Broken Chalk recommends that the government of Tunisia to address the high rate of school dropout, the high rates of repetition, disparities in access to, retention in, and the quality of schools. In the last cycle Tunisia received 248 recommendations, accepted 189 of those and 6% focused on quality education (SDG 4).
41st_Session_UN-UPR_FactSheet_TunisiaCover image by US Army Africa.
On the 20th of April, 2022 about 10 Turkish teachers and their families were deported from Liberia by the local government. The Turkish officials were administrators at Light International School System (LISS) located in Monrovia, Liberia.According to frontpageAfrica the names of some of the staff deported are as follows;the principal and general manager, Roman Mamedov, head of primary section, Mrs. Mamedov; English teacher and accountant, Elvin Rahimov; Mrs. Rahimov; Moral Education Teacher and Vice President for Administration Mehmet Simsek; Mrs. Ramazan. Ceray, Esma, a little girl in 6th grade and Enest, a boy in pre-primary section. It is reported that on wednesday, 20th of April, state security rounded up the schools Turkish staff and their families and deported them the same day.
According to sources, the deportation happens to be a request from the president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan(“Erdogan’s Long Arm Reached Liberia: Turkish Teachers Deported – Politurco.com”, 2022). There has been no comments regarding this matter from both the government of Turkey as well as the government of Liberia. Following a meeting that was held at Turkish Light International School by parents and other officials to share this saddening news. The parents were simply told that the school’s Turkish administrators had been deported without any reasonable explanation(Writer, 2022). This saddening incident has affected students, local staff as well as parents in connection to Light international school as well as those from other international schools in the country. Although sources have not provided much regarding this matter, nonetheless it breaches human rights of these families as well as limiting the student under their management, the quality of education provided by the Turkish officials in Liberia.
The fourth United Nations Sustainable Development Goal, states that “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”(“Goal 4: Quality education”, 2022). The Turkish families who were deported from Liberia, supported this goal and were committed to making this a reality. The school that was under management of the deported family, Light International school brought a different perspective to the education system in Liberia with its high education quality, various programs such as science fairs, cultural festivals, mathematics Olympiads and abroad trips.
Despite all this beauty, the government of Liberia and the government of Turkey has not yet responded or taken action towards this incident to stand with the affected families.
Written by Ntchindi Chilongozi Theu
Bibliography
1.Erdogan’s Long Arm Reached Liberia: Turkish Teachers Deported – Politurco.com. (2022). Retrieved 27 April 2022, from https://politurco.com/erdogans-long-arm-reached-liberia-turkish-teachers-deported.html
2. Writer, S. (2022). ‘It is so sad for Liberia’ – Ali Kaya decries deportation of Light Int’l School’s Turkish Officials – Heritage Newspaper Liberia. Retrieved 29 April 2022, from https://www.heritagenewslib.com/index.php/component/k2/item/3624-it-is-so-sad-for-liberia-ali-kaya-decries-deportation-of-light-int-l-school-s-turkish-officials
3. Goal 4: Quality education. (2022). Retrieved 29 April 2022, from https://www1.undp.org/content/oslo-governance-centre/en/home/sustainable-development-goals/goal-4-quality-education.html?utm_source=EN&utm_medium=GSR&utm_content=US_UNDP_PaidSearch_Brand_English&utm_campaign=CENTRAL&c_src=CENTRAL&c_src2=GSR&gclid=Cj0KCQjwma6TBhDIARIsAOKuANw9AjpTJe5dKGsib3cfL9MvujUxTay2IWDNG6pfDdipG4q5D13PcIMaAq7SEALw_wcB
Child domestics in Morocco face significant barriers to education before, during, and after working. Denial of the right to education leaves children without the skills and knowledge which they need to find good jobs, to participate fully in society, and to exercise their other rights. For child domestics, who frequently work in isolation, lack of education also means they miss its crucial role in socializing children and exposing them to potential sources of protection from workplace abuses.
By Ntchindi Chilongozi Theu
41st_Session_UN_UPR_Country_Review_MoroccoCover image by Monica Volpin on Pixabay.
Broken Chalk is a non-profit organization with one main goal – To protect human rights in the world of education. The organization started with a website and articles and currently it is working on multiple projects, each aiming to fight human rights violations in the educational sphere. As the UPR is related to human rights violations, inequalities, human trafficking, and other violations, Broken Chalk prepares this article for the fourth cycle and the specific country – South Africa.
During the last cycle, the delegation put forward 243 recommendations, South Africa supported 187 of them, and the rest they noted.1 Section B31 is the one that stands out as it is related to “Equality & non-discrimination” and South Africa supported all of the recommendations given. Some of them are related to the protection of different minorities. Support and education on the LGBTQ communities and attempts on reducing discrimination in the country. The recommendations given in 2017 will help Broken Chalk evaluate the performance of the specific country. This report will give an update on the previous issues related to education, plus recommendations on how to deal with new ones.
By Ivan Evstatiev
41st_Session_UN-UPR_Country_Review_South_AfricaCover image by Chris Eason.
Broken Chalk is a non-profit organisation that focuses on developing each country’s educational system to improve the level of human rights on the global level. Therefore, this report will focus on education. By drafting this report, Broken Chalk intends to assist with Tunisia’s fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR). First, the report will analyse the most important issues that Tunisia faces regarding the Right to Education. Then, it will shed light on some issues that should be solved through the Tunisian Ministry of Education. And finally, Broken Chalk will provide a few recommendations to Tunisia to further ameliorate in the field of education.
By Faical Al Azib
41st_Session_UN-UPR_Country_Review_TunisiaCover image by Wallpaper Flare.
This report has been drafted by Broken Chalk to contribute to the fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Algeria. Since Broken Chalk is an organization aimed at fighting inequalities and improving the quality of Education worldwide, this report will focus on Education. First, the report brings attention to the main and most outstanding issues that Algeria faces regarding the Right to Education. Secondly, the report individuates some issues that should be tackled through Education. Lastly, in the view of the points raised, Broken Chalk would like to offer a few recommendations to Algeria to further improve in the field of Education.
By Francisca Orrego Galarce
41st_Session_UN-UPR_Country_Review_AlgeriaCover image by Wallpaper Flare.
In order to comply with both national and international human rights standards, South Africa must tackle several obstacles in their educational sphere. This article will present some of the most prevalent educational challenges in the country.
Infrastructure
One of the main problems in the educational sector today is the facilities available to students. It is of utmost importance that schools include facilities that are safe and secure for children, and the necessary equipment for students to pursue their education. According to Equal Education (EE, 2016) in 2013, the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Montshegka, accepted a law obliging schools throughout the country to have at least water, electricity, internet, safe classrooms with up to 40 students in class, security, and the necessary facilities to study and practice different sports. Although the target was set for 2016, today, many schools have problems far worse than a bad internet connection. The country is looking towards meeting the set goals, but there is still a long way to go. Numerous articles highlight reported deaths of learners due to poor facility infrastructure. Additionally, the inadequate sanitation of the schools is an issue that affects students’ health. An example of this is seen in their toilets and pit latrines, where students are at risk of health issues in light of their improper hygiene. These obstacles prevent students from focusing on their education and development.
Inequality in education
Inequality is largely visible in South African schools. According to Amnesty International, children in the top 200 schools score higher in maths than children in the other 6,600 schools. Other statistics highlight that more than 75% of nine-year-olds cannot read for meaning. In some provinces, the percentage is as high as 91%. The educational system is still healing from the Apartheid era, resulting in children being treated differently because of their background, wealth, or skin tone. The Quality of Primary Education in South Africa, a UNESCO report, states that, theoretically, all children have equal access to the three levels of education in the country. However, many institutions schooling students from low-income communities have failed to improve the quality of education they provide. The government must tackle the problem of poverty and education.
Poor education
Furthermore, the schools’ quality of education is a prevalent issue in South Africa. According to research undertaken by Gustafsson in 2021, the retirement of teachers in South Africa will reach a peak number by 2030, which will consequentially result in the need for newly trained educators and the restructuring of classrooms and institutions. Currently, half of the classes have 30 students per class, but the other 50% can exceed up to 50 children in a class. To reduce the numbers, it is estimated that around 100,000 new teachers enter the educational system, which requires largescale training and financing.
Another challenge that the educational sector in South Africa faces today is the quality of the instructors. Over 5,000 of the current teachers are underqualified for their profession. Instructors are not competitive in the job market; they have little understanding of the curricula and no pedagogic competency, leading to students graduating from school without the necessary knowledge.
Cycle of illiteracy
Finally, according to the OECD Report from 2019, South Africa has the highest share of people aged between 20 to 24 in the NEET sector (neither employment nor education). South Africa scored almost 50% on this criterion, the largest of all the countries examined by the OECD report. Professor Khuluvhe’s 2021 report discusses the seriousness of the illiteracy problem, stating that, in 2019, the rate of illiterate adults (over the age of 20) was 12,1%, or around 4,4 million. This equates to a considerable part of the population not achieving a 7th grade or higher level of education. Illiteracy poses far-reaching consequences for the population, including uneducated offspring and non-contribution to the society, thus harming the country’s economy. South Africa needs to tackle this issue and minimise the percentage of illiteracy as far as possible.
References
1. EE. (2006, July 19). School Infrastructure. Eqaleducation.Org.Za. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://equaleducation.org.za/campaigns/school-infrastructure/
2. Amnesty International. (2020, February 7). South Africa: Broken and unequal education perpetuating poverty and inequality. Www.Amnesty.Org. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/02/south-africa-broken-and-unequal-education-perpetuating-poverty-and-inequality/
3. Gustafsson, M. (2021, August 26). A teacher retirement wave is about to hit South Africa: what it means for class size. The Conversation. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://theconversation.com/a-teacher-retirement-wave-is-about-to-hit-south-africa-what-it-means-for-class-size-164345
4. Khuluvhe, M. K. (2021, March 1). Adult illiteracy in South Africa. Www.Dhet.Gov.Za. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://www.dhet.gov.za/Planning%20Monitoring%20and%20Evaluation%20Coordination/Fact%20Sheet%20on%20Adult%20Illiteracy%20in%20South%20Africa%20-%20March%202021.pdf
5. Editor. (2019, December 27). Opinion: The Challenges Facing The Education System In South Africa. iAfrica. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://iafrica.com/opinion-the-challenges-facing-the-education-system-in-south-africa/
