Ireland’s educational system, educational challenges and the purposes of improvement

Scris de Stefania Grace Tangredi

Tradus de Iasmina Stoian

Sursă: Jurnalul de Studii Rurale

Teritoriul Irlandei este împărțit în două părți: Irlanda, denumită uneori „Republica Irlanda”, și Irlanda de Nord, care face parte din Regatul Unit. Irlanda este membră a Uniunii Europene.

În 1926, populația țării era de 2 971 922 de locuitori, ajungând la 4982 de milioane în 2023. Irlanda a devenit un stat liber în 1922, o democrație parlamentară guvernată de Constituția Irlandei din 1937. Limbile oficiale sunt engleza și irlandeza.

Din anii 1950 până în anii 1970, economia irlandeză a fost în creștere și a crescut nu numai în domeniul politic, ci și în domeniul educațional. În 2008, șomajul a crescut, iar PIB-ul a scăzut în creștere. Planul de redresare convenit la acel moment a necesitat o reducere semnificativă a cheltuielilor publice și o serie de măsuri pentru stabilizarea finanțelor și revenirea la creștere; Irlanda a ieșit cu succes din criză la sfârșitul anului 2013. Cheltuielile guvernamentale pentru educație reprezintă 3,72 % din produsul intern brut (PIB); acest procent este mai mic atât decât media regională (4,6 %), cât și decât media pentru grupul său de venituri (4,5 %).

 

Sistemul educațional din Irlanda

În Irlanda, frecventarea școlilor naționale este gratuită, iar statul trebuie să ofere învățământ primar gratuit. Unele școli primare private percep o taxă. Frecventarea majorității școlilor secundare este gratuită, dar unele școli private percep o taxă pentru familii, chiar și în învățământul secundar. Uneori, școlile suportă cheltuielile pentru cărți, uniforme și examene. Istoria Irlandei a fost modelată de influența instituțiilor religioase în societate, inclusiv în sistemul de învățământ; prin urmare, Biserica Catolică joacă un rol important în educație: majoritatea școlilor primare, precum școlile naționale, sunt conduse de Biserică și subvenționate de stat. Majoritatea școlilor secundare – școli private pentru învățământul secundar – sunt de asemenea conduse de instituții catolice. În Irlanda, educația este obligatorie de la vârsta de 6 la 16 ani sau până când elevii au absolvit trei ani de învățământ secundar.

Școala primară este formată din opt clase. De obicei, elevii trec la școala secundară la vârsta de 12 ani. Nivelul al doilea este împărțit într-un ciclu junior și un ciclu senior. În învățământul secundar se predau atât materii generale, cât și profesionale.

Învățământul secundar include instituțiile de învățământ secundar, profesional, cuprinzător și colegiile comunitare. Numărul tinerilor care își continuă studiile după învățământul obligatoriu este ridicat: peste 90 % dintre tinerii de 16 ani, 75 % dintre tinerii de 17 ani și aproximativ 50 % dintre tinerii de 18 ani frecventează școala cu normă întreagă.

 

Educația în Irlanda: perspective de creștere

Provocările cu care se confruntă Irlanda pentru sistemul educațional sunt multiple. Irlanda încearcă să acomodeze o creștere rapidă a numărului de înscrieri. Cu toate acestea, înscrierile în învățământul primar sunt în scădere după ce au atins un vârf în 2018, iar înscrierile în învățământul post-primar continuă să crească puternic, cu o creștere de 34 300 între 2017 și 2021. Înscrierile în învățământul postsecundar cu normă întreagă cresc, de asemenea, rapid, cu o creștere de aproape 16 400 între 2017 și 2021 și 13 școli postsecundare suplimentare din 2017, reflectând creșterea substanțială a înscrierilor.

Sursă: Academia Europeană de Religie și Societate.

Numărul total de profesori a crescut cu peste 7 804 din 2017, de la 64 692 la 72 496. Raportul elev-profesor în școlile primare a scăzut de la 15,3 la 13,7 din 2017 și de la 12,8 la 12,2 în școlile secundare.

Irlanda nu numai că încearcă să crească numărul de înscrieri, dar promovează și un sistem școlar mai pluralist, care să acomodeze mai bine diversitatea, în special cea religioasă, în conformitate cu profilul în schimbare al populației. O serie de școli din Irlanda, din 2019, au început să devină primul transfer de la catolic la multiconfesional. Școlile vor implementa programe care să cuprindă și să includă diferite credințe și valori.

Participarea copiilor cu nevoi educaționale speciale a crescut în sistemul de învățământ. Irlanda dorește să ofere un sistem educațional care să sprijine participarea și progresul acestora pentru a se asigura că își pot atinge potențialul maxim. Este esențial ca școlile să aibă politici în vigoare pentru a face față oricăror dificultăți ale elevilor.

Pentru a menține calitatea și performanța la toate nivelurile sistemului de învățământ și pentru a face față lumii muncii, pentru a ține pasul cu lumea în schimbare, sistemul de educație și formare va juca un rol-cheie în satisfacerea nevoilor de competențe existente și emergente prin furnizarea de oportunități de educație, formare și dezvoltare a competențelor pentru cei care intră pe piața forței de muncă, precum și prin perfecționarea și recalificarea continuă a participanților existenți pe piața forței de muncă.

Fotografie de Jessica Lewis pe Unsplash

Cum a făcut față Irlanda problemelor educaționale în timpul covid-19 în 2020

Potrivit unui raport al ONU, aproape 190 de țări au impus închiderea școlilor, afectând 1,5 miliarde de copii și tineri. Ca atare, elevii au trebuit să înceapă să adopte noi metode de învățare, „învățământul de acasă”, iar profesorii și educatorii au trebuit să își schimbe modul de predare. Directorul general al UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, a garantat că Organizația Națiunilor Unite oferă ajutor pentru adaptarea la această situație, mai ales că colaborează cu țările pentru a asigura continuitatea învățării pentru toată lumea, în special pentru copiii și tinerii dezavantajați, care tind să fie cei mai afectați de închiderea școlilor.

În timpul pandemiei Covid-19, 94% dintre elevi au declarat că au folosit o combinație de manuale și instrumente digitale. Mulți elevi (79%) au indicat că nu au întâmpinat dificultăți și că, dacă ar fi fost, problemele ar fi fost abordate cu promptitudine. Majoritatea tinerilor și-au finalizat temele și au primit feedback-ul profesorului.

 

Bullying-ul în școli

Chiar dacă mulți copii și adolescenți frecventează școlile catolice, un număr tot mai mare de persoane nu practică această religie și pot participa la botezuri și comuniuni doar pentru că face parte din cultura irlandeză, mai degrabă decât pentru că au o credință reală în această practică, chiar dacă majoritatea școlilor din Irlanda sunt catolice. Aproape 80 % din populație își descrie religia ca fiind catolică, conform recensământului din 2016.

Practicanții religioși și elevii credincioși se simt vulnerabili, deoarece sunt în prezent o minoritate în școlile irlandeze.

Pentru a evita această problemă, școlile irlandeze trebuie să aibă un cod de comportament și un program și proceduri educaționale specifice care, împreună, formează planul școlii pentru a ajuta elevii din școală să se comporte bine și să învețe bine. De asemenea, echipele de sprijin școlar vor fi disponibile pentru a ajuta elevii care se confruntă cu hărțuirea, iar tot personalul va fi instruit ca parte a noului plan de acțiune.

 

Persoane defavorizate în Irlanda

În ciuda faptului că Irlanda are cea mai rapidă creștere economică din Europa, nivelurile de sărăcie sunt stabile. Copiii sunt mai predispuși decât populația generală să se confrunte cu o sărăcie continuă. Mai mult de 62 000 de copii trăiesc în sărăcie persistentă, iar alții sunt în pericol de sărăcie. Unul din cinci părinți nu are suficiente alimente pentru a-și hrăni copiii. Copiii care călătoresc mult, precum copiii romi, sunt deosebit de vulnerabili. Termenul „rom” este utilizat de Consiliul Europei pentru a se referi la romi, sinti, kale și grupurile înrudite din Europa, inclusiv călătorii și grupurile estice, precum Dom și Lom, și acoperă marea diversitate a grupurilor în cauză, inclusiv persoanele care se identifică ca „țigani”.

Conform datelor statistice din 2016, 2 % dintre copiii de 10 ani din Irlanda nu pot citi și înțelege un text simplu până la sfârșitul școlii primare. Persoanele din zonele rurale sunt potențial afectate negativ de dificultatea de a menține implicarea în educație sau de a avea acces la facilități.

De multe ori, dezavantajele educaționale sunt legate de factori socioeconomici, de exemplu, venituri insuficiente, locuințe precare, probleme de sănătate sau familiale. Copiii care s-au născut în familii sărace sau care locuiesc în zone defavorizate sunt cei mai expuși eșecului școlar și excluderii ulterioare de pe piața muncii. Tinerii care se confruntă cu dezavantaje sociale prezintă un risc mai mare de a fi expuși unor factori care au un impact asupra oportunității lor de a progresa cu succes în învățământul de prim și al doilea nivel.

Sursă: CSO Irlanda.

Concluzii și recomandări

Sistemul educațional al Irlandei a demonstrat puncte forte și realizări semnificative, confruntându-se în același timp cu provocări. Țara este ferm hotărâtă să ofere cetățenilor săi o educație de calitate, fapt evident prin infrastructura sa educațională bine structurată și accesibilă. Accentul pus de Irlanda pe educația preșcolară, investițiile în tehnologie și dedicarea față de incluziune au contribuit la crearea unui mediu de învățare pozitiv pentru elevii de diferite vârste și medii.

 

Sistemul educațional are multe merite, dar unele domenii pot fi îmbunătățite pentru a-i spori eficiența generală:

Irlanda ar trebui să investească mai mult decât o face în educație, în special la nivelurile primar și secundar; acest lucru este esențial pentru menținerea unor standarde și facilități de predare de înaltă calitate. O finanțare adecvată va garanta că toate școlile dispun de resursele necesare pentru a sprijini nevoile de învățare ale elevilor.

În ciuda progreselor înregistrate, disparitățile educaționale persistă în unele regiuni și în anumite categorii demografice. Guvernul ar trebui să se concentreze pe reducerea acestor decalaje prin punerea în aplicare a unor intervenții specifice, cum ar fi îmbunătățirea accesului la resurse și sprijin specializat pentru comunitățile defavorizate.

Dezvoltarea profesională continuă a cadrelor didactice este esențială pentru a ține pasul cu evoluția metodologiilor de predare și a tehnologiilor. Încurajarea și oferirea de oportunități pentru profesori de a-și îmbunătăți competențele va fi în beneficiul experienței de învățare a elevilor. Pe măsură ce peisajul educațional devine din ce în ce mai solicitant, este vital să se acorde prioritate serviciilor de sprijin în domeniul sănătății mintale pentru elevi, părinți și educatori; crearea unui mediu de învățare pozitiv și favorabil va ajuta elevii să se dezvolte din punct de vedere academic și emoțional.

 

Referințe:

Les défis du système éducatif au Burkina Faso

 

Rédigé par Ruth Lakica

Traduit par Iasmina Stoian

Introduction

Le Burkina Faso est un pays enclavé d’Afrique de l’Ouest. Le pays occupe un vaste plateau et sa géographie est caractérisée par une savane herbeuse au nord qui cède progressivement la place à des forêts clairsemées au sud. Ancienne colonie française, il a accédé à l’indépendance sous le nom de Haute-Volta en 1960. Le nom de Burkina Faso, qui signifie « Pays des Incorruptibles », a été adopté en 1984.

Des écoliers au Burkina Faso – Photo par Anadolu Agency.

Caractéristiques de l’éducation au Burkina Faso

Le taux de scolarisation est l’un des plus faibles d’Afrique, bien que le gouvernement consacre une part importante du budget national à l’éducation. Le français est la langue d’enseignement dans le primaire et le secondaire.

L’éducation au Burkina Faso a une structure très similaire à celle du reste du monde, avec des écoles primaires, des écoles secondaires et des établissements d’enseignement supérieur. L’année scolaire au Burkina Faso s’étend d’octobre à juillet. La loi sur l’éducation stipule que l’école est obligatoire de 6 à 15 ans, mais malheureusement, cette obligation n’est pas toujours respectée. Le système éducatif est basé sur le modèle français et la langue d’enseignement dans toutes les écoles du Burkina Faso est le français. Selon la Banque Mondiale, il est notable qu’environ 56% des jeunes n’ont pas d’éducation formelle, et 16% des jeunes ont atteint au plus une éducation primaire incomplète, ce qui signifie qu’au total 72% des jeunes âgés de 15 à 24 ans n’ont pas achevé l’éducation primaire au Burkina Faso.

L’effet du Covid-19 sur l’éducation

Comme dans tous les pays du monde, le système éducatif du Burkina Faso a également été touché par le Covid-19. Toutes les écoles du Burkina Faso ont été fermées pendant neuf semaines à partir de mars 2020. Après cette période, les écoles ont rouvert dans certaines régions, et toutes les activités scolaires ont repris au bout de 14 semaines (UNESCO, 2020). La fermeture des écoles a touché plus de 20 000 établissements d’enseignement et perturbé l’éducation de plus de 4,7 millions d’élèves.
L’impact de la Covid-19 a forcé la fermeture d’écoles dans tout le pays, exposant les enfants les plus marginalisés au risque d’être privés d’apprentissage et de ne pas retourner en classe.

Broken Chalk félicite le Burkina Faso d’avoir adopté l’étude à distance pendant les fermetures d’écoles, avec du matériel d’apprentissage fourni par la télévision, la radio et l’internet pour les écoles primaires et secondaires (Institut de statistique de l’UNESCO, UNICEF et Banque mondiale, 2020). Cependant, 84 % des élèves n’ont pas accès à l’internet, 81 % n’ont pas d’appareils numériques et 81 % ont des difficultés à distribuer des copies papier du matériel d’apprentissage. Ces étudiants défavorisés, incapables d’accéder aux études à distance, ont pris du retard et d’autres ont abandonné leurs études.

L’accès à la technologie est un autre obstacle à l’enseignement à distance. Le projet MILO (Monitoring Impacts on Learning Outcomes) indique que le soutien dont de nombreuses écoles ont le plus besoin concerne l’accès à la technologie, plutôt que le capital humain.

Des groupes armés attaquent des enseignants, des élèves et des écoles au Burkina Faso

Le système éducatif du Burkina Faso est confronté à des attaques récurrentes et croissantes de la part de groupes armés. Des écoles ont été attaquées, des enseignants agressés et tués, et des ressources éducatives détruites. À un moment donné, toutes les écoles ont été fermées, ce qui a perturbé le calendrier scolaire. Les élèves et le personnel ont été renvoyés chez eux.

Le Burkina Faso est confronté à une crise de l’éducation, avec une grave détérioration de l’accès à l’éducation en raison de la violence armée au cours des dernières années. Les indicateurs de l’éducation sont en baisse depuis 2018, le taux brut de scolarisation au niveau primaire passant de 90,7% à 86,1% et au niveau post-primaire de 52% à 47,3%, soit une perte de 5 points en trois ans. Par exemple, dans la région du Sahel, partiellement touchée par l’insécurité, le taux brut de scolarisation au niveau primaire est passé de 53,4 % en 2018 à 20,3 % en 2021. Ainsi, seul un enfant sur quatre est scolarisé dans la région du Sahel en 2021.

Les attaques des groupes armés ont entraîné la fermeture de nombreuses écoles au Burkina Faso. Au 31 mai 2022, plus de 4 000 écoles étaient fermées pour cause d’insécurité, soit 17% des écoles du pays, interrompant l’éducation de plus de 700 000 enfants. On estime que 2,6 millions d’enfants et d’adolescents âgés de 6 à 17 ans ne sont pas scolarisés, ce qui représente plus de la moitié des enfants en âge d’être scolarisés (51,4%).

Les fermetures d’écoles se multiplient en raison des menaces des groupes armés – Photo de l’UNICEF

Accès à l’eau, à l’assainissement et à l’hygiène

54% de la population du Burkina Faso a accès à des sources d’eau potable améliorées tandis que seulement 23% a accès à des installations sanitaires améliorées. En ce qui concerne l’eau et les installations sanitaires dans les écoles, le Burkina Faso est confronté à des défis. Pauline W. Somlare, 14 ans, est en 6e année à l’école primaire de Mouni, située à 13 km de Niou, dans la région centrale des plateaux. Ouverte depuis octobre 1979, ce n’est qu’en 2001 que l’école a reçu sa première pompe à eau. Malgré l’installation de l’eau, tout ne se passe pas comme prévu. Il y a quelques semaines, l’école était à nouveau confrontée à un problème crucial d’eau entraînant la soif, le manque d’hygiène, les retards dans les cours et le déjeuner souvent servi en retard. La dernière panne de 2019 a pu être réparée. En décembre 2019, grâce à l’intervention de l’UNICEF suite à une demande du ministère en charge de l’éducation, la pompe à eau a été réhabilitée en janvier 2020.

La qualité de l’éducation

Malgré la gestion de la qualité du système éducatif burkinabé et ses nombreuses stratégies éducatives : La Loi d’orientation, le Plan de développement du secteur de l’éducation de base, le Plan sectoriel de l’éducation, la Stratégie intégrée de renforcement de l’encadrement pédagogique, la Stratégie intégrée de formation continue des enseignants et des cadres pédagogiques, ou encore son Cadre de référence de la qualité de l’éducation de base. Le Burkina Faso n’est pas encore tout à fait « premier de la classe ». Définir des stratégies ne suffit pas à garantir le succès.

La rareté des ressources financières est un fait, accentué par le transfert de compétences de l’État vers les collectivités locales. Et si les moyens financiers manquent, le diagnostic met aussi en évidence que les ressources humaines sont également limitées. Dans un système qui tend à se décentraliser davantage et qui confie de nombreuses responsabilités aux acteurs les plus proches du terrain, l’accompagnement de ces nouvelles responsabilités (notamment administratives et financières) n’est pas toujours à la hauteur des enjeux.

Des ressources qui ne correspondent pas toujours aux besoins. Peu formés et peu soutenus, les enseignants des zones concentrées semblent avoir du mal à jouer pleinement leur rôle. Souvent accablés par une lourde charge administrative, ils peinent à suivre le rythme et ralentissent ainsi les actions d’amélioration de la qualité de l’enseignement.

Conséquences négatives pour les élèves, les enseignants et la société.

Les attaques contre les écoles et les perturbations des cours ont réduit la qualité de l’enseignement dispensé aux élèves et ont fait prendre du retard à de nombreux étudiants. Selon Human Rights Watch, une étudiante a déclaré qu’elle avait échoué à son examen final après qu’une attaque ait forcé son école à fermer pendant des semaines, la laissant dans l’impossibilité de se préparer. Une autre a déclaré : « Cela me rend malheureuse de ne pas pouvoir terminer, de devoir reprendre des cours, de ne même pas avoir de documents prouvant que vous avez suivi le cours.

Absence de soutien psychosocial et matériel aux victimes d’attaques du groupe d’hommes armés.

Human Rights Watch a identifié le manque de soutien cohérent et opportun aux victimes d’attaques liées à l’éducation comme un autre problème majeur. De nombreux enseignants attaqués ou menacés ont déclaré n’avoir jamais reçu de soutien psychosocial de la part du gouvernement. D’autres ont déclaré que le soutien qu’ils avaient reçu était superficiel et terriblement inadéquat, sans aucun suivi à long terme. Nombre d’entre eux sont encore aux prises avec des problèmes émotionnels ou psychologiques. Les enseignants ont déclaré qu’ils se sentaient abandonnés et sous-estimés, et qu’ils s’attendaient à reprendre le travail après les redéploiements, malgré l’absence du soutien psychosocial, financier ou matériel nécessaire.

Conclusion

Malgré les défis auxquels est confronté le système éducatif au Burkina Faso, le gouvernement du Burkina Faso et d’autres organisations non gouvernementales tentent d’améliorer l’éducation au Burkina Faso. Près d’un million d’élèves n’ont plus accès à l’éducation. En réponse à cette situation, l’UNICEF, le ministère de l’Éducation nationale, de l’Alphabétisation et de la Promotion des langues nationales (MENA) et ses partenaires, tels que le King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), ont développé le Programme d’éducation par radio en 2018. Ce programme assure la continuité de l’apprentissage pour les enfants affectés, qui ont fui leurs maisons en raison des attaques contre leurs écoles.

 

Références:

Hadrien, B. (2022, October 20). Back-to-school campaign: More than 56,000 Kits distributed to children-UNICEF. https://www.unicef.org/burkinafaso/en/node/1176

Claude, T. (2021, February 10). Tackling schools’ access to safe water challenges-UNICEF. https://www.unicef.org/burkinafaso/en/stories/tackling-schools-access-safe-water-challenges-case-Mouni-primary-school

Quality of education in Burkina Faso: Limited policy impact due to poor Understanding of the problems on the ground. UNESCO. (2022, September 9). https://dakar.iiep.unesco.org/en/news/quality-education-burkina-faso-limited-policy-impact-due-Poor-understanding-problems-ground

Lauren, S. (2022, June). Education under attack 2022. https://eua2022.protectingeducation.org/

Jean, F. (2021, July 14). Covid-19 accelerating education Inequality in Burkina Faso. https://ideas4development.org/en/covid-19-accelerating-education-inequalities-in-burkina-faso/

Nick, R and Boubacar, B. ( 2022, November 21). Burkina Faso schoolchildren pay double price in ongoing conflict. https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2022/11/21/burkina-faso-schoolchildren-pay-double-price-in-Ongoing-conflict

Myron, E. (2022, December 16). Burkina Faso. https://www.hrw.org/africa/burkina-faso

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH (2020, MAY). Armed forces and groups, Children affected by armed conflict, Education. https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/document/their-war-against-education-armed-group-attacks-teachers-students-and-schools-burkina-faso/

Les défis du système éducatif au Mali

 

By Ruth Lakica
Translated by: Laura Goubran

 

Introduction

L’éducation est un droit fondamental pour tout être humain dans le monde. Quel que soit le statut économique ou social d’une personne, elle devrait pouvoir accéder à l’éducation. Même si cela semble évident et connu de tous, ce n’est pas la réalité pour de nombreux Maliens. Néanmoins, le gouvernement a fait et continue de faire des efforts significatifs pour lutter contre l’analphabétisme. Par exemple, le gouvernement a divisé l’enseignement primaire en deux cycles, ce qui a permis aux étudiants maliens de passer des examens pour être admis dans l’enseignement secondaire, tertiaire ou supérieur. Cependant, le Mali est toujours confronté à une crise sécuritaire depuis plusieurs années, qui a gravement compromis l’accès à l’éducation de milliers d’enfants en âge scolaire, en particulier dans le nord du pays.

Les menaces contre les écoles et la destruction des infrastructures et des équipements scolaires ont entraîné une pénurie d’enseignants dans les zones touchées et une rupture du système d’appui pédagogique en raison des déplacements massifs de populationi.

Conflits et insécurité

Rokia Abdoulaye est une élève de l’école primaire à Ménaka, au Mali. “L’école représente beaucoup pour moi. Parce que l’école, c’est notre avenir “, dit-elle. Photo par Itunu Kuku/NRC.

 

Le pays enregistre de plus en plus de graves violations des droits de l’homme et du droit humanitaire international. Les attaques violentes des groupes armés touchent désormais les civils dans la majeure partie du pays.

Les menaces des groupes armés restent le principal facteur à l’origine de la fermeture de 1700 écoles au Mali aujourd’huiii. Depuis deux ans, le pays fait partie des trois pays africains dont les écoles sont le plus attaquées, avec le Nigéria et la République démocratique du Congo, selon la Coalition mondiale pour la protection de l’éducation contre les attaques (GCPEA).

Outre l’insécurité, l’éducation d’urgence dans les zones de conflit manque cruellement de fonds. Depuis le début de l’année 2022, une école sur dix est restée fermée au Mali en raison du manque d’infrastructures et de matériel scolaire. Le budget national du Mali ne peut pas couvrir les besoins et l’éducation est l’un des secteurs les moins financés dans la réponse humanitaire, représentant seulement 2 % des fonds reçus en 2022.

Pour les écoles situées dans les zones de conflit qui luttent pour rester ouvertes, il est vital de disposer de fonds pour construire et réhabiliter les infrastructures scolaires. Selon l’article du Conseil norvégien pour les réfugiés sur l’insécurité au Mali, “dans certaines écoles de la région, une seule salle de classe peut souvent accueillir jusqu’à 300 enfants en raison du manque d’infrastructures”, a déclaré Ibrahim Ag Bijangoum, directeur par intérim de l’Académie de l’éducation de Ménaka. Il est impossible pour les élèves et étudiants scolarisés d’avoir le goût d’apprendre dans de telles conditions.

Pauvreté des ménages

Source: UNICEF/UN0430942/Keïta

 

L’accès à l’école et la réussite scolaire sont inéquitables, les filles et les enfants des familles les plus pauvres étant les plus exposés au risque d’abandon scolaire : Selon l’UNICEF, en 2020, seulement 73,8 % des filles sont inscrites dans l’enseignement primaire de base, contre 85,8 % des garçons. Lorsqu’elles atteignent l’enseignement secondaire, la proportion de filles scolarisées n’est que de 15 %, contre 21 % pour les garçonsiii.

Parmi les enfants qui vont à l’école au Mali, l’absence d’enseignants qualifiés, de manuels scolaires et la mauvaise qualité de l’environnement scolaire ont un impact négatif sur les résultats de l’apprentissage : la plupart des élèves de cinquième année au Mali ne sont pas en mesure de maîtriser les compétences de base en mathématiques et en lecture.

Impact de la Covid-19

Les fermetures d’écoles et la perte de revenus des ménages, en particulier dans les zones rurales, ont restreint l’accès à l’éducation des enfants en âge d’être scolarisés. De nombreux élèves ont abandonné définitivement l’école en raison de la perte de revenus de leurs parents. Les filles n’ont pas réintégré l’école et ont été exposées à des mariages et des grossesses précoces. Selon la Banque mondiale, à Bamako en août 2021, un économiste principal spécialiste de la pauvreté à la Banque mondiale et co-auteur du rapport, ajoute que les enfants en âge d’aller à l’école risquent aujourd’hui de voir leurs revenus diminuer au cours de leur vie à cause de la pandémieiv.

Eau, assainissement et hygiène

L’accès à l’eau potable, à l’assainissement et à l’hygiène protège les enfants contre les maladies hydriques courantes telles que la diarrhée et réduit les retards de croissance, qui touchent plus de 26 % des enfants au Mali.

Selon l’UNICEF en 2015, au Mali, seulement la moitié des écoles disposent d’un point d’eau amélioré, et moins de 20 % des écoles ont des toilettes fonctionnelles et séparées pour les garçons et les filles. En outre, plus d’un million de personnes au Mali pratiquent encore la défécation à l’air libre, ce qui a un impact direct sur la santé et la sécurité des communautés. Si 80 % de la population malienne a désormais accès à des sources améliorées d’eau potable, ce chiffre diminue considérablement dans les zones rurales, où il n’est que de 70 %v. Les déplacements dans les régions du Mali touchées par les conflits ont encore limité l’accès des familles en mouvement à l’eau potable et à l’assainissement.

Conclusion

En conclusion, malgré les défis auxquels est confronté le système éducatif au Mali, le gouvernement du Mali et d’autres organisations ont travaillé dur pour améliorer l’éducation. L’UNICEF au Mali et d’autres partenaires ont travaillé dans les communautés, les écoles et les centres de santé pour améliorer l’accès à l’eau potable, à l’hygiène et à l’assainissement dans tous les domaines de la vie des enfants.

Selon les opérations européennes de protection civile et d’aide humanitaire, l’UE a fourni plus de 472 millions d’euros d’aide humanitaire au Mali depuis le début de la crise en 2012. Elle est actuellement l’un des principaux donateurs d’aide dans le pays.vi.

 

Références

[i]Global Partnership for Education. (2021). Education in Mali. Retrieved from: https://www.globalpartnership.org/where-we-work/mali.

[ii]Norwegiann Refugee Council. (2022). Mali: Insecurity and lack of funding force over half a million children out of school.  Retrieved from: https://www.nrc.no/news/2022/june/mali-insecurity-and-lack-of-funding-force-over-half-a-million-children-out-of-school/

[iii] UNICEF (2020). Harnessing children’s potential through quality education for every child. Retrieved from:https://www.unicef.org/mali/en/education

[iii] UNICEF (2020). Harnessing children’s potential through quality education for every child. Retrieved from:https://www.unicef.org/mali/en/education

[iv]The World Bank. (2021). Mali: Understand COVID-19’s impacts for better actions. Retrieved from: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2021/08/11/mali-understand-covid-19-s-impacts-for-better-actions

[v]UNICEF. (2023) Water, sanitation, and hygiene: Improving children’s lives through clean water and clean environments. Retrieved from: https://www.unicef.org/mali/en/water-sanitation-and-hygiene

[vi]European Commission. (2023). European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations: Mali. Retrieved from: https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/where/africa/mali_en

इंडोनेशिया में शैक्षिक चुनौतियाँ

 

लेखिका: लेटिसिया कॉक्स

इंडोनेशिया की एक-तिहाई आबादी बच्चे हैं – लगभग 85 मिलियन, जो किसी भी देश में चौथी सबसे बड़ी संख्या है।

शिक्षा मानवता को जानकारी, ज्ञान, कौशल और नैतिकता प्रदान करती है ताकि हम समाज, परिवारों और राष्ट्र के प्रति अपने कर्तव्यों को जान सकें, समझ सकें और उनका सम्मान कर सकें, और हमें आगे बढ़ने में मदद करती है।

शिक्षा जीवन जीने का एक तरीका है, जिसमें व्यक्ति ज्ञान प्राप्त कर सकता है और दूसरों के साथ इसे साझा कर सकता है। “शिक्षा व्यक्तिगत विकास का महान साधन है। यह शिक्षा के माध्यम से ही है कि एक किसान की बेटी डॉक्टर बन सकती है, एक खदान श्रमिक का बेटा खदान का प्रमुख बन सकता है, और खेत में काम करने वाले श्रमिक का बच्चा एक महान राष्ट्र का राष्ट्रपति बन सकता है,” पूर्व दक्षिण अफ्रीकी राष्ट्रपति नेल्सन मंडेला ने कहा था।

इंडोनेशिया में, दुनिया के अधिकांश हिस्सों की तरह, बच्चों को बारह साल की अनिवार्य शिक्षा प्राप्त करनी होती है, जिसमें प्राथमिक (कक्षा 1–6), जूनियर माध्यमिक (कक्षा 7–9), सीनियर माध्यमिक (कक्षा 10–12) और उच्च शिक्षा शामिल हैं।

युवा राष्ट्रीय शिक्षा मंत्रालय (Kemdiknas) द्वारा संचालित गैर-सांप्रदायिक सरकारी स्कूलों या धार्मिक (इस्लामिक, ईसाई, कैथोलिक और बौद्ध) निजी या अर्ध-निजी स्कूलों के बीच चयन कर सकते हैं, जिन्हें धार्मिक मामलों के मंत्रालय द्वारा प्रबंधित और वित्तपोषित किया जाता है।

कोविड-19 महामारी के दो साल बाद भी, इंडोनेशिया और दुनिया भर के छात्र और शिक्षक एक बड़े शिक्षा संकट से जूझ रहे हैं। जून 2022 की एक रिपोर्ट, जिसे यूनिसेफ, यूनेस्को, विश्व बैंक और अन्य संगठनों द्वारा जारी किया गया, यह बताती है कि वैश्विक स्तर पर अनुमानित 70 प्रतिशत 10 साल के बच्चे एक साधारण लिखित पाठ को समझने में असमर्थ हैं, जबकि महामारी से पहले यह संख्या 57 प्रतिशत थी।

अनस्प्लैश पर एड अस द्वारा फोटो

कोविड-19 के बाद का प्रभाव

इंडोनेशिया में शिक्षा का स्तर पहले से ही पाठ्यक्रम की अपेक्षाओं से कम था, और इसमें लिंग, क्षेत्र, विकलांगता और अन्य हाशिए पर आने वाले वर्गों के बीच भारी असमानताएँ थीं। अधिकांश छात्रों का प्रदर्शन उनकी कक्षा के स्तर से दो ग्रेड कम था। उदाहरण के लिए, कक्षा 5 के छात्र औसतन कक्षा 3 के स्तर पर पढ़ रहे थे।

क्षेत्र में किए गए शोध और सर्वेक्षणों के अनुसार, इसका एक कारण यह था कि शिक्षण गतिविधियों से पहले स्पष्ट शैक्षिक लक्ष्यों की अनुपस्थिति थी, जिसके कारण छात्रों और शिक्षकों को यह पता नहीं था कि ‘लक्ष्य’ क्या होने चाहिए। इस वजह से शैक्षिक प्रक्रिया में उनके पास कोई स्पष्ट दृष्टिकोण नहीं था। देश के कुछ क्षेत्रों में यह भी पाया गया कि प्रारंभिक कक्षाओं के छात्रों में पढ़ने की अक्षमता का प्रतिशत बढ़ा है।

कोविड-19 के कारण बड़े पैमाने पर स्कूलों का बंद होना और नौकरियों का खोना स्थिति को और खराब कर चुका है। कमजोर परिस्थितियों में रहने वाले बच्चों, जैसे निम्न-आय वाले परिवारों के बच्चे, विकलांग बच्चे और देश के पिछड़े हिस्सों में रहने वाले बच्चों के लिए यह प्रदर्शन और भी गंभीर हो गया है, जो स्कूल से बाहर होने के सबसे अधिक जोखिम में हैं।

महामारी से पहले भी कुछ गरीब क्षेत्रों में बाल विवाह एक समस्या थी। प्रमाण बताते हैं कि महामारी के दौरान बाल विवाहों में वृद्धि हुई है क्योंकि निम्न-आय वाले परिवार अपने आर्थिक बोझ को कम करने के लिए ऐसा कर रहे हैं।

अब बाल श्रम के घर में होने या घर की आजीविका (जैसे खेती और मछली पकड़ने) में मदद करने की संभावना बढ़ गई है, क्योंकि लॉकडाउन उपायों ने रोजगार के अवसरों को सीमित कर दिया है।

इंडोनेशियाई विकलांग बच्चों को काफी चुनौतियों का सामना करना पड़ता है। शोध से पता चला है कि बच्चों और माता-पिता दोनों की विकलांगता उनके सीखने और स्कूल लौटने की संभावना को प्रभावित कर रही है।

खराब शैक्षणिक सुविधाएं और बुनियादी ढांचा

खराब स्कूल सुविधाएं और बुनियादी ढांचे की गुणवत्ता भी इंडोनेशिया की शिक्षा चुनौतियों का हिस्सा हैं। इंडोनेशिया के पचहत्तर प्रतिशत स्कूल आपदा जोखिम वाले क्षेत्रों में हैं; लगभग 800,000 वर्ग मील का देश बड़े भूकंप, सुनामी, तेज हवाओं, ज्वालामुखी, भूस्खलन और बाढ़ के संपर्क में है।

इंटरनेट तक असमान पहुंच, और शिक्षक योग्यता और शिक्षा की गुणवत्ता में विसंगति, दूरस्थ शिक्षा को लागू करने में सबसे बड़ी चुनौतियों के रूप में दिखाई दी। छोटे बच्चों के लिए दूरस्थ शिक्षा और देश के डिजिटल पहुंच स्तरों की विविधता हाशिए पर पड़े बच्चों के लिए और असमानताओं का कारण बनती है।

शिक्षकों की निम्न गुणवत्ता

इंडोनेशिया में शिक्षा की खराब गुणवत्ता के मुख्य कारणों में से एक शिक्षक भर्ती प्रक्रिया के कारण शिक्षकों की निम्न गुणवत्ता है, जो पेशेवर शिक्षा कर्मियों के चयन पर ध्यान केंद्रित नहीं करती है, बल्कि सिविल सेवकों की मांगों को पूरा करने पर केंद्रित है।

अधिकांश शिक्षकों के पास अपने कर्तव्यों को निभाने के लिए पर्याप्त व्यावसायिकता नहीं है जैसा कि कानून संख्या 39 के अनुच्छेद में कहा गया है। 2003 का 20, अर्थात् पाठों की योजना बनाना, पाठों को लागू करना, सीखने के परिणामों का आकलन करना, मार्गदर्शन करना, प्रशिक्षण आयोजित करना, अनुसंधान करना और सामुदायिक सेवा करना।

सिविल सेवक भर्ती प्रक्रिया के हिस्से के रूप में, शिक्षक भर्ती प्रक्रिया आम तौर पर एक पेशेवर शिक्षक के लिए आवश्यक कार्य कौशल पर ध्यान नहीं देती है।

हाल के एक सर्वेक्षण में, पढ़ाए जाने वाले विषयों को सीखने और समझने में योग्यता को मापने वाली शिक्षक योग्यता परीक्षा (यूकेजी) देने वाले शिक्षा प्रणाली के शिक्षक न्यूनतम अंकों को भी पूरा नहीं कर पाए।

सर्वेक्षण से यह भी पता चलता है कि जो शिक्षक सरकार द्वारा निर्धारित मानक से नीचे शिक्षित हैं, वे जूनियर हाई स्कूल के लिए 64.09%, हाई स्कूल के लिए 61.5% और व्यावसायिक स्कूल के लिए 10.14% हैं।

शिक्षण पेशे के लिए जटिल कार्य कौशल की आवश्यकता होती है। शिक्षकों को प्रभावी ढंग से पढ़ाने में सक्षम होना चाहिए और अपने छात्रों को शिक्षित करने के लिए उच्च प्रतिबद्धता और प्रेरणा होनी चाहिए।
इस बीच, सिविल सेवक भर्ती प्रणाली में शिक्षक भर्ती आम तौर पर राष्ट्रवाद और सामान्य ज्ञान को प्राथमिकता देती है न कि शिक्षण क्षमता को।

आवश्यक योग्यता चयन पर उच्चतम अंकों वाले संभावित शिक्षक एक लिखित खंड में भाग लेंगे जो उनके सीखने के प्रबंधन कौशल और उनके द्वारा पढ़ाए जाने वाले विषयों के ज्ञान की जांच करता है। लिखित सामान्य ज्ञान परीक्षा के माध्यम से एक पेशेवर शिक्षक की क्षमता को जानने का कोई तरीका नहीं है।

सामान्य तौर पर, सिविल सेवक प्रक्रिया में शिक्षकों की भर्ती सर्वोत्तम भावी शिक्षकों का चयन नहीं कर सकती है-प्रणाली राष्ट्रवाद और सामान्य ज्ञान को प्राथमिकता देती है, न कि शिक्षण को।

शिक्षा में, एक शिक्षक बनने के लिए “आह्वान” या जुनून आवश्यक है क्योंकि यह छात्रों को पढ़ाए जाने वाले ज्ञान के प्रति उनके प्यार और छात्रों की क्षमता का पता लगाने के उनके उत्साह से निकटता से संबंधित है। एक अच्छा शिक्षक होना चुनौतीपूर्ण है यदि यह आपका काम नहीं है।

लेटिसिया कॉक्स द्वारा लिखित

 

संदर्भ

https://ijble.com/index.php/journal/article/view/64/71

https://www.unicef.org/eap/media/9326/file/Sit An – Indonesia case study.pdf

https://www.unicef.org/indonesia/education-and-adolescents

https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/81594

https://jakartaglobe.id/news/poor-quality-of-education-casts-shadow-on-indonesias-future-job-market

अनस्प्लैश पर हुस्निआती सलमा द्वारा कवर फोटो

श्रीलंका में शैक्षिक चुनौतियां

सारा अहमद द्वारा लिखित

परिचय

शिक्षा किसी भी देश के राजनीतिक, सामाजिक और आर्थिक विकास की नींव रखती है। 2020 में श्रीलंका की साक्षरता दर 92.38% थी। हालाँकि, श्रीलंका को अभी भी शिक्षा के क्षेत्र में कई अन्य चुनौतियों का सामना करना पड़ता है। श्रीलंका की मुक्त शिक्षा प्रणाली के नकारात्मक पक्ष और श्रम बाजार की आवश्यकताओं के प्रति शिक्षा प्रणाली की प्रतिक्रिया की कमी पर नीचे चर्चा की जाएगी।

श्रीलंका में मुफ्त शिक्षा प्रणाली का नकारात्मक पक्ष

1994 से, श्रीलंका सरकार ने बिना किसी भेदभाव के जनता के लिए एक मुफ्त शिक्षा प्रणाली शुरू की। राज्य प्राथमिक, माध्यमिक और विश्वविद्यालय स्तरों पर मुफ्त शिक्षा प्रदान करता है जो पांच से 16 वर्ष की आयु के बच्चों के लिए अनिवार्य है। इसने देश को साक्षरता दर, लिंग समानता, स्कूल नामांकन दर और मानव गुणवत्ता सूचकांक के मामले में दक्षिण एशियाई क्षेत्र में अग्रणी स्थिति में धकेल दिया था। हालाँकि, बदलती दुनिया से निपटने के लिए उत्तरोत्तर सुधार और विकास नहीं करने के लिए इसकी आलोचना की गई है।
श्रीलंका की संस्कृति उपभोग और मनोरंजन के बजाय उच्च शिक्षा उन्मुख है। नतीजतन, परिवार की आय का एक बड़ा हिस्सा माता-पिता द्वारा अपने बच्चों की शिक्षा पर खर्च किया जाता है। अधिकांश माता-पिता का अपने बच्चों को राज्य विश्वविद्यालय में भेजने का एक लंबा सपना रहा है। हालांकि, जनगणना और सांख्यिकी विभाग की रिपोर्ट के अनुसार लगभग 300,000 छात्र हैं जो सालाना उन्नत स्तर की परीक्षा में बैठते हैं और उनमें से लगभग 60% ही विश्वविद्यालय के प्रवेश के लिए योग्य हैं। फिर भी, इन योग्य छात्रों में से केवल 15% श्रीलंका के राज्य विश्वविद्यालयों में चुने गए हैं, बाकी लोगों (85%) ने राज्य विश्वविद्यालय शिक्षा में प्रवेश करने का अपना सपना खो दिया है।

मुफ्त शिक्षा आज एक महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभाती है लेकिन शिक्षा पर अपर्याप्त सरकारी खर्च के कारण देश में शैक्षिक मानकों में उल्लेखनीय गिरावट आई है। नतीजतन, अध्ययन के कुछ क्षेत्रों में निजी विश्वविद्यालयों की स्थापना के लिए एक उभरती मांग और सामाजिक दबाव है। निजी विश्वविद्यालयों की अवधारणा की राज्य विश्वविद्यालय के अधिकांश छात्रों के आंदोलनों और कुछ सामाजिक दबाव समूहों द्वारा कड़ी आलोचना और विरोध किया गया है। इसका एक समाधान यह हो सकता है कि विश्वविद्यालयों को समायोजित करने के लिए अतिरिक्त संसाधन आवंटित करते हुए वार्षिक विश्वविद्यालय प्रवेश संख्या में वृद्धि की जाए।
संसाधनों की कमी के कारण श्रीलंका में कुछ परीक्षाएं इतनी प्रतिस्पर्धी हो गई हैं। उदाहरण के लिए, एक छात्र की पहली सरकारी परीक्षा; ग्रेड पाँच छात्रवृत्ति अन्य परीक्षाओं की तुलना में अधिक प्रतिस्पर्धी हो गई है। ऐसा इसलिए है क्योंकि जो बेहतर अंक प्राप्त करते हैं वे एक अच्छे स्कूल और अच्छे धन के लिए भी पात्र होते हैं। इस प्रकार, अभिभावक छात्रों को इस परीक्षा के लिए कड़ी मेहनत करने के लिए मजबूर करते हैं। हालाँकि, बचपन से ही परीक्षा देने के इस दबाव का छात्रों की मानसिक स्थिरता पर बुरा प्रभाव पड़ता है।

मुफ्त शिक्षा प्रणाली का एक और नकारात्मक पक्ष यह तथ्य है कि श्रीलंका सरकार के पास पाठ्यक्रम, शिक्षण विधियों, पाठ्यक्रमों और कैरियर के रास्तों को अद्यतन करने के लिए हमेशा संसाधन नहीं होते हैं और मुफ्त और गुणवत्तापूर्ण शिक्षा के बीच का अंतर बड़ा और बड़ा होता जाता है। उचित योजना, बेहतर संसाधन आवंटन और अधिक धनराशि से निश्चित रूप से शिक्षा प्रणाली को लाभ होगा।

गुणवत्तापूर्ण शिक्षा तक पहुँच में विषमताएँ

हालाँकि श्रीलंका उच्च स्तर की साक्षरता प्राप्त करने में कामयाब रहा है, लेकिन यह छात्रों को उच्च गुणवत्ता वाली शैक्षिक सेवाएं प्रदान करने में असमर्थ रहा है। विज्ञान और गणित की शिक्षा और स्कूलों में इंटरनेट की पहुंच के मामले में श्रीलंका की स्थिति खराब है। श्रीलंका के प्रयास मुख्य रूप से बुनियादी शिक्षा (विशेष रूप से माध्यमिक) पर केंद्रित रहे हैं, जिसमें विश्वविद्यालयों जैसे उच्च स्तर की शिक्षा पर बहुत कम ध्यान दिया गया है। ज्ञान अर्थव्यवस्था में सफलतापूर्वक भाग लेने के लिए, देश को आईटी पहुंच, रचनात्मक और प्रभावी शिक्षण, बेहतर गणित और विज्ञान शिक्षा जैसे गुणवत्तापूर्ण निवेशों को बढ़ाना होगा, साथ ही साक्षरता के मौजूदा उच्च स्तरों को लगातार मजबूत करना होगा।
आई. सी. टी. तक बच्चों की पहुंच कम है। बहुत कम छात्र और उससे भी कम शिक्षक आईटी साक्षर हैं। यहां तक कि कुलीन पब्लिक स्कूलों में, कंप्यूटर सुविधाओं तक पहुंच, छात्र द्वारा कंप्यूटर अनुपात में परिभाषित 1:100 से अधिक है। छात्रों को कंप्यूटर का उपयोग करने के लिए आवश्यक व्यापक कौशल प्रदान करने के लिए अकेले कंप्यूटर पर्याप्त नहीं हैं। यह प्रशिक्षण सक्षम शिक्षकों द्वारा प्रदान किया जाना चाहिए जो न केवल छात्रों को उनका उपयोग करने के तरीके सिखाने में कुशल हैं, बल्कि दैनिक पाठों में स्वयं कंप्यूटर का उपयोग करने और उन्हें शिक्षण विधियों में शामिल करने में भी कुशल हैं।
एक अन्य मुद्दा श्रम बाजार की आवश्यकताओं के प्रति शिक्षा प्रणाली की प्रतिक्रिया की कमी है। परीक्षाओं पर ध्यान केंद्रित करते समय, इस शिक्षा प्रणाली के उत्पाद ज्ञान से परिपूर्ण होते हैं, लेकिन व्यावहारिक गतिविधियों पर कम। श्रीलंका की शिक्षा प्रणाली में यह एक बड़ी समस्या है। कई लोगों के पास सैद्धांतिक ज्ञान है, लेकिन वे अपने व्यवसायों में अच्छा प्रदर्शन नहीं कर सकते क्योंकि उनके पास नहीं है

कोविड-19 की प्रतिक्रिया

श्रीलंका में मुख्य रूप से अपने पर्यटन क्षेत्र के कारण वायरस के तेजी से फैलने का खतरा था। श्रीलंका में शैक्षिक क्षेत्र में कोविड उपायों की मुख्य चुनौतियों में से एक यह तथ्य था कि दूरस्थ शिक्षा के तौर-तरीकों को पूरे देश में समान रूप से लागू नहीं किया जा सकता था क्योंकि बच्चों के पास लैपटॉप, मोबाइल फोन, टीवी, रेडियो और व्यापक बुनियादी ढांचे तक पहुंच के विभिन्न स्तर हैं जो इन प्रणालियों का समर्थन करते हैं। उदाहरण के लिए, दूरदराज के क्षेत्रों में छात्रों की इंटरनेट और मोबाइल फोन/लैपटॉप तक पहुंच बहुत कम है। इसलिए, स्कूल बंद होने से सीखने तक पहुंच और भागीदारी में असमानता पैदा हुई है। श्रीलंका में शिक्षकों के लिए, दूरस्थ शिक्षा के तौर-तरीकों के माध्यम से पाठ्यक्रम देने में इसी तरह के संघर्ष थे।
यूनेस्को के केस स्टडी के लिए साक्षात्कार किए गए शिक्षकों ने दावा किया कि उन्होंने सूचना और संचार प्रौद्योगिकी (आईसीटी) या दूरस्थ शिक्षा पर कोई प्रशिक्षण प्राप्त नहीं किया है और अक्सर अपने छात्रों को पढ़ाते रहने के लिए खुद को पढ़ाना या अन्य रचनात्मक समाधान खोजना पड़ता था। यूनेस्को के शोध से पता चलता है कि शैक्षणिक क्षेत्र में एक बड़ी कमी, जो कोविड से पहले भी मौजूद थी, निगरानी प्रणालियों की कमी थी जो शिक्षा की प्रभावी प्रणाली को सुनिश्चित करने के लिए आवश्यक है। यूनेस्को ने अपनी रिपोर्ट में श्रीलंका को शिक्षा के क्षेत्र में एक प्रभावी निगरानी प्रणाली लागू करने की भी सिफारिश की।

निष्कर्ष

श्रीलंका में शिक्षा तक पहुंच निःशुल्क है और इसके परिणामस्वरूप देश की उच्च साक्षरता दर है। हालांकि, शिक्षा प्रणाली बेहद प्रतिस्पर्धी है और भारी काम के बोझ, प्रतिस्पर्धा और बेहतर परिणाम प्राप्त करने के लिए माता-पिता के दबाव के कारण स्कूली छात्रों का खराब शारीरिक और मानसिक स्वास्थ्य एक ऐसा मुद्दा है जिसकी नीति निर्माताओं द्वारा परवाह और चिंता नहीं की गई है। इसलिए श्रीलंका के लिए यह अनुशंसा की जाती है कि वह छात्रों के शारीरिक और मानसिक स्वास्थ्य पर कार्यभार के प्रभाव पर विचार करे और शिक्षा प्रणाली से श्रम बाजार की आवश्यकताओं के प्रति बेहतर प्रतिक्रिया पैदा करने के लिए कक्षा सीखने से गतिविधि-आधारित सीखने पर ध्यान केंद्रित करे। पूरी दुनिया बदल रही है और श्रीलंका को हमेशा सुविधाओं, प्रणालियों और प्रौद्योगिकियों सहित हर चीज के साथ समानांतर रूप से आगे बढ़ने का प्रयास करना चाहिए।

 

संदर्भ

किंग्सले करुणारत्ने अलावतटेगामा, ‘फ्री एजुकेशन पॉलिसी एंड इट्स इमर्जिंग चैलेंजेस इन श्रीलंका’, श्री जयवर्धनेपुरा विश्वविद्यालय, https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1250461.pdf

मैक्रोट्रेंड, ‘श्रीलंका साक्षरता दर 1981-2023’ अंतिम बार 22 अप्रैल 2023 को पहुँचा गया

रमीज एट अल, श्रीलंका में उच्च शिक्षा क्षेत्रों पर कोविड-19 का प्रभावः श्रीलंका के दक्षिण पूर्वी विश्वविद्यालय पर आधारित एक अध्ययन, जर्नल ऑफ एजुकेशनल एंड सोशल रिसर्च (volume 10, No 6, November 2020).

रेव मिनुवांगोडा ज्ञानवासा, ‘वर्तमान में श्रीलंका के सामने कुछ मान्यता प्राप्त शैक्षिक मुद्दों का अध्ययन’ (एपीसीएआर 2017) https://apiar.org.au/wp-content/uploads/ 2017/04/6 _ APCAR _ MAR _ 2017 _ BRR739 _ Education-35-42. pdf

सामाजिक सुरक्षा टूलबॉक्स, ‘श्रीलंका की सार्वभौमिक शिक्षा प्रणाली’ https://www.socialprotection-toolbox.org/practice/sri-lankas-universal-education-system

टीम नेक्स्ट ट्रैवल श्रीलंका, ‘ऑल अबाउट फ्री एजुकेशन इन श्रीलंका’ (2021) https://nexttravelsrilanka.com/free-education-in-sri-lanka /

यूनेस्को, श्रीलंकाः केस स्टडीः ‘एशिया में शिक्षा क्षेत्र पर कोविड-19 के प्रभावों और प्रतिक्रियाओं पर स्थिति विश्लेषण’ (2021)

विशेष छवि है: स्कूल जाते समय छात्र उच्च दबाव की रिपोर्ट करते हैं-ग्राउंडव्यू द्वारा फोटो।

 

Educational Challenges in Sri Lanka – Urdu Translation

سری لنکا میں تعلیمی چیلنجز

 

تحریر: سارا احمد

ترجمہ: ماہ نور علی

تعارف

تعلیم کسی بھی ملک کی سیاسی، سماجی اور اقتصادی ترقی کی بنیاد ہے۔ 2020 میں سری لنکا کی خواندگی کی شرح 92.38% تھی، لیکن اس کے باوجود ملک کو تعلیمی شعبے میں مختلف چیلنجز کا سامنا ہے۔ اس مضمون میں سری لنکا کے مفت تعلیمی نظام کے منفی پہلوؤں اور اس نظام کی لیبر مارکیٹ کی ضروریات سے ہم آہنگ نہ ہونے پر بات کی جائے گی۔

سری لنکا کے مفت تعلیمی نظام کے منفی پہلو

نائنٹین نائنٹی فورسے سری لنکا کی حکومت نے بغیر کسی امتیاز کے عوام کے لیے مفت تعلیمی نظام کا آغاز کیا۔ ریاست ابتدائی، ثانوی، اور یونیورسٹی سطح پر مفت تعلیم فراہم کرتی ہے، اور پانچ سے سولہ سال کے بچوں کے لیے تعلیم لازمی قرار دی گئی ہے۔ اس نظام نے سری لنکا کو خواندگی، صنفی مساوات، اور اسکول میں داخلے کی شرح کے لحاظ سے جنوبی ایشیا میں نمایاں مقام دلانے میں مدد دی۔ تاہم، اس نظام کو جدید دنیا کے تقاضوں کے مطابق ترقی دینے میں ناکامی پر تنقید کا سامنا ہے۔

سری لنکن معاشرہ تعلیم پر زیادہ زور دیتا ہے اور تفریح یا غیر ضروری اخراجات پر کم توجہ دیتا ہے۔ اس وجہ سے والدین اپنی آمدنی کا ایک بڑا حصہ اپنے بچوں کی تعلیم پر خرچ کرتے ہیں۔ زیادہ تر والدین کا خواب ہوتا ہے کہ ان کے بچے کسی سرکاری یونیورسٹی میں تعلیم حاصل کریں۔ تاہم، محکمہ مردم شماری اور شماریات کے مطابق ہر سال تقریباً 300,000 طلباء اعلیٰ سطح کے امتحان میں شرکت کرتے ہیں، لیکن ان میں سے صرف 60% یونیورسٹی کے داخلے کے اہل ہوتے ہیں۔ ان اہل طلباء میں سے بھی صرف 15% کو ہی سرکاری یونیورسٹیوں میں داخلہ ملتا ہے، اور باقی 85% طلباء کا خواب ادھورا رہ جاتا ہے۔

اگرچہ مفت تعلیم کا نظام اہم کردار ادا کرتا ہے، لیکن حکومت کی طرف سے تعلیم پر ناکافی اخراجات کی وجہ سے تعلیمی معیار میں کمی آئی ہے۔ نتیجتاً، کچھ شعبوں میں نجی یونیورسٹیاں قائم کرنے کا مطالبہ اور دباؤ بڑھ رہا ہے۔ تاہم، ریاستی یونیورسٹی کے طلباء اور سماجی تنظیموں کی طرف سے نجی یونیورسٹیوں کے قیام کی مخالفت کی جا رہی ہے۔ اس مسئلے کا ایک حل یہ ہو سکتا ہے کہ حکومت یونیورسٹیوں میں داخلے کی سالانہ تعداد میں اضافہ کرے اور ان اداروں کے لیے مزید وسائل مختص کرے۔

وسائل کی کمی کے باعث کچھ امتحانات انتہائی مسابقتی ہو چکے ہیں۔ مثال کے طور پر، پانچویں جماعت کا وظیفہ امتحان طلباء کے لیے بہت مشکل ہوتا ہے، کیونکہ اعلیٰ نمبر حاصل کرنے والے طلباء کو اچھے اسکول اور وظائف ملتے ہیں۔ والدین بچوں پر امتحان میں کامیابی کے لیے دباؤ ڈالتے ہیں، لیکن کم عمری میں اس قسم کے دباؤ کا طلباء کی ذہنی صحت پر منفی اثر پڑتا ہے۔

مفت تعلیمی نظام کا ایک اور مسئلہ یہ ہے کہ حکومت کے پاس نصاب، تدریسی طریقوں، اور کورسز کو اپ ڈیٹ کرنے کے لیے درکار وسائل نہیں ہوتے، جس کے نتیجے میں معیاری اور مفت تعلیم کے درمیان خلا بڑھتا جا رہا ہے۔ بہتر منصوبہ بندی، وسائل کی منصفانہ تقسیم، اور اضافی فنڈز تعلیمی نظام کو بہتر بنا سکتے ہیں

معیاری تعلیم تک رسائی میں تفاوت

اگرچہ سری لنکا نے خواندگی کی بلند سطح حاصل کی ہے، لیکن معیاری تعلیمی خدمات فراہم کرنے میں ناکامی کا سامنا ہے۔ سری لنکا ریاضی اور سائنس کی تعلیم اور اسکولوں میں انٹرنیٹ تک رسائی کے معاملے میں پیچھے ہے۔ تعلیمی نظام کا زیادہ تر زور بنیادی تعلیم پر ہے، جبکہ اعلیٰ تعلیم اور یونیورسٹیوں پر کم توجہ دی گئی ہے۔

معاشی ترقی اور عالمی منڈی میں مسابقت کے لیے سری لنکا کو آئی ٹی کی تعلیم، جدید تدریسی طریقوں، اور ریاضی و سائنس کی بہتر تعلیم کو فروغ دینا ہوگا۔

بچوں کی انفارمیشن ٹیکنالوجی (ICT) تک رسائی بہت محدود ہے، اور زیادہ تر طلباء اور اساتذہ کو کمپیوٹر کے استعمال میں مہارت حاصل نہیں۔ حتیٰ کہ بڑے پبلک اسکولوں میں بھی ایک کمپیوٹر کے لیے 100 سے زیادہ طلباء موجود ہوتے ہیں۔ لیکن کمپیوٹر کی موجودگی کافی نہیں، بلکہ ایسے اساتذہ کی ضرورت ہے جو کمپیوٹر کے استعمال میں ماہر ہوں اور اس مہارت کو تدریسی عمل کا حصہ بنائیں۔

تعلیمی نظام اور مزدور منڈی کی ضروریات میں ہم آہنگی کا فقدان

سری لنکا کا تعلیمی نظام طلباء کو زیادہ تر علمی علم فراہم کرتا ہے، لیکن عملی مہارتوں پر کم زور دیا جاتا ہے۔ اس وجہ سے، طلباء نظریاتی طور پر مضبوط ہونے کے باوجود پیشہ ورانہ میدان میں اچھی کارکردگی نہیں دکھا پاتے۔ یہ مسئلہ مزدور منڈی میں عملی اور نظریاتی علم کے درمیان خلا پیدا کرتا ہے۔

کووڈ-19 کا ردعمل

سری لنکا کا سیاحت پر انحصار ہونے کی وجہ سے کووڈ-19 کے تیز پھیلاؤ کا خطرہ زیادہ تھا۔ تعلیمی شعبے میں ایک بڑا چیلنج یہ تھا کہ فاصلاتی تعلیم کے لیے یکساں سہولیات دستیاب نہیں تھیں۔ مختلف علاقوں کے بچوں کو لیپ ٹاپ، موبائل فونز اور انٹرنیٹ تک رسائی میں مشکلات کا سامنا تھا، خاص طور پر دیہی علاقوں میں۔

اساتذہ کو بھی فاصلاتی تعلیم کے لیے مناسب تربیت نہیں دی گئی تھی، اور انہیں خود سے تدریسی طریقے سیکھنے پڑے۔ یونیسکو کی رپورٹ کے مطابق، تعلیمی شعبے میں ایک بڑی کمی مانیٹرنگ کے مؤثر نظام کی غیر موجودگی تھی، جو کووڈ سے پہلے بھی مسئلہ تھا۔ یونیسکو نے سفارش کی کہ سری لنکا میں تعلیمی نظام کو بہتر بنانے کے لیے ایک مؤثر مانیٹرنگ نظام نافذ کیا جائے۔

نتیجہ

سری لنکا میں مفت تعلیم کی وجہ سے خواندگی کی شرح بلند ہے، لیکن تعلیمی نظام میں مقابلے کی فضا اور والدین کا دباؤ طلباء کی جسمانی اور ذہنی صحت پر منفی اثرات مرتب کر رہا ہے۔ پالیسی سازوں کو طلباء کی صحت کے مسائل پر توجہ دینی چاہیے اور نصابی تعلیم کے بجائے عملی سرگرمیوں پر مبنی تعلیم کو فروغ دینا چاہیے تاکہ تعلیمی نظام کو مزدور منڈی کی ضروریات سے ہم آہنگ کیا جا سکے۔ دنیا تیزی سے بدل رہی ہے، اور سری لنکا کو بھی جدید ٹیکنالوجی اور تعلیمی سہولیات کے ساتھ ترقی کی دوڑ میں شامل رہنا ہوگا۔

References

Onderwijsuitdagingen in Indonesië

Geschreven door Leticia Cox, Vertaald door Shoshanah Gerstenbluth

Een derde van de Indonesische bevolking bestaat uit kinderen – dat zijn ongeveer 85 miljoen jonge mensen, waarmee Indonesië het op drie na grootste kinderbestand ter wereld heeft. Onderwijs voorziet de mensheid van informatie, kennis, vaardigheden en ethiek en helpt ons onze verantwoordelijkheden tegenover de samenleving, familie en natie te begrijpen, te respecteren en na te leven. Bovendien stelt onderwijs ons in staat vooruitgang te boeken.

Onderwijs is een levenspad waarmee men leert en kennis deelt met anderen. “Onderwijs is de grote motor van persoonlijke ontwikkeling. Het is door onderwijs dat de dochter van een boer arts kan worden, de zoon van een mijnwerker het hoofd van de mijn, en het kind van landarbeiders de president van een grote natie,” aldus de voormalige Zuid-Afrikaanse president Nelson Mandela.

In Indonesië, zoals in veel delen van de wereld, zijn kinderen verplicht twaalf jaar onderwijs te volgen. Dit bestaat uit basisonderwijs (klas 1-6), lager secundair onderwijs (klas 7-9), hoger secundair onderwijs (klas 10-12) en eventueel hoger onderwijs. Jongeren kunnen kiezen tussen openbare, niet-sektarische scholen, beheerd door het Ministerie van Nationaal Onderwijs (Kemdiknas), en religieuze (islamitische, christelijke, katholieke of boeddhistische) scholen, die semi-particulier of particulier gefinancierd worden en onder het beheer van het Ministerie van Religieuze Zaken vallen.

Meer dan twee jaar na de COVID-19-pandemie worstelen zowel studenten als docenten in Indonesië en de rest van de wereld nog steeds met een ernstige leercrisis. Een rapport uit juni 2022 van UNICEF, UNESCO, de Wereldbank en anderen onthult dat naar schatting 70 procent van de 10-jarigen wereldwijd niet in staat is om een eenvoudige tekst te begrijpen, tegenover 57 procent vóór de pandemie.

Foto van Ed Us via Unsplash

De nasleep van COVID-19.

Al vóór de COVID-19-pandemie presteerde het Indonesische onderwijssysteem onder de verwachtingen van het curriculum, met aanzienlijke verschillen in prestaties tussen geslachten, regio’s, kinderen met en zonder handicap, en andere gemarginaliseerde groepen. De meeste geteste leerlingen presteerden twee niveaus onder hun eigen klasniveau. Zo bleek dat leerlingen van groep 5 gemiddeld op het leesniveau van groep 3 zaten.

Onderzoek en veldonderzoeken wijzen uit dat een van de oorzaken hiervan een gebrek aan duidelijke leerdoelen vóór aanvang van onderwijsactiviteiten was. Zonder helderheid over de te bereiken doelstellingen hadden studenten en docenten onvoldoende richting binnen het leerproces. In sommige regio’s is er zelfs een toename in het aantal basisschoolleerlingen dat niet kan lezen bij aanvang van de schoolloopbaan.

De massale sluiting van scholen en het verlies van banen als gevolg van COVID-19 hebben deze situatie verergerd. Lagere prestaties komen sterker naar voren bij kwetsbare kinderen, waaronder kinderen uit gezinnen met lage inkomens, kinderen met een handicap en kinderen uit onderontwikkelde gebieden, die het grootste risico lopen om buiten het onderwijs te vallen.

Zelfs vóór de pandemie waren kinderhuwelijken al een probleem in sommige armere regio’s. Er zijn aanwijzingen dat het aantal kinderhuwelijken tijdens de pandemie toenam, omdat gezinnen met lage inkomens probeerden hun economische lasten te verlichten.

Kinderarbeid wordt nu vaker thuis of ter ondersteuning van het huishoudelijk inkomen verricht, bijvoorbeeld in de landbouw en visserij, omdat lockdown-maatregelen de kansen op werk verder beperkten.

Ook Indonesische kinderen met een handicap staan voor grote uitdagingen. Onderzoek heeft aangetoond dat de handicap van kinderen of hun ouders van invloed is op hun leerproces en op de kans dat ze naar school terugkeren.

Slechte onderwijsvoorzieningen en infrastructuur

Slechte voorzieningen in het onderwijs en daarboven de kwaliteit van de infrastructuur vormen een groot deel van de onderwijsuitdagingen in Indonesië. Ongeveer 75 procent van de Indonesische scholen ligt in rampgevoelige gebieden. Indonesië, dat bijna 800.000 vierkante mijl beslaat, is kwetsbaar voor aardbevingen, tsunami’s, harde wind, vulkaanuitbarstingen, aardverschuivingen en overstromingen.

Ongelijke toegang tot internet en verschillen in de bevoegdheid van leerkrachten en de kwaliteit van het onderwijs vormen eveneens grote uitdagingen bij de implementatie van afstandsonderwijs. Leren op afstand, vooral voor jonge kinderen en gezien de variatie in digitale toegang binnen het land, versterkt de ongelijkheid onder gemarginaliseerde kinderen.

Lage kwaliteit van leerkrachten

Een belangrijke oorzaak van de lage onderwijskwaliteit in Indonesië is de beperkte vaardigheid van de leerkrachten, wat vaak het gevolg is van het selectieproces. In plaats van een selectie gebaseerd op professionele onderwijzers, is het aanwervingsproces vaak gericht op het voldoen aan eisen van de ambtelijke sector.

Veel leerkrachten missen de professionaliteit om hun taken uit te voeren zoals omschreven in Artikel 39 van Wet nr. 20 van 2003: lessen plannen, uitvoeren, leerresultaten beoordelen, mentorschap en opleiding geven, onderzoek verrichten en bijdragen aan de gemeenschap.

Bij de aanwerving van leerkrachten binnen het overheidsapparaat worden doorgaans geen hoge eisen gesteld aan de didactische vaardigheden die een professionele leerkracht nodig heeft.

In een recent onderzoek scoorden docenten in het onderwijssysteem die de ‘Teacher Competency Test’ (UKG) aflegden, die hun vaardigheden in lesgeven en vakkennis test, vaak lager dan de minimale norm. Het onderzoek wijst verder uit dat een aanzienlijk aantal docenten niet voldoet aan de door de overheid gestelde normen qua opleiding: dit betreft 64,09% in het lager secundair onderwijs, 61,5% in het hoger secundair onderwijs, en 10,14% in het beroepsonderwijs.

Het leraarschap vraagt om complexe vaardigheden en een sterke motivatie om studenten te begeleiden. Tegelijkertijd ligt binnen het aanwervingsproces de nadruk op nationalisme en algemene kennis, niet op onderwijsvaardigheden.

Aankomende leerkrachten die bij de selectie van essentiële competenties het hoogst scoren, maken een schriftelijke toets over de inhoud van de vakken en lesmanagement, terwijl de professionele competentie als leerkracht niet beoordeeld wordt. In het algemeen kan de huidige aanwervingsprocedure in het ambtenarenproces niet de meest vaardige leerkrachten selecteren – de nadruk ligt op nationalisme en algemene kennis in plaats van op didactiek en passie.

In het onderwijs is een “roeping” essentieel voor een leraar: een sterke motivatie om kennis over te dragen en het potentieel van studenten te ontwikkelen. Zonder deze roeping is het moeilijk om een goede leerkracht te zijn.

Geschreven door Leticia Cox, Vertaald door Shoshanah Gerstenbluth

Verwijzingen

https://ijble.com/index.php/journal/article/view/64/71

https://www.unicef.org/eap/media/9326/file/Sit An – Indonesia case study.pdf

https://www.unicef.org/indonesia/education-and-adolescents

https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/81594

https://jakartaglobe.id/news/poor-quality-of-education-casts-shadow-on-indonesias-future-job-market

Foto omslag door Husniati Salma via Unsplash

Current Issues Ethiopia’s Education Problem: 96% of students fail final school exam

By Zoë Alford

Hundreds of thousands of students are left without the opportunity for higher education due to a massive educational crisis currently facing Ethiopia. Out of the 3,106 schools administering 12th grade in 2023, 43% reported that no students had passed the Ethiopian General Secondary Education Certificate Examination (EGSECE) (Hood, 2023). This final exam is a prerequisite for university entrance and saw 96% of students failing for the second year in a row (Hood, 2023). The overwhelming majority of Ethiopia’s youth are now left with limited education opportunities and few choices for their future. While exam results are not the only measure of a country’s education system, such significant failure rates can only be symptomatic of one that is fractured and struggling.

Structural Issues:

The education system in Ethiopia is struggling to keep up with the burgeoning numbers of primary and secondary school students. Since 1990, students in primary education increased from 3 million to 20 million in 2018/19 (Tiruneh et al., 2021). With more students finishing primary school than ever before, Ethiopian pupils are continuing on into high school with limited resources and infrastructure in place to support them. Secondary enrollment has doubled in the last 10 years, going from 23% in 2011/12 to 46% in 2021/22 (Ministry of Education, 2022) This remarkable achievement has given greater access to education for children from disadvantaged backgrounds and drastically increased the number of girls in school. However, the rapid expansion of the education system has left it struggling to ensure all students are given a sound education and the resources they require (Tiruneh et al., 2021).

Poor school infrastructure, inadequate distribution of resources and outdated materials have also fueled this crisis. Combined with a system stretched thin to meet the demands of ever-increasing pupils, hundreds of thousands of children have consequentially finished primary education without fundamental skills in literacy and numeracy (Hood, 2023). These abilities are not only essential for further education but also necessary to live a life of opportunity in a modern, globalised world.

The lack of robust education combined with a burgeoning student population has also left Ethiopia without appropriately trained teachers. In the country’s teacher trainee program, many candidates have not completed the final 2 years of secondary education. Trainees often also score low when tested for their science and mathematics abilities (Assefa et al. 2021; Gebremeskel et al. 2017). This leaves a major gap in the education system for educated and well-trained teachers, creating a cycle where limited education creates poorly educated teachers, creating further inadequate education for younger students in fundamental subjects. There is also a high student-to-teacher ratio, stretching what teachers that Ethiopia does have already, thinner (Assefa et al. 2021). Ethiopia has recognized that their educational system must consider the gap between their societal goals for education and the general student learning experience (Hood, 2023).

Covid-19:

It is also important to note that the Covid-19 pandemic widened the education gap. Lockdowns in 2020 prevented more than 26 million students from learning over a period of 8 months (Araya et al., 2022). With limited online learning materials and resources, students were required to catch up on 8 months’ worth of lessons lost in just 45 days. Primary school students in 2021 had lower foundational numeracy skills and made slower progress in numeracy as the year progressed, compared to students from 2018 (Araya et al., 2022). The pandemic lockdowns also heavily affected students from rural and lower-income families, with pupils from these backgrounds having the lowest numeracy levels in their cohort (Araya et al., 2022). The pandemic therefore exacerbated the systemic problems already prevalent in Ethiopia’s education system.

Internal Conflict:

The Tigray War in northern Ethiopia also likely added to the declining exam results. Lasting from November 2020 until November 2022, the conflict caused a humanitarian crisis, human rights abuses and destruction of infrastructure, including educational institutions. The conflict affected around 1.4 million children in the region, with many parents too concerned about their children’s safety to send them to school (Belay et al., 2023). This conflict severely limited access to education, for reasons such as trauma, loss of infrastructure and population movement (Belay et al., 2023). The armed conflict in Tigray has not only impacted on educational achievement in the region but also limited education opportunities. This has been cited as another reason for the extremely low pass rate in Ethiopia in recent years (Belay et al., 2023).

Looking forward:

An overall greater financial investment in education would offer a fast-tracked solution to many of Ethiopia’s’ education systemic problems. Funding for additional, more uniform and up to date learning resources as well as improving school infrastructure would greatly increase educational quality for all students. Higher salaries, a stronger teacher training program and leadership training would encourage and upskill both current and potential teachers in Ethiopia (Tena & Motuma, 2024). Leadership training and a better trainee program can also be achieved via greater investment in university education, which has the potential to play a critical role in overcoming widespread structural issues. Investing in universities encourages innovation and improvement in curriculum, teacher training programs and capacity building within the education system (Tena & Motuma, 2024).

Greater focus on students from disadvantaged backgrounds would also ensure that Ethiopia’s most vulnerable pupils would not miss out on an education. Targeted support for low-performing students, those from low socio-economic backgrounds and students from rural areas would prevent further widening learning inequalities (Araya et al., 2022). When possible, employing technological forms of teaching would keep pupils in school who otherwise would not be able to attend, whether caused by conflict, illness or events like Covid-19. When online learning is not possible, continuing to encourage the importance of education across local communities and providing learning resources would greatly encourage students from disadvantaged backgrounds to continue their education (Araya et al., 2022). Ensuring pupils can still access education, despite conflict, pandemics or remoteness is essential to ensure such high rates of failure do not continue in the future.

Overall, Ethiopia must continue to invest and improve in their education system. This will ensure the robust functioning of not only its economy, but the right to self-determination for all Ethiopians regardless of economic background. Education has the power to reduce inequality and poverty and it is therefore necessary to ensure that future Ethiopian generations are not left behind.

References

Araya, M., Rose, P., Sabates, R., Tiruneh, D.T., Woldeanna, T. (2022). Learning Losses during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ethiopia: Comparing student achievement in early primary grades before school closures, and after they reopened. Rise Insight Series. Retrieved from https://riseprogramme.org/publications/learning-losses-during-covid-19-pandemic-ethiopia-comparing-student-achievement-early.html

Assefa, S., Asfaw, A., Fufa, D., Zewdie, G., Wodajo, H., Kekeba, H. & Tola, T. (2021). Status of teacher education programs in Ethiopia: Policy, curricula and resources. The Ethiopian Journal of Education, 41(1), 247-296.

Belay, F., Berhane, D., Teshale, H., Mulubrhan, G., Hagos, T., Gebremariam, H., Brhane, T., Islam, Z. (2023). The effect of war on educational institutions of Eastern Tigray zone, Tigray state, Ethiopia. International Journal of Educational Development, 102:102864. Retrieved from

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0738059323001402#:~:text=Children%20did%20not%20attend%20schools,relevant%20to%20the%20war%20experiences.

Gebremeskel, H.H., Ahmed, A.Y., Getahun, D.A., Debele, M.L., Tibebu, D., Wondem, D.T. (2017). Revisiting teacher educators’ training in Ethiopia: Implications for a new approach to curriculum development. Bahir Dar Journal of Education, 17(2), 89-105.

https://www.ajol.info/index.php/bdje/article/view/249011/235474

Hood, L. (2023, November 23). Ethiopia’s education system is in crisis – now’s the time to fix it. The Conversation. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/ethiopias-education-system-is-in-crisis-nows-the-time-to-fix-it-217817

Ministry of Education (2022). Education statistics annual abstract (ESAA). Federal Republic of Ethiopia. Retrieved from https://moe.gov.et/storage/Books/ESAA%202014%20EC%20(2021-22%20G.C)%20Final.pdf

Tena, B. & Motuma, F. (2024). Policy reforms and unresolved educational challenges in Ethiopia: Implications for the University of Education. Bahir Dar Journal of Education, 24(1), 147-167. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bdje.v24i1.10

Tiruneh, D., Hoddinott, J., Rolleston, C., Sabates, R., Woldehanna, T. (2021). Understanding achievement in numeracy among primary school children in Ethiopia: Evidence from Rise Ethiopia study . RISE Working Paper Series. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/John-Hoddinott-2/publication/359826987_Understanding_Achievement_in_Numeracy_Among_Primary_School_Children_in_Ethiopia_Evidence_from_RISE_Ethiopia_Study/links/64676983c9802f2f72ea0135/Understanding-Achievement-in-Numeracy-Among-Primary-School-Children-in-Ethiopia-Evidence-from-RISE-Ethiopia-Study.pdf

Featured image by Emmanuel Ikwuegbu from Unsplash

Educational Challenges in San Marino

The flag of San Marino, cropped

Written by Eliana Riggi

Background: COVID-19 pandemic impact on school systems around the world

The coronavirus disease, emerging in the first months of 2020, spread rapidly across countries, and it constituted an unprecedented challenge with which the entire world had to grapple. The pandemic had all-encompassing consequences for societies and states. Not only did it put a strain on national healthcare systems, but it also affected vital policy areas such as education.

Policies and frameworks were adapted to the new reality for national educational systems to be resilient. Governmentsdevised and implemented ad hoc measures to hamper the transmission of the virus and guarantee the right to education simultaneously. School closures soon became a standard practice among countries, and they peaked in April 2020, affecting over 1.6 billion learners worldwide.

To ensure educational continuity, states transitioned from in-person instruction towards distance teaching and learning, extensively using tools such as broadcast media (radio, TV), take-home material packages and online learning platforms. Due to the emergency context, the transition was swift in many cases, but it did require tailored and adequate support to teachers, students and families. Furthermore, quarantines and virus containment measures led to reformed learning assessment methods and high-stakes examinations.

When a lessening of COVID-19 allowed for school reopening, the Ministry of Education coordinated with the rest of government representatives to make that safe. By and large, schools began to reopen in September 2020. Despite this, countries decided on criteria governing future school closures.

Inevitably, the pandemic had adverse effects on learning opportunities and effectiveness. Not every student accessed remote learning because of child labour, connectivity gaps and gender inequality. Thereby, minimum learning losses were unavoidable. In an attempt to mitigate these losses, funds were provided to boost internet access and, at a later time, remedial programmes were introduced. Even after school reopening, an increase in dropout and disengagement rates was observed, especially for students belonging to low-income or rural households. [i]

Mental issues affecting learners:  a call to action

Therefore, it seems evident that returning to in-person instruction is not enough to make COVID-19 consequences disappear. What is more, school is not only about learning, but it is also where personal development takes place. Schooling helps children and youth forge their values, ideas, interests, social skills and career aspirations, to name but a few. For this reason, the well-being of learners is essential to safeguard their right to education.

Undoubtedly, the mental health of students, teachers, parents and caregivers has been impacted by the pandemic.  Not only did the pandemic cause mental health issues, but it also exacerbated those already present.

School closures, social isolation, health risks and the death of loved ones have had severe psychological implications on learners. Indeed, children and youth were deprived of the interpersonal dimension of everyday life and could only enjoy face-to-face relationships with family members unless they were infected.  A screen became the only way to communicate and to see faces without masks. [ii] Moreover, the stress linked to economic instability and educational disruptions fostered a feeling of uncertainty about studies, aspirations, and school-to-work transition, creating the perception of a hopeless future. [iii]   

Critically, students were subjected to pandemic restrictions, but they did not engage in the decision-making processes. Even though they should have had a say in education policies, they could not easily make their voice heard, undermining their self-confidence. [iv]  

Extensive literature underlines the need to address learners’ mental issues and advocates the provision of support services to students. Since lockdowns, governments, especially in high-income countries, have acted by setting up hotlines, recruiting counsellors or launching projects facilitating students sharing feelings and concerns. [v]

As learning and personal development are strongly intertwined, the Council of Europe has promoted the historical study of crises in schools to help students understand how their peers reacted and felt in the past. Thus, studying history may create a sense of unity and empathy. [vi]

Education responses to the pandemic-resulted predicament in San Marino

The Republic of San Marino executed its plan to cope with the pandemic first and foremost by means of nationwide school closures from 23 February to 10 June 2020, but the closures continued until the end of August because of the usual summer academic break. [vii] In view of the unfolding pandemic, a mixed approach between in-person instruction and remote learning was adopted. Then, there were only partial school closures during the academic year 2020/2021. To sum up, from March 2020 to August 2021, 4,170 learners were affected by school closures, and most of them belonged to lower- and upper-secondary education levels.

As a result of school closures, authorities opted for a distance learning strategy employing online learning platforms for all education levels. Remote learning required the government to provide teachers with instructions on remote teaching, pedagogy workshops, ICT tools and free connectivity while enabling them to teach from school premises. The coverage of online learning platforms was crucial to safeguard the right to education and educational continuity for all learners. Hence, the distance learning strategy embraced policies that did pay attention to students with disabilities. The latter could attend courses on school premises and were supported with tailored materials. For instance, sign language was included in online learning programmes. Schools committed to offering vulnerable households internet subscriptions and devices at subsidised or zero costs to foster students’ access to connectivity.

A monitoring process was facilitated by observing students’ participation in online classes, their scheduled delivery of assignments, and their participation in written and oral tests. It is confirmed that more than 75 % of students attended distance learning during school closures. More importantly, the collaboration and mutual support between schools and families was enhanced through follow-up practices such as phone calls, instant messaging, emailing, videoconferencing and running household surveys on remote learning strategies.

As regards high-stake examinations for the secondary level, they were not cancelled or postponed, but they took place only via online-based oral tests, and they assessed reduced curriculum content.

As the academic year 2019/2020 was profoundly impacted by the coronavirus disease, the school calendar for the subsequent academic year 2020/2021 was adjusted with the start date on 1 September 2020, two weeks ahead of the previous schedule. The government preferred not to extend the duration of classes or the content of curricula. Learning assessments were organised at the classroom level to address learning losses, and authorities decided to launch remedial programmes in primary- and secondary-level schools as of September 2020.

After school reopening, students’ participation was monitored, and it showed that 100 % of students had attended school since September 2020, except for upper-secondary level schools where attendance share was more than 75% but not 100%. The return to in-person instruction was combined with health and hygiene precautionary measures. In the first place, hand-washing practice, using masks, temperature checks, equipment disinfection and the tracking of COVID-19-infected or exposed people were furthered and supervised by school committees. Moreover, adjustments to school and classroom physical arrangements, reducing or suspending extra-curricular activities, and combining remote and in-person learning were the most widely enforced measures. Teaching in schools’ outdoor places was encouraged in pre-primary and primary schools, whereas the progressive return of students divided into age-based cohorts concerned only pre-primary schools. Finally, classroom attendance scheduled in shifts was promoted exclusively in lower- and upper-secondary schools.

Since the pandemic had far-reaching consequences on education, the Republic of San Marino could rely on additional funds to recruit non-teaching safety personnel in all schools and teachers in pre-primary and primary schools in the academic year 2020/2021. However, only reallocations within the ordinary or even reduced education budget allowed the government to increase the education staff compensation, student loans and scholarships.

In addition to the policies implemented for school reopening, the government determined coronavirus national prevalence rates as the criterion for closing schools again. [viii]

The well-being of San Marino students: concerns and efforts

In San Marino’s statement, delivered during the 2022 Transforming Education Summit, the then-heads of State, the Captains Regent of the Republic of San Marino, Mr Oscar Mina II and Mr Paolo Rondelli I, recognised the two main functions of education: learning and personal development. In this respect, they declared the state’s willingness to continue abiding by the principles of equality and inclusiveness. Concerning COVID-19, they emphasise the pandemic consequences on students’ mental health and the educational system’s commitment to standing up to those. [ix]

Accordingly, San Marino authorities have been putting great effort into supporting students’ psychological well-being so far. During nationwide school closures, online counselling and teacher assistants lent learners a hand in facing pandemic hard times. In 2021, counselling points were arranged in secondary schools and the Centro di formazione professionale (vocational training centre).

The provision of assistance soon revealed the worrisome framework compounded by the pandemic. During the academic years 2020/2021 and 2021/2022, more than 130 students turned to the counselling services. Issues such as fear, anxiety, problematic anger management, eating and mood disorders, panic attacks, bullying and self-harm were detected. In some cases, they led to truancy and dropout. [x] As well, manifold addictions rose during the pandemic and after. Among them, social media, drug, and video game addictions have been widespread.The reason why COVID-19 has aggravated addictions lies in the fact that vulnerabilities consolidated while learners were suffering isolation. Consequently, youth specifically deemed social media, drugs or video games as an escape hatch from the gloomy reality. [xi]

Along with counselling services in secondary schools, authorities approved several projects for caring for children in pre-primary and primary schools. Both in 2021 and 2022, artists, teachers and doctors engaged together in school projects. The Giornata degli abbracci (Hugs Day) was outstanding among the initiatives. Considering that the pandemic had altered children’s emotional balance, the Giornata degli abbracci, which took place on 9 June 2022, aimed at restoring mutual trust, solidarity and good mood. [xii]  

In December 2022, the government went one step further. After that, citizens called for the direct democracy mechanism Istanza d’ Arengo, a new professional figure, was established. Doctor Rosita Guidi has been appointed as a school psychologist. The school psychologist services are aimed at students of every level, from pre-primary to secondary schools and the vocational training centre. Dr Rosita Guidi can handle counselling requests from students, parents/caregivers, teachers and school committees. If the request concerns a minor, parents’ consent is compulsory.

The school psychologist comes to the aid of learners, teachers and families to promote the well-being of children and youth. When necessary, the undertaking of therapy paths may be suggested. [[xiii]] Although the school psychologist can easily be contacted (directly and via email), schools endorse additional methods due to privacy considerations. For instance, lower-secondary school students can request by inserting a note filled with personal and contact information in a sealed box.

The psychological support service has been warmly welcomed, given that, from December 2022 to April 2023, 60 requests were sent. [xiv]   

With regard to students’ voice expression, San Marino has embarked on a renovation process planning to upgrade school curricula with interdisciplinarity, digital and citizenship competencies. The latter is meant to enhance the culture of peace, the education for sustainable development, human rights and gender education. Through this enrichment, students are on the right path to taking responsibility, raising their self-confidence and becoming active citizens in the democratic framework. [xv]

Conclusion

Two years after the pandemic outbreak, during the 2022 Transforming Education Summit, 57 % of governments stated the need to support the psycho-social well-being of students and teachers. Along the same line, international organisations and experts have incited states to invest steadily significant and adequate resources in supporting learners’ mental health. [xvi] Schools play a crucial role in this sensitive domain, and their role is all the more important if families do not notice psychological distress or underestimate it. San Marino has endeavoured to make the national educational system resilient to the pandemic, and its achievements have been relevant. Specifically, new counselling services have contributed to the country’s journey towards transformed education. It would be worthwhile to fund these services to a greater extent. Also, psychology training for all education staff has been proposed. [xvii] For all these reasons, even if San Marino’s educational transformation process is relatively recent, it is promising.

References:

[i] Soroptimist International (2021, March). Solidarity of NGOs facing the pandemic: educationhttps://www.soroptimistinternational.org/solidarity-of-ngos-facing-the-pandemic-education/ ; UNESCO, UNICEF, The World Bank (2020, October). What have we learnt? Overview of findings from a survey of ministries of education on national responses to COVID-19 https://data.unicef.org/resources/national-education-responses-to-covid19/#:~:text=Compiling%20data%20from%20surveys%20on,by%20teachers%20and%20were%20more; UNESCO, UNICEF, The World Bank and OECD (2021, June). What’s next? Lessons on Education Recovery: Findings from a Survey of Ministries of Education amid the COVID-19 Pandemic https://covid19.uis.unesco.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2021/07/National-Education-Responses-to-COVID-19-Report2_v3.pdf

[ii] Giannini, S. (2020, April). Prioritise health and well-being now and when schools reopen. UNESCO https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/prioritize-health-and-well-being-now-and-when-schools-reopen; World Health Organization (2022, June). The impact of COVID-19 on mental health cannot be made light of https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-mental-health-cannot-be-made-light-of

[iii] International Labour Organization, AIESEC, European Union, European Youth Forum, UN Major Group for Children and Youth, UN OHCHR (2020, August). Youth & COVID-19: Impacts on jobs, education, rights and mental well-being https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—ed_emp/documents/publication/wcms_753026.pdf 

[iv] UNESCO, Council of Europe (2021, November). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student voice, Findings and recommendations https://rm.coe.int/finalpublication-theimpact-of-covid19-on-student-voice/1680a42e52

[v] UNESCO (2021, March). One year into COVID: Prioritising education recovery to avoid a generational catastrophe, Report of UNESCO Online Conference https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000376984 ; UNESCO, Council of Europe (2021, November). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student voice, Findings and recommendations https://rm.coe.int/finalpublication-theimpact-of-covid19-on-student-voice/1680a42e52; UNESCO, UNICEF, The World Bank and OECD (2021, June). What’s next? Lessons on Education Recovery: Findings from a Survey of Ministries of Education amid the COVID-19 Pandemic https://covid19.uis.unesco.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2021/07/National-Education-Responses-to-COVID-19-Report2_v3.pdf 

[[vi]] Council of Europe (2020, October). Making the right to education a reality in times of COVID-19, A Roadmap for Action on the Council of Europe education response to COVID-19 https://rm.coe.int/making-the-right-to-education-a-reality-in-times-of-covid-19-a-roadmap/16809fee7b

[vii] Pre-primary school closures lasted until 7 June 2020, and the academic year 2019/2020 was extended just for them. School closures-related data can be visualised in interactive maps in the UNESCO Web Archive at the following address: https://webarchive.unesco.org/web/20220625033513/https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse#durationschoolclosures

[viii] The information given in this section is contained in San Marino’s responses to the first and third rounds of the four-round Surveyon national Education Responses to COVID-19 School Closures. The first and third rounds of the survey were conducted respectively from May to June 2020 and from February to April 2021. The reader may find more detailed information about the four-round Surveyon national Education Responses to COVID-19 School Closures at the following address: https://tcg.uis.unesco.org/survey-on-national-education-responses-to-covid-19-school-closures/

[ix] San Marino (2022, September). National Declaration of Commitment at the 2022 Transforming Education Summit https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/2022/09/san_marino-commitment-statement-french-english-v.pdf . More about governments’ declarations of commitment at the 2022 Transforming Education Summit can be read at the following address: https://www.un.org/en/transforming-education-summit/member-states-statements

[x] Salvatori, L. (2022, April). Disagio giovanile: con la pandemia, quasi quadruplicati i nuovi casi. San Marino RTV https://www.sanmarinortv.sm/news/politica-c2/disagio-giovanile-con-la-pandemia-quasi-quadruplicati-i-nuovi-casi-a222522

[xi] Camparsi, M. L. (2023, February). Disagio giovanile e dipendenze preadolescenziali: una giornata di formazione a San Marino. San Marino RTV https://www.sanmarinortv.sm/news/attualita-c4/disagio-giovanile-e-dipendenze-preadolescenziali-una-giornata-di-formazione-a-san-marino-a236227

[xii] Giornata degli Abbracci: importante momento di condivisione per la fine della scuola. (2022, June). San Marino RTV https://www.sanmarinortv.sm/news/attualita-c4/giornata-degli-abbracci-importante-momento-di-condivisione-per-la-fine-della-scuola-a224659

[xiii] More details concerning the school psychologist services are available in the national education portal called Portale dell’ Educazione della Repubblica di San Marino at the following address: http://www.media.educazione.sm/on-line/home-portale-scuole-medie/la-scuola/spazio-dascolto.html

[xiv] Giuccioli, A. (2023, April). Lo psicologo entra a scuola in aiuto di giovani e famiglie. In tre mesi oltre 60 richieste. San Marino RTV https://www.sanmarinortv.sm/news/attualita-c4/lo-psicologo-entra-a-scuola-in-aiuto-di-giovani-e-famiglie-in-tre-mesi-oltre-60-richieste-a238898

[xv] San Marino (2022, September). National Declaration of Commitment at the 2022 Transforming Education Summit https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/2022/09/san_marino-commitment-statement-french-english-v.pdf

[xvi] Giannini, S. (2020, April). Prioritise health and well-being now and when schools reopen. UNESCO https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/prioritize-health-and-well-being-now-and-when-schools-reopen; World Health Organization (2022, June). The impact of COVID-19 on mental health cannot be made light of https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-mental-health-cannot-be-made-light-of ; United Nations (2023, January). Report on the 2022 Transforming Education Summit https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/report_on_the_2022_transforming_education_summit.pdf  ; World Health Organization (2022, March). Young people leading the way to a brighter post-COVID worldhttps://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/young-people-leading-the-way-to-a-brighter-post-covid-world

[xvii] Camparsi, M. L. (2023, February). Disagio giovanile e dipendenze preadolescenziali: una giornata di formazione a San Marino. San Marino RTV https://www.sanmarinortv.sm/news/attualita-c4/disagio-giovanile-e-dipendenze-preadolescenziali-una-giornata-di-formazione-a-san-marino-a236227

Educational challenges in Nicaragua

Written by Agnes Amaral

Nicaragua is a Central American country that the Spanish colonised in the 16th century. Its independence began at the beginning of the 19th century, with a split between groups that defended monarchical ideals and groups that defended independence. For a time, the country became part of the provinces of Central America, and only in 1838 did it become a republic. Understanding this process of late independence is relevant to understanding the country’s politics and how these relations affect education.

There is an intense process of political rivalry between liberal and conservative groups, which has led to civil war and fostered close relations with US politicians. As a result of these close ties, Nicaragua suffered a series of American interventions aimed at protecting its interests in the region. These interventions led to another civil war, starting in 1926. These conflicts occurred between liberals and conservatives, with various political and local consequences for the population.

Another historical event that has led to analysis of the country’s current situation was the Sandinista insurrection of 1972. These revolutions sought to end a period of dictatorship that had been in place since 1936. This movement was one of the first to align two strands: liberation Christianity and Marxism. Christians played an important role as allies of the revolutionaries in this historic moment.

There are undoubtedly many other nuances and other relevant moments in Nicaragua’s history, but these specific moments indicate the attacks on students that have been taking place recently, especially on university students.

Attack on human rights

In 2018, the Nicaraguan Association for Human Rights (ANPDH) reported the deaths of more than 280 people and more than 2,000 injured due to President Daniel Ortega’s reaction to protesters. The protests were against a reduction in budget pressure. In addition, several university students took to the streets to demand more assertive government action on other issues, such as forest fires. It can be said that this year was crucial for human rights in Nicaragua, especially in terms of education, since students were responsible for demanding fairer actions for the country’s population.

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

The reactions of the government and government-backed groups against the protesters shocked the country and the world, even causing threats to the Nicaraguan Association for Human Rights (ANPDH), which closed its office in the country due to harassment and death threats over the phone.

Human rights activists become targets of a backlash against protests. Not only students have suffered from this political situation of curtailment of rights, but also doctors and health workers have reported constant attacks and threats.

Since then, it has been possible to observe the role of President Daniel Ortega’s government and how it reacts to social demands. Mainly by attacking students who participated in protests to guarantee human rights.

Attack on universities

In 2022, the struggle of university students continues. Daniel Ortega’s government has instituted reforms to control the country’s education system better. As an example of these oppressive attitudes, the Central American University (UCA) announced that classes and administrative activities had been suspended in August 2022. The UCA’s assets and financial accounts were to be transferred to the government.

Groups from the Jesuit order and students claimed that Daniel Ortega’s government declared the UCA a centre of terrorism against the government. Therefore, it should be held responsible for the university’s accounts. The UN issued a statement reaffirming the impact of this authoritarian change on the right to education. Dictatorial attitudes characterise these actions aimed at the university in an attempt to curtail critical thinking and the right to demand social policies for all.

Photo by Redd F on Unsplash

The question arises regarding the right to education, especially an education that provides free and critical thinking. A variety of theorists and researchers have reinforced the event as dictatorial since not even the university with the highest level of teaching quality in the country was unscathed by government oppression.

The process of revoking these universities, which began with the repressions in 2018, has been accentuated. In 2022, private universities were legally placed as hotbeds of opposition to the government. Several foreign universities with campuses in Nicaragua were closed because they did not follow the authorities of the government in question. The complexity of the issue can be seen in the use of the legal apparatus to silence the voices of students and university professors.

Conclusion

The news from 2023 shows that this event is not over. Daniel Ortega’s government continues to attack university institutions in retaliation for the 2018 protests. Specific attacks on private centres and religious institutions demonstrate a curtailment of the right to education in Nicaragua.

Academics and students are silenced at every turn because there is an attempt to strengthen power and silence political opponents. This is not the first government to try to take away the right to a free and critical education, which shows human rights defenders the need for a continuous struggle to guarantee this right in all spaces. The government’s regulation is mainly aimed at leading institutions in social studies. Researchers are banned from accessing public reports and statistics to carry out their work. It can be said that there has been a definitive attack on education in Nicaragua in recent years.

Many scholars report a totalitarian tendency on the part of the government. The legal apparatus and the force of the state are being used to curtail the right to education, critical thinking, and protests to guarantee quality of life. It is essential to pay attention to this situation since critics and students report disproportionate oppression. The use of militias has been intensive, and the threats to the voices of this oppression have been silenced.

International reactions can be observed, but the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the perception of the events suffered by Nicaragua students, academics, and human rights defenders. It is necessary to emphasise and discuss what can be done to guarantee human rights, especially critical and quality education, in Nicaragua.

References
  1. Álvarez, M. (2023, May 9). Transforming rural education in Nicaragua: “Rural and Inclusive Digital Education” project advances towards educational equity. UNESCO. https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/transforming-rural-education-nicaragua-rural-and-inclusive-digital-education-project-advances
  1. BBC News. (2018, August 6). Nicaraguan human rights group closes offices after threats. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-45082607
  1. Confidencial, R. (2023, September 17). Nicaragua’s state universities impose the “Ortega truth.” Confidencial. https://confidencial.digital/english/nicaraguas-state-universities-impose-the-ortega-truth/
  1. Jazeera, A. (2018a, July 17). Nicaragua unrest: What you should know. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/7/17/nicaragua-unrest-what-you-should-know
  1. Jazeera, A. (2018b, July 17). Nicaragua unrest: What you should know. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/7/17/nicaragua-unrest-what-you-should-know
  1. Jazeera, A. (2023, August 17). Nicaragua seizes Catholic university accused of being ‘centre of terrorism.’ Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/8/17/nicaragua-seizes-catholic-university-accused-of-being-centre-of-terrorism
  1. Selser, G. (2023, September 12). UN says Nicaragua’s human rights violations and persecution of dissidents are on the rise | AP News. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/nicaragua-human-rights-united-nations-04dd198410aa10760a778166db26a4bf
  2. Seizure of university a blow to science – Researchers. (n.d.). University World News. https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20230830114724305