning to Live Together)
• Creativity: Students are able to generate and improve on original ideas and also work creatively with others. (Learning to Do)
• Communication: Students are able to communicate effectively across multiple media and for various purposes.  (Learning to Be)
• Critical thinking: Students are able to analyze, evaluate, and understand complex systems and apply strategies to solve problems. (Learning to Know)

My point here is being that these skills are critical for 21^st century learning and lifelong learning as referenced in the report “The concept of learning throughout life thus emerges as one of the keys to the twenty-first century.”  Delors J (1996 pp 20)

As our state considers what reforms are needed to produce 21^st century and lifelong learners, we must look to those educators and systems that are making progress as models. This is a time consuming and all encompassing process, as the report indicates

“Public opinion cries out for quick answers and ready solutions, whereas many problems call for a patient, concerted, negotiated strategy of reform.”  Delors J (1996 pp 15).  Therefore to be successful, we need to find solutions’ that can stand the test of time and not knee jerk reactions that get us nowhere.  Reformers, educators, business and political leaders need to work together to accomplish this task at hand.

In another article “Where are 60 Million Teachers? The Missing Voice in Educational Reforms Around the World” by Villegas-Reimers E and Reimers F (1996), they argue that reform efforts will fail unless that of the teachers voice is included in the reform discussion.  In this article, they share the performance of teachers is not just being in the classroom, but is a product of the training, incentives (pay and benefits), promotions, and supervision they need to receive in order for reforms to be effective.

In the past several years, Michigan teachers have taken many hits from new legislation regarding their positions; frozen wages, lower take home pay as a result of the Michigan retirement system and the extra 3% teachers contribute to benefit the system and not themselves, higher cost for health care benefits, new performance reviews without clear expectations and guidelines, and teaching to the test.  The article clearly indicates that these types of factors end up being cause for the loss of effective teachers and schools not getting the best and brightest for education our children.

“Our models of education systems act as self-fulfilling prophecies.  If policy makers, administrators or parents think that teachers are unimportant to education reforms, they will act in ways which will reinforce this viewpoint.” Villegas-Reimers E and Reimers F (1996 pp 483).  This is where I feel Michigan education is at in regards to teacher performance.  Our legislative leaders have left out the voice of educators in the reform discussion.  Teachers are extremely frustrated with the lack of conversation that needs to include them.  In order for Michigan to produce 21^st century and lifelong learners, we need to include educators, administrators, and parents into the conversation.

My hope, for Michigan to move forward, is for our government officials to see the value of having educators in the conversation for real reforms to be thought through, discussed and planned for implementation.  This is the real reform we must have to produce the exemplary students that industry and the world seeks to have leading the future of our communities and world.  Let the conversations begin!