Sfide all’istruzione in Svizzera

Sistema scolastico in Svizzera

Il presente articolo approfondisce i punti di forza, le debolezze e le sfide del sistema scolastico svizzero.  Dapprima, viene fornita un’introduzione della struttura e del disegno istituzionale del sistema. Si procede in seguito ad analizzare il sistema attraverso le raccomandazioni dell’Alto Commissariato delle Nazioni Unite per i diritti umani e gli indicatori dell’OCSE che riguardano il paese.  Descriviamo il percorso narrativo che verrà intrapreso affinché il lettore possa essere facilitato nella comprensione dell’articolo.

La Svizzera è uno stato federale plurilingue con un sistema scolastico decentrato. I 26 cantoni (stati) sono responsabili dello sviluppo educativo nei loro rispettivi territori. Mentre i cantoni sono responsabili dell’istruzione obbligatoria, il governo federale li supporta nella promozione dell’istruzione post-obbligatoria (scuole di orientamento generale e professionale, corsi di formazione, università). In linea con il principio di decentramento, i cantoni e i comuni finanziano il 90% della spesa pubblica per l’istruzione.

La Confederazione e i cantoni condividono l’obbligo di assicurare un sistema educativo di elevata qualità e accessibilità.  Per adempiere a tale obbligo, la Svizzera ha adottato un sistema di monitoraggio complesso che identifica le sfide chiave e valuta i progressi nel raggiungimento degli obiettivi delle politiche pubbliche. Lo “Swiss Education Report”, che viene pubblicato ogni quattro anni, è uno dei risultati di tale processo di monitoraggio.

Nell’ istruzione obbligatoria, il 95% degli allievi frequenta una scuola pubblica nella propria città. Non esiste una libera scelta nella selezione dell’istituto per l’istruzione obbligatoria, l’ammissione dipende dall’ indirizzo di residenza della famiglia. L’ istruzione pubblica obbligatoria è gratuita. In molte zone, le scuole pubbliche sono utili a promuovere l’integrazione sociale tra alunni. Infatti, bambini provenienti da diversi contesti sociali, linguistici e culturali frequentano la stessa scuola.

Ogni cantone gestisce il programma scolastico e alcuni aspetti istituzionali e strutturali, come le ore settimanali di lezione attribuite alle materie e alle classi. Non esiste un programma scolastico nazionale. Tuttavia, la costituzione federale impone ai cantoni di coordinare e armonizzare i loro sistemi scolastici in quanto a struttura e obiettivi.  Ad esempio, per l’istruzione obbligatoria, i cantoni hanno sviluppato ed introdotto programmi comuni su base linguistico-regionale. In base alla regione, la lingua di istruzione è il tedesco, il francese, l’italiano o il romancio. Tradizionalmente, l’apprendimento della lingua è molto importante in Svizzera. Gli studenti imparano una seconda lingua ufficiale del paese così come l’inglese durante gli anni di istruzione obbligatoria.

La Svizzera ha un sistema scolastico di orientamento professionale molto solido. Vengono offerti principalmente programmi professionali di livello secondario superiore, i quali combinano un apprendistato con uno o due giorni di lezioni a scuola, e programmi professionali di livello terziario.

La maggior parte dei giovani si iscrive alle scuole professionali dopo aver terminato l’istruzione obbligatoria. Ciò li aiuta ad avere un’esperienza solida e pratica di molte occupazioni lavorative (ci sono circa 230 professioni tra cui poter scegliere). Circa un terzo di coloro che hanno terminato il periodo di istruzione obbligatoria sceglie di continuare i propri studi iscrivendosi ad una scuola secondaria superiore di maturità o specializzata, in preparazione ad una futura iscrizione all’università.

I meccanismi dell’Alto Commissariato delle Nazioni Unite per i diritti umani: UPR della Svizzera

L’Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l’Educazione, la Scienza e la Cultura (UNESCO) ha rimarcato che la Svizzera ha adottato molte misure al fine di irrobustire il diritto all’istruzione. Ciò nonostante, ha sottolineato che i minori richiedenti asilo e senza documenti hanno difficoltà ad ottenere l’accesso all’istruzione di livello secondario. L’ UNESCO ha raccomandato alla Svizzera di rafforzare le politiche pubbliche affinché i bambini di origine straniera godano di un’istruzione di qualità e i bambini richiedenti asilo e senza documenti possano accedere alle scuole, specialmente a quelle di livello secondario. Il Comitato sui diritti dell’infanzia ha fatto raccomandazioni simili. Il Comitato per l’eliminazione della discriminazione contro le donne ha invitato la Svizzera a promuovere maggiormente la diversificazione delle opportunità educative disponibili per tutti gli alunni, di ogni genere, e a rivedere il materiale scolastico a livello cantonale e municipale allo scopo di assicurare una prospettiva di genere nell’ insegnamento. Ha anche suggerito allo stato di elaborare nuove strategie per combattere gli stereotipi discriminatori e le barriere strutturali suscettibili di impedire alle giovani ragazze di progredire oltre l’istruzione secondaria e di scegliere percorsi di studio tradizionalmente intrapresi da uomini.

Il report “Education at a Glance 2021” e gli indicatori dell’OCSE

Pari opportunità per gli studenti a prescindere dai contesti socioeconomici di provenienza

Il Programma PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) misura i traguardi scolastici degli studenti con diversi Status Economici, Sociali e Culturali (ESCS). Nel 2018, la percentuale di bambini appartenenti al quartile più basso ESCS che hanno ottenuto il livello 2 del PISA nella lettura era più bassa del 32 % rispetto a quella di coloro che appartenevano al quartile più alto ESCS. Questo divario educativo supera quello medio dell’OCSE, che si aggira intorno al 29 %.

Differenze così significative nei traguardi scolastici possono aggravare le diseguaglianze di reddito. In Svizzera, i dati del 2019 mostrano che il 30% degli adulti tra i 25 e i 64 anni di età che non hanno completato la scuola secondaria superiore, guadagna la metà o meno della metà del reddito mediano. Questa percentuale è maggiore della media OCSE del 27 %.

Diseguaglianze di generenell’istruzione

In quasi tutti i paesi membri dell’OCSE e per tutti i livelli scolastici, le donne di età compresa tra i 25 e i 64 anni guadagnano meno dei loro colleghi di sesso maschile; i loro stipendi corrispondono in media al 76%-78% di quelli degli uomini. Questa percentuale varia di più all’interno dello stesso paese, a seconda del livello d’istruzione posseduto, piuttosto che tra paesi OCSE. Tra i vari gruppi distinti in base al traguardo scolastico, il divario di reddito maggiore tra uomini e donne dello stesso gruppo in Svizzera è riscontrato per le donne che non hanno una certificazione di scuola secondaria superiore.  Infatti, queste donne guadagnano solamente il 77 % del reddito degli uomini che, allo stesso modo, non possiedono una certificazione di livello secondario superiore. Le donne che possiedono un titolo d’ istruzione secondario superiore o post-secondario ma non terziario guadagnano l’84 % degli stipendi degli uomini appartenenti al medesimo gruppo.

L’istruzione e l’immigrazione

In media per i paesi dell’OCSE, tra gli adulti che non possiedono un titolo secondario superiore, il 57% dei nativi ha un’occupazione lavorativa, rispetto al 61 % di coloro che sono nati all’estero. In linea con questa tendenza, in Svizzera, il tasso di occupazione per coloro che sono nati all’estero e che non hanno titolo di istruzione secondaria superiore era del 71 % nel 2020, più alto rispetto ai nativi (65 %).

Tra gli adulti con istruzione terziaria, il 92% dei nativi svizzeri e l’84% di coloro che sono nati all’estero hanno un’occupazione lavorativa. Coloro che sono nati all’estero e che sono giunti in Svizzera ad una giovane età hanno vissuto alcuni anni all’interno del sistema scolastico svizzero e ottenuto dei titoli riconosciuti a livello nazionale. Di conseguenza, i loro traguardi lavorativi sono generalmente migliori rispetto a coloro che sono giunti in Svizzera ad una maggiore età e che possedevano già titoli stranieri. In Svizzera, tra i nati all’estero con titolo terziario, il 90% di coloro giunti entro i 15 anni di età ha un lavoro, rispetto all’ 83 % di coloro che sono giunti dopo i 16 anni.

Conclusioni:

Il governo svizzero dovrebbe rafforzare le proprie politiche pubbliche affinché i bambini di origine straniera godano del migliore livello di istruzione possibile e i bambini richiedenti asilo e senza documenti possano accedere all’istruzione, specialmente a quella secondaria; allo stesso modo, dovrebbe promuovere programmi e attività di sensibilizzazione contro la violenza, gli abusi e il bullismo nelle scuole.

Inoltre, è imperative incoraggiare una maggiore diversificazione delle scelte educative per ragazzi e ragazze, rivedere il materiale scolastico a livello cantonale e assicurare che un materiale scolastico basato su una prospettiva di genere sia disponibile in tutti i cantoni per tutte le comunità.

Bibliografia:

दक्षिण अफ्रीका की शिक्षा प्रणाली में चुनौतियाँ

 

राष्ट्रीय और अंतर्राष्ट्रीय दोनों मानवाधिकार मानकों का पालन करने के लिए, दक्षिण अफ्रीका को अपने शैक्षिक क्षेत्र में कई बाधाओं का सामना करना होगा। यह लेख देश में कुछ सबसे प्रचलित शैक्षिक चुनौतियों को प्रस्तुत करेगा।

आधारभूत संरचना

आज शैक्षिक क्षेत्र में मुख्य समस्याओं में से एक छात्रों के लिए उपलब्ध सुविधाएं हैं। यह अत्यंत महत्वपूर्ण है कि स्कूलों में ऐसी सुविधाएं शामिल हैं जो बच्चों के लिए सुरक्षित हैं, और छात्रों के लिए उनकी शिक्षा को आगे बढ़ाने के लिए आवश्यक उपकरण हैं। 2013 में समान शिक्षा (ईई, 2016) के अनुसार, बुनियादी शिक्षा मंत्री एंजी मोंटशेगका ने देश भर के स्कूलों को कम से कम पानी, बिजली, इंटरनेट, कक्षा में 40 छात्रों के साथ सुरक्षित कक्षाओं के लिए बाध्य करने वाले कानून को स्वीकार किया, सुरक्षा, और विभिन्न खेलों के अध्ययन और अभ्यास के लिए आवश्यक सुविधाएं। हालांकि, लक्ष्य 2016 के लिए निर्धारित किया गया था, आज, कई स्कूलों में खराब इंटरनेट कनेक्शन की तुलना में कहीं अधिक समस्याएं हैं। देश निर्धारित लक्ष्यों को पूरा करने की ओर देख रहा है, लेकिन अभी भी एक लंबा रास्ता तय करना है। कई लेख खराब सुविधा बुनियादी ढांचे के कारण शिक्षार्थियों की मौत की सूचना पर प्रकाश डालते हैं। इसके अतिरिक्त, स्कूलों की अपर्याप्त स्वच्छता एक ऐसा मुद्दा है जो छात्रों के स्वास्थ्य को प्रभावित करता है। इसका एक उदाहरण उनके शौचालयों और गड्ढे वाले शौचालयों में देखा जाता है, जहां छात्रों को उनकी अनुचित स्वच्छता के कारण स्वास्थ्य संबंधी समस्याओं का खतरा होता है। ये बाधाएं छात्रों को उनकी शिक्षा और विकास पर ध्यान केंद्रित करने से रोकती हैं।

शिक्षा में असमानता

दक्षिण अफ्रीकी स्कूलों में असमानता काफी हद तक दिखाई देती है। एमनेस्टी इंटरनेशनल के अनुसार, शीर्ष 200 स्कूलों के बच्चे गणित में अन्य 6,600 स्कूलों के बच्चों की तुलना में अधिक अंक प्राप्त करते हैं। अन्य आंकड़े बताते हैं कि नौ साल के 75% से अधिक बच्चे अर्थ के लिए नहीं पढ़ सकते हैं। कुछ प्रांतों में यह प्रतिशत 91% तक है। शिक्षा प्रणाली अभी भी रंगभेद युग से ठीक हो रही है, जिसके परिणामस्वरूप बच्चों को उनकी पृष्ठभूमि, धन या त्वचा के रंग के कारण अलग तरह से व्यवहार किया जाता है। दक्षिण अफ्रीका में प्राथमिक शिक्षा की गुणवत्ता, यूनेस्को की एक रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है कि सैद्धांतिक रूप से, देश में सभी बच्चों की शिक्षा के तीन स्तरों तक समान पहुंच है। हालांकि, कम आय वाले समुदायों के छात्रों को स्कूली शिक्षा देने वाले कई संस्थान अपने द्वारा प्रदान की जाने वाली शिक्षा की गुणवत्ता में सुधार करने में विफल रहे हैं। सरकार को गरीबी और शिक्षा की समस्या से निपटना चाहिए।

 

 

खराब शिक्षा

इसके अलावा, स्कूलों की शिक्षा की गुणवत्ता दक्षिण अफ्रीका में एक प्रचलित मुद्दा है। 2021 में गुस्ताफसन द्वारा किए गए शोध के अनुसार, दक्षिण अफ्रीका में शिक्षकों की सेवानिवृत्ति 2030 तक चरम पर पहुंच जाएगी, जिसके परिणामस्वरूप नए प्रशिक्षित शिक्षकों और कक्षाओं और संस्थानों के पुनर्गठन की आवश्यकता होगी। वर्तमान में, आधी कक्षाओं में प्रति कक्षा 30 छात्र हैं, लेकिन अन्य 50% एक कक्षा में 50 बच्चों से अधिक हो सकते हैं। संख्या को कम करने के लिए, यह अनुमान है कि लगभग 100,000 नए शिक्षक शैक्षिक प्रणाली में प्रवेश करते हैं, जिसके लिए बड़े पैमाने पर प्रशिक्षण और वित्तपोषण की आवश्यकता होती है।

एक और चुनौती जो आज दक्षिण अफ्रीका में शैक्षिक क्षेत्र के सामने है, वह है प्रशिक्षकों की गुणवत्ता। वर्तमान शिक्षकों में से 5,000 से अधिक अपने पेशे के लिए अयोग्य हैं। नौकरी के बाजार में प्रशिक्षक प्रतिस्पर्धी नहीं हैं; उन्हें पाठ्यक्रम की बहुत कम समझ है और कोई शैक्षणिक योग्यता नहीं है, जिसके कारण छात्रों को आवश्यक ज्ञान के बिना स्कूल से स्नातक होना पड़ता है।

निरक्षरता का चक्र

अंत में, 2019 से ओईसीडी की रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, दक्षिण अफ्रीका में एनईईटी क्षेत्र (न तो रोजगार और न ही शिक्षा) में 20 से 24 वर्ष की आयु के लोगों की हिस्सेदारी सबसे अधिक है। दक्षिण अफ्रीका ने इस मानदंड पर लगभग 50% स्कोर किया, ओईसीडी रिपोर्ट द्वारा जांचे गए सभी देशों में सबसे बड़ा। प्रोफेसर खुलुवे की 2021 की रिपोर्ट में निरक्षरता की समस्या की गंभीरता पर चर्चा की गई है, जिसमें कहा गया है कि 2019 में, निरक्षर वयस्कों की दर (20 वर्ष से अधिक आयु) ) 12,1% या लगभग 4,4 मिलियन थी। यह आबादी के एक बड़े हिस्से के बराबर है जो 7वीं कक्षा या उच्च स्तर की शिक्षा प्राप्त नहीं कर रहा है। निरक्षरता अशिक्षित संतानों और समाज के लिए गैर-योगदान सहित जनसंख्या के लिए दूरगामी परिणाम प्रस्तुत करती है, इस प्रकार देश की अर्थव्यवस्था को नुकसान पहुंचाती है। दक्षिण अफ्रीका को इस मुद्दे से निपटने और जहां तक ​​संभव हो निरक्षरता के प्रतिशत को कम करने की जरूरत है।

 

संदर्भ

ईई (2006, 19 जुलाई)। स्कूल का बुनियादी ढांचा। Eqaleducation.Org.Za। 17 फरवरी, 2022 को https://equaleducation.org.za/campaigns/school-infrastructure/ से लिया गया।

अंतराष्ट्रिय क्षमा। (2020, 7 फरवरी)। दक्षिण अफ्रीका: गरीबी और असमानता को कायम रखने वाली टूटी-फूटी और असमान शिक्षा। वाह.एमनेस्टी.संगठन. 17 फरवरी, 2022 को https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/02/south-africa-broken-and-unequal-education-perpetuating-poverty-and-inequality/ से लिया गया।

गुस्ताफसन, एम। (2021, 26 अगस्त)। दक्षिण अफ्रीका में शिक्षक सेवानिवृत्ति की लहर आने वाली है: कक्षा के आकार के लिए इसका क्या अर्थ है। बातचीत। 17 फरवरी, 2022 को https://theconversation.com/a-teacher-retirement-wave-is-about-to-hit-south-africa-what-it-means-for-class-size-164345 से लिया गया

खुलुवे, एम. के. (2021, 1 मार्च)। दक्षिण अफ्रीका में वयस्क निरक्षरता। Www.Dhet.Gov.Za। 17 फरवरी, 2022 को https://www.dhet.gov.za/Planning%20Monitoring%20and%20Evaluation%20Coordination/Fact%20Sheet%20on%20Adult%20Illiteracy%20in%20South%20Africa%20-%20March% से प्राप्त किया गया 202021.pdf

संपादक। (2019, 27 दिसंबर)। राय: दक्षिण अफ्रीका में शिक्षा प्रणाली का सामना करने वाली चुनौतियाँ। आईअफ्रीका। 17 फरवरी, 2022 को https://iafrica.com/opinion-the-challenges-facing-the-education-system-in-south-africa/ से लिया गया।

Sfide nel sistema educativo del Sudafrica

 

Per rispettare gli standard nazionali e internazionali in materia di diritti umani, il Sudafrica deve affrontare diversi ostacoli nella sua sfera educativa. Questo articolo presenterà alcune delle sfide educative più diffuse nel Paese.

Infrastrutture

Uno dei problemi principali del settore educativo oggi è rappresentato dalle strutture a disposizione degli studenti. È di fondamentale importanza che le scuole includano strutture sicure e protette per i bambini e le attrezzature necessarie agli studenti per proseguire la loro istruzione. Secondo Equal Education (EE, 2016), nel 2013 il ministro dell’Istruzione di base, Angie Montshegka, ha accettato una legge che obbliga le scuole di tutto il Paese a disporre almeno di acqua, elettricità, internet, aule sicure con un massimo di 40 studenti in classe, sicurezza e le strutture necessarie per studiare e praticare diversi sport. Sebbene l’obiettivo sia stato fissato per il 2016, oggi molte scuole hanno problemi ben più gravi di una cattiva connessione a Internet. Il Paese sta cercando di raggiungere gli obiettivi prefissati, ma la strada da percorrere è ancora lunga. Numerosi articoli evidenziano i casi di morte di studenti a causa di infrastrutture inadeguate. Inoltre, le carenze igieniche delle scuole sono un problema che influisce sulla salute degli studenti. Un esempio è dato dai servizi igienici e dalle latrine a fossa, dove gli studenti sono a rischio di problemi di salute a causa dell’igiene inadeguata. Questi ostacoli impediscono agli studenti di concentrarsi sull’istruzione e sullo sviluppo.

Disuguaglianza nell’istruzione

Le disuguaglianze sono ampiamente visibili nelle scuole sudafricane. Secondo Amnesty International, i bambini delle prime 200 scuole ottengono punteggi più alti in matematica rispetto ai bambini delle altre 6.600 scuole. Altre statistiche evidenziano che oltre il 75% dei bambini di nove anni non è in grado di leggere in modo significativo. In alcune province, la percentuale raggiunge il 91%. Il sistema educativo si sta ancora riprendendo dall’era dell’Apartheid, con il risultato che i bambini vengono trattati in modo diverso a causa della loro provenienza, della ricchezza o del colore della pelle. The Quality of Primary Education in South Africa, un rapporto dell’UNESCO, afferma che, in teoria, tutti i bambini hanno uguale accesso ai tre livelli di istruzione del Paese. Tuttavia, molti istituti che ospitano studenti provenienti da comunità a basso reddito non sono riusciti a migliorare la qualità dell’istruzione impartita. Il governo deve affrontare il problema della povertà e dell’istruzione.

 

 

Istruzione scadente

Inoltre, la qualità dell’istruzione scolastica è un problema prevalente in Sudafrica. Secondo una ricerca condotta da Gustafsson nel 2021, il pensionamento degli insegnanti in Sudafrica raggiungerà il picco massimo entro il 2030, il che comporterà di conseguenza la necessità di nuovi educatori formati e la ristrutturazione di classi e istituti. Attualmente, la metà delle classi ha 30 studenti per classe, ma il restante 50% può superare i 50 bambini in una classe. Per ridurre il numero, si stima che circa 100.000 nuovi insegnanti entrino nel sistema educativo, il che richiede formazione e finanziamenti su larga scala.

Un’altra sfida che il settore educativo sudafricano deve affrontare oggi è la qualità degli insegnanti. Oltre 5.000 degli attuali insegnanti non sono qualificati per la loro professione. Gli insegnanti non sono competitivi sul mercato del lavoro; hanno una scarsa comprensione dei programmi di studio e nessuna competenza pedagogica, il che porta gli studenti a diplomarsi senza le conoscenze necessarie.

Ciclo di analfabetismo

Infine, secondo il rapporto OCSE del 2019, il Sudafrica ha la più alta percentuale di persone di età compresa tra i 20 e i 24 anni nel settore NEET (né occupazione né istruzione). Il Sudafrica ha ottenuto un punteggio di quasi il 50% su questo criterio, il più alto tra tutti i Paesi esaminati dal rapporto dell’OCSE. Il rapporto 2021 del professor Khuluvhe parla della gravità del problema dell’analfabetismo, affermando che, nel 2019, il tasso di adulti analfabeti (di età superiore ai 20 anni) era del 12,1%, ovvero circa 4,4 milioni. Ciò equivale a una parte considerevole della popolazione che non ha raggiunto un livello di istruzione di 7° grado o superiore. L’analfabetismo comporta conseguenze di vasta portata per la popolazione, tra cui una prole non istruita e il mancato contributo alla società, danneggiando così l’economia del Paese. Il Sudafrica deve affrontare questo problema e ridurre il più possibile la percentuale di analfabetismo.

 

Bibliografia

EE. (2006, July 19). School Infrastructure. Eqaleducation.Org.Za. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://equaleducation.org.za/campaigns/school-infrastructure/

Amnesty International. (2020, February 7). South Africa: Broken and unequal education perpetuating poverty and inequality. Www.Amnesty.Org. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/02/south-africa-broken-and-unequal-education-perpetuating-poverty-and-inequality/

Gustafsson, M. (2021, August 26). A teacher retirement wave is about to hit South Africa: what it means for class size. The Conversation. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://theconversation.com/a-teacher-retirement-wave-is-about-to-hit-south-africa-what-it-means-for-class-size-164345

Khuluvhe, M. K. (2021, March 1). Adult illiteracy in South Africa. Www.Dhet.Gov.Za. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://www.dhet.gov.za/Planning%20Monitoring%20and%20Evaluation%20Coordination/Fact%20Sheet%20on%20Adult%20Illiteracy%20in%20South%20Africa%20-%20March%202021.pdf

Editor. (2019, December 27). Opinion: The Challenges Facing The Education System In South Africa. iAfrica. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://iafrica.com/opinion-the-challenges-facing-the-education-system-in-south-africa/

Desafíos en el sistema educativo de Sudáfrica

 

Para cumplir con las normas nacionales e internacionales de derechos humanos, Sudáfrica debe hacer frente a varios problemas en su ámbito educativo. Este artículo presentará algunos de los desafíos educativos más prevalentes del país.

 

Infraestructura

Uno de los problemas principales del sector educativo de Sudáfrica es la infraestructura. Las facilidades de las que disponen los estudiantes son inadecuadas a las necesidades de estos. Es de suma importancia que las escuelas incluyan instalaciones que sean seguras para los niños y el equipo necesario para que los estudiantes puedan continuar la educación. Según Equal Education (EE, 2016) de 2013, la Ministra de Educación Básica, Angie Montshegka, aceptó una ley que obligaba a las escuelas de todo el país a tener como mínimo agua, luz, internet, aulas seguras con hasta 40 alumnos por clase, seguridad, y las instalaciones necesarias para estudiar y practicar una variedad de deportes. Aunque el objetivo se fijó para 2016, hoy en día muchas escuelas cuentan con problemas mucho mayores que una mala conexión a Internet. El país mira hacia el cumplimiento de las metas trazadas, pero aún queda un largo camino por recorrer. Numerosos artículos destacan las muertes reportadas de estudiantes debido a la mala infraestructura de las instalaciones. Adicionalmente, el saneamiento inadecuado de las escuelas es un problema que afecta la salud de los estudiantes. Un ejemplo de esto se ve en sus baños y letrinas de pozo, donde los estudiantes corren el riesgo de tener problemas de salud debido a su higiene inadecuada. Estos obstáculos impiden que los estudiantes se concentren en su educación y desarrollo.

Desigualdad en la educación

La desigualdad es notoriamente visible en las escuelas sudafricanas. Según Amnesty International, los niños educados en las 200 mejores escuelas obtienen mejores calificaciones en matemáticas que los niños de las otras 6,600 escuelas. Otras estadísticas destacan que más del 75% de los niños de nueve años no tienen niveles suficientes de comprensión lectora. En algunas provincias, este porcentaje alcanza el 91%. El sistema educativo aún se está recuperando de la era del Apartheid, lo que hace que los niños reciban un trato diferente debido a su origen, riqueza o tono de piel. La Calidad de la Educación Primaria en Sudáfrica, un informe de la UNESCO, establece que, en teoría, todos los niños tienen el mismo acceso a los tres niveles de educación en el país. Sin embargo, muchas de las instituciones que educan a estudiantes de comunidades de bajos ingresos no han logrado mejorar la calidad de la educación que brindan. El gobierno debe abordar los problemas de la pobreza y la educación, pues son problemas directamente conectados.

 

Mala educación

La calidad educativa que ofrecen las escuelas en Sudáfrica es otro de los problemas más prevalentes en este sector. Según una investigación realizada por Gustafsson en 2021, la jubilación de docentes en Sudáfrica alcanzará niveles máximos en el año 2030, lo que, consecuentemente, resultará en la necesidad de establecer un nuevo profesorado y una reestructuración de aulas e instituciones. Actualmente, la mitad de las clases tienen 30 alumnos por clase, pero el otro 50% puede superar hasta los 50 niños por clase. Para reducir las cifras, se estima que alrededor de 100,000 nuevos docentes deberán integrarse en el sistema educativo, lo que requiere capacitación y financiamiento a gran escala.

Otro desafío que enfrenta el sector educativo en Sudáfrica hoy en día es la calidad de los instructores. Más de 5,000 de los profesores actuales no están lo suficientemente capacitados para su profesión. Los instructores no son competitivos en el mercado laboral; tienen poca comprensión de los planes de estudios y ninguna competencia pedagógica, lo que hace que los estudiantes se gradúen de la escuela sin los conocimientos necesarios.

Ciclo del analfabetismo

Finalmente, según el informe de la OCDE de 2019, Sudáfrica tiene la mayor proporción de personas de entre 20 y 24 años en el sector NINI (ni trabajo ni educación). Sudáfrica obtuvo casi el 50% en este criterio, el mayor de todos los países examinados por el informe de la OCDE. El informe de 2021 del profesor Khuluvhe analiza la gravedad del problema del analfabetismo y afirma que, en 2019, la tasa de adultos analfabetos (mayores de 20 años) era del 12,1%, o alrededor de 4,4 millones. Esto equivale a que una parte considerable de la población no haya alcanzado un nivel superior de educación. El analfabetismo tiene consecuencias de gran alcance para la población, incluida la descendencia sin educación y la falta de contribución a la sociedad, lo que perjudica la economía del país. Sudáfrica necesita hacer frente a este problema y minimizar el porcentaje de analfabetismo lo máximo posible.

 

Traducido por Olga Ruiz Pilato

 

Referencias

EE.UU. (2006, 19 de julio). Infraestructura Escolar. Eqaleeducation.Org.Za. Recuperado el 17 de febrero de 2022 de https://equaleducation.org.za/campaigns/school-infrastructure/

Amnistía Internacional. (2020, 7 de febrero). Sudáfrica: Educación rota y desigual que perpetúa la pobreza y la desigualdad. Www.Amnistía.Org. Consultado el 17 de febrero de 2022 en https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/02/south-africa-broken-and-unequal-education-perpetuating-poverty-and-inequality/

Gustafsson, M. (2021, 26 de agosto). Una ola de jubilación de maestros está a punto de golpear Sudáfrica: lo que significa para el tamaño de la clase. La conversación. Recuperado el 17 de febrero de 2022 de https://theconversation.com/a-teacher-retirement-wave-is-about-to-hit-south-africa-what-it-means-for-class-size-164345

Khuluvhe, MK (2021, 1 de marzo). Analfabetismo de adultos en Sudáfrica. Www.Dhet.Gov.Za. Recuperado el 17 de febrero de 2022 de https://www.dhet.gov.za/Planning%20Monitoring%20and%20Evalue%20Coordination/Fact%20Sheet%20on%20Adult%20Illiteracy%20in%20South%20Africa%20-%20March% 202021.pdf

Editor. (2019, 27 de diciembre). Opinión: Los desafíos que enfrenta el sistema educativo en Sudáfrica. iÁfrica. Recuperado el 17 de febrero de 2022, de https://iafrica.com/opinion-the-challenges-facing-the-education-system-in-south-africa/

Educational Challenges in Saudi Arabia – Arabic Translation

التحديات التعليمية في المملكة العربية السعودية

 

بقلم ماتيلدا ريبيتي

ترجمة رويفة الريامية

أهمية التعليم

لكل فرد الحق في التعليم، إذ يُعد حجر الزاوية في تقدم البشرية. كان الإغريق القدماء، الذين ابتكروا مفهوم “الپايديا” (Paideia)، وهو التكوين الشامل للشاب (pais)، والرومان الذين ترجموا هذا المفهوم لاحقًا إلى “الإنسانية” (humanitas)، على دراية بالفعل بأهمية التعليم. في الواقع، أوضح شيشرون نفسه مضمون هذا المفهوم الأخير من خلال الربط الأساسي بين الشغف بالمعرفة والارتقاء بالطبيعة البشرية (Nybakken, O. E., 1939).

على مر العصور، شهد الحق في التعليم عددًا من التغيرات قبل أن يصل إلى صيغته الحالية في المادة 26 من الإعلان العالمي لحقوق الإنسان. وقد اعترفت المجتمعات الحديثة الآن بطبيعته العالمية والمتاحة والإلزامية، على الأقل في مراحله الأولى، وهو ما يعد ذا أهمية أساسية عند وضعه في سياق الثقافة المعاصرة. 

نبذة عن تاريخ النظام التعليمي في السعودية

Saudi students study in the Prince Salman Library at the King Saud University in Riyadh. Photo by Tribes of the World.

أدركت المملكة العربية السعودية، كما ورد في خطة النمو “رؤية السعودية 2030″، أهمية التعليم، وتصدرت دول منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا في هذا المجال.

لفهم هذه الخطة الابتكارية، من الضروري استعراض أبرز ملامح الخلفية التاريخية والسياسية. ترتكز الهوية السعودية على ثلاثة عناصر رئيسية: الإسلام، القبلية، وتجارة النفط (Ochsenwald, W. L., 2019). وبالنسبة للتعليم، فإن العنصر الديني هو الأكثر أهمية. فالمملكة العربية السعودية دولة ثيوقراطية سنية إسلامية، ولا يُمكن الحصول على الجنسية السعودية إلا لمن يعتنق الدين الإسلامي (وكالة وزارة الداخلية للأحوال المدنية، 1954).

الداعم الأكبر للعلاقة الوثيقة بين الدين والدولة هو النظام التعليمي، الذي تم تنظيمه منذ القرن السابع عبر مؤسسات مختلفة مرتبطة بالمجال الديني. من أبرز الأمثلة على ذلك “الكتاتيب”، وهي مدارس ابتدائية يُعلّم فيها الشباب السعوديون مبادئ القرآن الكريم (Esposito, John L., ed., 2003). وعلى مر القرون، وخصوصًا تحت الحكم العثماني، خضعت المدارس وأساليب التعليم للعديد من التغيرات، والتي بلغت ذروتها أخيرًا في العصور الحديثة إلى مركزية شاملة للنظام التعليمي، بإشراف المديرية الحكومية للتعليم (Rugh, W. A., 2002).

عائدات تجارة النفط لعبت دورًا أساسيًا في تمويل المشاريع التعليمية الحكومية. خاصة في أواخر السبعينيات، حيث قادت الدولة سلسلة من خطط التنمية التي أسفرت عن زيادة هائلة في نسبة الالتحاق بالمدارس بنسبة 192% في المرحلة الابتدائية، 375% في المرحلة المتوسطة، و712% في المرحلة الثانوية (Anon, 2020).

حاليًا، وفي إطار رؤية السعودية 2030، يشهد قطاع التعليم موجة جديدة من الاستثمارات تهدف إلى تزويد الطلاب السعوديين بالأدوات اللازمة لمواجهة “وظائف المستقبل” (Vision 2030, 2022). فعلى أرض الواقع، أدت النفقات العامة الكبيرة (17.5% من إجمالي 1.1 تريليون ريال سعودي في عام 2019) إلى بناء 719 مدرسة جديدة وبرنامج كبير لإعادة تدريب موظفي المدارس (تقرير ميزانية السعودية، 2018).

وقد بلغت عملية التحديث ذروتها في إنشاء نظام تعليمي واسع يتكون من شبكة من مراكز التعليم العامة مفصولة حسب الجنس ومقسمة إلى ثلاث مستويات أساسية: الابتدائية (ست سنوات)، المتوسطة (ثلاث سنوات)، والثانوية (ثلاث سنوات) (Barry, A., 2019).

اتاحة التعليم

من حيث اتاحة التعليم، يمكن القول إن النظام التعليمي في السعودية متقدم إلى حد كبير. بالنظر إلى المناطق الثلاث ذات أدنى مؤشر تنمية بشرية في البلاد (0.855 HDI)، وهي جنوب نجران، عسير، وجازان، يلاحظ أن نسبة المدارس إلى عدد السكان أكثر ملاءمة مقارنة بمنطقة الرياض الأكثر ازدهارًا في المملكة (Subnational HDI, 2023).

في الواقع، بينما تحتوي المحافظات الجنوبية على مدرسة لكل 600 مواطن تقريبًا، فإن العاصمة المكتظة بالسكان، على الرغم من أنها تضم 38.9% من المؤسسات التعليمية في السعودية، تسجل نسبة مدرسة واحدة لكل 1392 مواطنًا (تقرير التعليم في السعودية، 2021).

عامل آخر محدد لإمكانية الوصول هو القدرة على تحمل التكاليف؛ المدارس الحكومية مجانية لجميع السكان. ومع ذلك، فإن وجود العديد من المدارس الدولية الخاصة وسمعتها الرفيعة قد يؤدي إلى تقويض المساواة في الحصول على أفضل تعليم بسبب التمييز الاقتصادي (Anon, 2020). ومع ذلك، يُشار إلى أن النظام العام، بفضل مركزيته المذكورة أعلاه، هو الأكثر ترددًا من قِبل السكان، وبالتالي يُعد هذا مشكلة طفيفة (تقرير التعليم في السعودية، 2021).

بشكل عام، يمكن القول إن النظام التعليمي في السعودية يتمتع بقدر جيد من إمكانية الوصول، كما يتضح من نمو عدد الطلاب بأكثر من 6 نقاط مئوية في أربع سنوات فقط (تقرير التعليم في السعودية، 2021).

طلاب الأسر ذات الدخل المحدود

ومع ذلك، لا تعني العدالة الشكلية بالضرورة العدالة الفعلية؛ فعلى الرغم من أن النظام التعليمي يبدو متاحًا لجميع المواطنين من مختلف الفئات الاقتصادية، تشير الدراسات إلى أن الطلاب من الأسر ذات الدخل المحدود لا يتمتعون بنفس الامتيازات.

تشير البيانات إلى أن نسبة الطلاب دون سن الخامسة عشرة الذين يأتون من خلفيات اقتصادية ضعيفة والذين أعادوا سنة دراسية تبلغ 24.2%، مقارنة بمتوسط 20.3% في دول منظمة التعاون الاقتصادي والتنمية (OECD).

وعلى النقيض من ذلك، بلغت نسبة الطلاب من الفئات الاقتصادية الميسورة الذين اضطروا لإعادة سنة دراسية 3.3% فقط، مقارنة بـ 5.0% في دول منظمة التعاون الاقتصادي والتنمية. هذه البيانات تسلط الضوء على مدى الفجوة الكبيرة في فرص التعليم في السعودية، حيث تفصل 20.9 نقطة مئوية بين الطلاب المحرومين والطلاب الميسورين، مقارنة بمتوسط 15.3% في دول منظمة التعاون الاقتصادي والتنمية.

تشير مؤشرات أخرى ذات صلة إلى نسبة الطلاب إلى المعلمين في المدارس التي تضم طلابًا من خلفيات اجتماعية واقتصادية ضعيفة أو قوية. هنا أيضًا، تُقاس معدلات التفاوت بشكل مقلق عند مقارنتها بمتوسط منظمة التعاون الاقتصادي والتنمية، مما يُفسر الأداء الضعيف للطلاب المحرومين في كل من الرياضيات والعلوم الإنسانية (Education GPS، 2018).

في ضوء ما سبق، من الواضح أن المملكة لا تزال بحاجة إلى اتخاذ العديد من الخطوات لتحقيق المساواة التعليمية الكاملة، حتى يتمكن كل فرد من الاستمتاع الكامل بحقه في التعليم.

تعليم المرأة

ميزة أخرى يجب أخذها في الاعتبار هي الفصل بين الجنسين، والذي ليس عائقًا بحد ذاته أمام الاستفادة من الخدمات التعليمية، ولكنه قد يكون في بعض الحالات ذريعة لتقديم تعليم أقل جودة لجنس معين، وغالبًا ما يكون الجنس الأنثوي. ومع ذلك، فإن البيانات تعكس واقعًا مختلفًا: في المملكة العربية السعودية، تتبع الطالبات نفس المناهج الدراسية ويتم اختبارهن في نفس المجالات، ويتفوقن على الطلاب الذكور في جميع المجالات التي تم فحصها، بما في ذلك الرياضيات والعلوم والمواد الدراسية الأخرى (Abdourahmane، B، 2021).

يبدو أن هذه النتائج تدعم الفرضية القائلة بأن الفصل بين الذكور والإناث، وخاصة في منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال إفريقيا، يسمح للطالبات بالتعبير عن قدراتهن الفكرية بحرية أكبر دون ضغوط اجتماعية مرتبطة بالعلاقة بين الجنسين (Eisenkopf, Hessami, Fischbacher, & Ursprung, 2015).

مثال على ذلك هو اختيار المواد الدراسية؛ إذ وُجد أن الطالبات في المدارس الخاصة بالإناث يشعرن بارتياح أكبر عند اختيار مواد العلوم، حتى وإن كانت تُعتبر عادة “مواضيع خاصة بالذكور” (Sanford, K., & Blair, H., 2013).

في ضوء ذلك، يمكن استنتاج أن نظام الفصل بين الجنسين لا يشكل عائقًا أمام تعليم الشابات السعوديات، بل على العكس من ذلك، يسهم في تعزيز فرصهن التعليمية.

علاوة على ذلك، يتم الإبلاغ عن معدلات الالتحاق في المؤسسات التعليمية الابتدائية والثانوية على أنها متشابهة تقريبًا بين الرجال والنساء (Abdourahmane، B، 2021)، وفي عام 2018، كانت نسبة 66% من خريجي العلوم الطبيعية والرياضيات والإحصاء من النساء (OECD، 2019).

ومع ذلك، فإن القضية الحقيقية بالنسبة للمرأة السعودية تظهر بمجرد إتمام دراستها. معدل البطالة بين النساء يبلغ 21.5%، مقارنة بـ 3.5% بين الرجال (بيانات البنك الدولي، 2013). وفقًا لما أوردته منظمة التعاون الاقتصادي والتنمية، لا تزال النساء أقل احتمالًا للعمل على الرغم من تحسين المساواة بين الجنسين في مستويات التعليم العالي، وذلك بسبب “العقبات التنظيمية في مجتمع محافظ”، إلى جانب التمييز المستمر ضد النساء والنظام التعليمي الموجه حسب الجنس (Alfarran، A.، Pyke، J.، & Stanton، P.، 2018). وعلى الرغم من أن النظام التعليمي لا يمنع النساء من الحصول على تعليم كافٍ، إلا أنه يحد جزئيًا من قدرتهن على استخدام المعرفة التي اكتسبنها في سوق العمل. في هذا السياق، ينبغي قراءة بيانات إمكانية الوصول إلى النظام التعليمي للنساء جنبًا إلى جنب مع بيانات سوق العمل، للحصول على صورة أكثر اكتمالًا لنقاطه الحرجة.

Saudi Ambassador Visits His Children at ASIS. Photo by Lwi932.

الجودة

تؤدي هذه النواقص إلى نتائج أكاديمية أقل نسبياً مقارنة بمؤشرات منظمة التعاون الاقتصادي والتنمية. فقد سجل الطلاب السعوديون متوسطًا أقل بمقدار 100 نقطة من نظرائهم في دول المنظمة في اختبارات القراءة والرياضيات والعلوم. ومع ذلك، تشير تقارير برنامج التقييم الدولي للطلاب (PISA) إلى أن المتوسط لدول منظمة التعاون الاقتصادي والتنمية يصل إلى 500، مع قيم تتراوح بين 400 و600. لذلك، يمكن القول إن المملكة العربية السعودية تقع ضمن نطاق جيد من الإنجازات.

استنادًا إلى ما سبق، يمكن الاستنتاج بأن النظام السعودي، على الرغم من عدم خلوه من القضايا الحرجة، يتمتع بجودة عامة كافية تؤدي إلى تحضير أكاديمي وثقافي جيد للطلاب.

في الختام، واجهت المملكة العربية السعودية العديد من التحديات في قطاع التعليم في العقود الأخيرة. ومع ذلك، أظهرت الحكومة التزامًا ثابتًا بتحسين جودة التعليم وتوفير الفرص التعليمية لمواطنيها. إن توسيع المدارس العامة وتأسيس جامعات جديدة هي بعض من الخطوات الإيجابية التي اتخذتها البلاد. على الرغم من ذلك، لا تزال هناك بعض القضايا التي تحتاج إلى حل، مثل عدم المساواة بين الجنسين والحاجة إلى تطوير نظام تعليمي أكثر عدلاً من حيث الفرص الاقتصادية. لذلك، من الضروري أن تعطي السلطات الحكومية أولوية قصوى لهذه القضية: التعليم هو حق إنساني أساسي، وفقط من خلال التعليم الجيد والشامل والعادل ستتمكن المجتمع السعودي من التقدم والازدهار.

 

المراجع

Educational Challenges in Brazil

Written by Daniel Ordoñez

Brazil stands out as the most biodiverse country on planet Earth, and with a territory covering more than 8.51 million km² is the largest country on the South American continent. Since its independence as a colony of Portugal, its territorial extension and political systems have directly influenced the development of the population, particularly in how the education system has been structured and designed. The constant socio-political changes and economic circumstances have been factors that have directly influenced the education system in the country.

This article will outline the different mechanics and factors that have influenced education in Brazil, as well as the different modifications it has undergone throughout the federal administrations, the projects underway and the challenges facing the system.

The sociocultural context and the education system

With the arrival of the Portuguese colonisers to the South American continent, Brazil would change its historical destiny forever, becoming the most important colony and the future of the Portuguese kingdom, as well as influencing politics, the structuring of the modern Brazilian state and its socio-economic evolution. The Catholic Church strongly influenced Brazilian society due to its past as a Portuguese colony. Unlike many European nations, Brazil was not affected by the various changes brought about by the Reformation movement in Europe.

During its early years of colonisation, Brazil was the destination of numerous Jesuit missions. These missionaries established the first colleges and educational centres in the country. However, in the 18th century, during the burgeoning Enlightenment movements, the Jesuit missions were expelled from the country. This period also brought about reforms in the Brazilian political system, according to Schwartzman (2006). These Enlightenment reforms led to the creation of Brazil’s national primary education system, which meant dismantling much of Catholic education in the country. Finally, it is worth mentioning that in 1838 Pedro II College was founded as the first primary school in Rio de Janeiro and marked an important milestone in the country’s educational system’s evolution.

Children attend school near Manaus, Brazil in the Amazon region. Brazil. Photo: Julio Pantoja / World Bank

By the 19th century, Brazil was a predominantly rural society with a highly centralised government that tried to adapt to ideas from Europe’s nation-states. In addition, most of the population was in a precarious economic state, with multiple disconnected provinces and economic models focused solely on mining and sugar exploitation (Schwartzman 11, 2006). A small white elite of Portuguese descent headed most of the decision-making, followed by a mixed majority of slave descendants, Native Americans and Portuguese settlers.

During the 19th and 20th centuries, the demography of the country changed considerably, receiving an influx of immigrants from all continents and countries in the same hemisphere in order to replace the slave labour that worked in the coffee, tobacco and corn plantations and with the industrial revolution, a considerable part of the rural population moved to the big cities, with the promise of better-payed jobs and better life quality. By the mid-20th century, an estimated 25% of the population was literate, with primary and secondary education being the responsibility of the local state. German, Japanese and Italian immigrants formed their private schools, with a strong influence from their native countries.

On 15 November 1889, the Empire was replaced by the Republican regime, which fostered an even more modern state that could more coherently integrate the national community, and established the first public schools. During the process of industrialisation of the country, which began at the end of the 19th century, schools had no system to unify and regulate them, which in a way, it promoted the implementation of modernisation policies, focusing on the creation of “school groups”, using the most advanced architectural technologies for the construction of schools; organising students according to their age and proficiency, following a multi-serial and sequential programme. Likewise, schools for training professional teachers called “escoltas normais” were founded, introducing new teaching and training techniques.

With the government of Getulio Vargas, from 1930 to 1945 and 1951 to 1954, the first fundamental reforms in the educational system were created, promoting a more centralised methodology and creating the Ministry of Education and Culture. During this era, the provision of elementary or primary education, which was expected to be compulsory and universally accessible, spanned four years, accommodating children between the ages of 7 to 10. The gymnasium succeeded in this initial phase, perceived as secondary education, which, too, lasted four years. Lastly, the “college” stage was in place, extending for two to three years, and was designed as a precursor to university education. A vital characteristic that would mark the future of education in the country was the lack of governmental interest in training students and teachers in technical and industrial careers, which left the door open to the private sector to meet this demand. By 1931, the first legislation to promote universities was created with the “Manifest of the Pioneers of the New Education”, implementing a French educational model and an Italian one for the faculties of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters.

After the military dictatorship, which ended in 1988, the new constitution established the right to education for all citizens of Brazil, allowing universities autonomy in research and teaching and promoting free public education from primary to secondary school. Subsequently, in 1996, Congress approved a new reform that would give educational institutions greater freedom and flexibility in setting up courses and programmes.

Challenges of the Education System

The attempt to comprehend and interpret why education in Brazil did not progress as swiftly as in other countries hinges on historical context. In brief, the main reason is the absence of factors in Brazilian society that would encourage its citizens to establish and nurture their academic institutions. Further, at both the national and regional scale, the Brazilian government needed more human and financial resources and the necessary drive to integrate its population into a uniform, top-down educational system. Sources for the development of the educational system, two strong trends marked its evolution, the first was the proliferation of primary and secondary education, and the second was the establishment of institutions for conferring professional competencies and official certifications.

In his 2006 paper entitled “The Challenges of Education in Brazil”, Simon Schwartzman states that the country did not have a properly developed education system due to several factors that hampered its evolution. The domain of teacher education was demoted to less prestigious components of higher educational establishments and the private sector. It did not cultivate robust postgraduate and research programs like those in the more scholarly social sciences such as economics, sociology, political science, and the natural sciences.

The isolation of teacher education and traditional “teaching” social sciences has resulted in some unintended outcomes. This has led to a new generation of well-organised and politically driven teachers who often need more teaching skills or subject matter expertise. They often need clarification about teaching methodologies or content; shockingly, they dismiss these aspects as insignificant. They perceive society as unjust, with exploitation rampant and governments showing apathy towards educators and education. They believe meaningful change can only occur through substantial social transformation or revolution.

According to Schwartzman, another factor was the rapid and uncontrolled expansion of the education system without clear guidance and the early retirement of many retired teachers, with two clear consequences. First, the financial burden of public higher education escalated dramatically, which constrained the government’s capacity to meet the rising demand for higher education and maintain salaries that outpace inflation. As a second point, only a fraction of the appointed individuals possessed the education and skills required for advanced academic tasks. To enhance the quality of education, new laws were enacted, with the objective of promotions and salary hikes with higher educational degrees, resulting in an inflated growth of specialisation and master’s programs.

Another essential aspect to highlight is the rate of young people who drop out of primary education in Brazil, many students lose the motivation to finish their primary or secondary studies because of the low quality of teachers and classes, or they have to work to earn money for themselves or their families. This is due to the expansion of the academic system without proper structuring, with irrelevant courses for young people or teachers who need to be more motivated.

A school in the Northeast region of Brazil (Escola Duarte Coelho) Photo by: Passarinho/Pref.Olinda

During the OECD’s economic report for 2020 and 2021, during the Covid-19 era, several aspects of the education system that Brazil lacks were highlighted, and challenges about its future and evolution were presented. According to the report, the governmental composition of the country and its bilevel bureaucracy between states and municipalities means that no national system allows the harmonious functioning of roles and responsibilities in the guidelines of how to manage schools and present a coherent education policy. Considering Brazil’s devolved education structure, which places federal, state, and municipal bodies equally, establishing a National Education System is complex. This issue, along with the numerous proposals previously mentioned, continues to be a hot topic of discussion among government bodies, civil society, and the public.

Another aspect highlighted by the OECD report is the growing disparity between the public and private education systems. While the public system covers more than 81% of the youth population, the private system meets the demand for tertiary education, technology and university training. In Brazil, over 75% of undergraduate students are enrolled in private universities, contrasting to less than a third in OECD countries. The previous decades have seen a surge in private sector enrollments and the number of private higher education institutions due to relaxed regulations since the late 1990s. Government funding programs such as the Student Financing Fund (FIES) and the “University for All” Program (ProUni) have facilitated access for underprivileged students to private institutions. However, a more significant proportion of less affluent individuals are enrolled in the public higher education network compared to private institutions (9.7% versus 5.5%). In general, higher education is primarily accessed by the more advantaged individuals.

These figures are also supported by the report presented by the US Department of Commerce in 2023, which shows how private institutions represent the majority of the education system, while public institutions are shown to be small bodies, unable to meet the demand for higher education. Public higher education institutions are positioned as hubs of high-quality learning and research, having extremely selective admission procedures and constrained expansion capabilities. On the other hand, private higher education institutions have crafted a distinct role, primarily addressing the professional demands of the job market. Consequently, they have formulated adaptive programs to cater to the requirements of the working demographic.

Latest projects and policies

Within the report presented by UNICEF in 2018, Brazil introduced a programme for developing the education system for the year 2021. Under national priorities and following the guidelines established in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the country focused its education projects on promoting and “facilitating the generation and knowledge exchange to identify the most excluded children and to monitor and measure the progress of actions in the fulfilment of their rights” (UNICEF 4, 2018). Using the ‘Theory of Change’, Brazil focused on creating partnerships between public and private entities, encompassing civil society, media and private sectors, on ensuring quality education access for all Brazil’s children, regardless of their strata, ethnicity or social conditions.

These UNICEF-driven policies had four fundamental components. Firstly, “Enhanced policies for excluded children”. Secondly, “Quality social policies for vulnerable children”. Thirdly, “Prevention of and response to extreme forms of violence”. Moreover, as a fourth and final component, “Engaged citizenship and participation”.

UNICEF’s final report showed results and progress in several facets of education in Brazil. In the first instance, more evidence was gathered on the causes of the increased exclusion of children through the development of the School Active Search strategy (SAS) and the Successful School Path (SSP) programmes, using the SAS system to monitor and measure the identification and reintegration of out-of-school children.

As a second development, specialised programmes for the most excluded children were created at national and subnational levels; “by the implementation of the SAS, through intersectoral articulation, population engagement, dialogue with families and school involvement and exchange of experiences among participating municipalities and states” (UNICEF 5, 2018).

Thirdly, the retention of both girls and boys in the primary education system has significantly increased, thanks to intersectoral policies that emphasise diversity and incorporate contextualised education. These policies are embodied in a variety of initiatives. For instance, research has been conducted on age-grade distortion and practical guidebooks have been produced to support educational strategies. Moreover, a seminar was held to introduce the “Indicators on Early Childhood Education Methodology”. This included the provision of materials and guidelines to facilitate self-assessment of school performance, this initiative aimed to foster a democratic management style that encourages the participation of children, families, teachers, and employees. One notable effort is the “Open Doors for Inclusion Initiative”, a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). This course guides how to enhance the inclusion of children with disabilities in schools, signifying an essential step towards inclusive education.

The fourth advance, presented by UNICEF, is the improvement in guidance and policies for the promotion of satisfactory schooling trajectories, including children and adolescents who were victims of violence and have dropped out of school or are at risk of dropping out, as well as victims of child labour and children without civil registration.

Fifth, the involvement of citizens in advocating for the rights of boys and girls has grown, mainly through public advocacy efforts. The general election in the latter half of 2018 was seized as a unique chance to highlight the rights of children and adolescents. This was accomplished through the “More than Promises” advocacy campaign, designed around six central issues young people face. The campaign also proposed specific actions for elected officials to address these issues, demonstrating a proactive approach to realising children’s rights.

Finally, the report states how the level of knowledge and the opportunities for mobilisation and participation of adolescents in public decision-making forums have significantly increased. This growth has been particularly evident in actions that aim to enhance the development and participation of adolescents and youth in various debates. Key topics have included the safe use of the Internet and gender issues. As a result of these efforts, more than 30,000 adolescents were allowed to participate in the School Active Search program in 2019, reflecting a notable increase in youth engagement.

Cover image by Matheus Câmara da Silva on Unsplash

References

The Brazilian education system | Education in Brazil : An International Perspective | OECD iLibrary. (n.d.). Retrieved May 9, 2023, from https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/c61f9bfb-en/index.html?itemId=/content/component/c61f9bfb-en

Brazil – Education and Training. (n.d.). Retrieved May 9, 2023, from https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/brazil-education-and-training

Brazil Education System. (n.d.). Retrieved May 9, 2023, from https://www.scholaro.com/db/Countries/Brazil/Education-System

Education GPS – Brazil – Overview of the education system (EAG 2022). (n.d.). Retrieved May 9, 2023, from https://gpseducation.oecd.org/CountryProfile?primaryCountry=BRA&;treshold=10&topic=EO

Education system Brazil. (n.d.). Retrieved June 11, 2023, from https://www.nuffic.nl/sites/default/files/2020-08/education-system-brazil.pdf

Reforming Brazil’s Education System – BORGEN. (n.d.). Retrieved June 11, 2023, from https://www.borgenmagazine.com/brazils-education-system/

The education system of described and compared with the Dutch system. (n.d.).

The_Challenges_of_Education_in_Brazil.pdf. (n.d.). Retrieved May 9, 2023, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225088750_The_Challenges_of_Education_in_Brazil

UNICEF BRAZIL Programmatic Area – Education Thematic Report March – December 2018. (n.d.). Retrieved May 24, 2023, from https://open.unicef.org/sites/transparency/files/2020-06/Brazil-TP4-2018.pdf

Educational Challenges in Saudi Arabia

Written by Matilde Ribetti

The importance of education

Every individual has a right to education as it is the cornerstone of human progress. The ancient Greeks, who created the notion paideia, namely the holistic formation of the pais (young man) and the Romans, who eventually translated it into humanitas, were already aware of its significance. In fact, Cicero himself clarified the content of the latter concept by drawing a fundamental connection between the passion for knowledge and the elevation of human nature (Nybakken, O. E., 1939).

Throughout the centuries, the right to education underwent a number of changes before landing at its current formulation in Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Modern society has now recognized its universal, accessible, and mandatory nature, at least in its early phases, and this is of fundamental importance when contextualized in contemporary culture.

Brief history of the Saudi education system

Saudi students study in the Prince Salman Library at the King Saud University in Riyadh. Photo by Tribes of the World.

 

Saudi Arabia, as outlined in the Saudi Vision 2030 growth plan, has recognized this relevance and has been at the forefront among MENA countries in the field of education.

To be able to understand this plan of innovation, it is necessary to outline at least the most general features of the historical and political background.
The three identity lines constituting the core of Saudi society are Islam, tribalism, and oil trade (Ochsenwald, W. L., 2019). As far as education is concerned, of the three the most interesting element is certainly the religious one: Saudi Arabia is an Islam Sunnite theocratic state whose citizenship can only be obtained by professors of the Muslim religion (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ministry of Interior Ministerial Agency of Civil Affairs, 1954).

The greatest support of such a close link between religion and State is surely the educational system, which since the seventh century has been articulated in various institutions related to the religious sphere. The most prominent examples are the kataatiib, elementary schools where young Saudis are taught the principles of the Quran (Esposito, John L., ed., 2003). Over the centuries, particularly under Ottoman rule, schools and teaching methods underwent numerous changes, culminating in modern times in a radical centralization of the system, presided over by the Governmental Directorate of Education (Rugh, W. A., 2002).

Oil business revenues played a key role in financing government educational projects. Particularly, in the late 1970s’ the State championed a series of development plans resulting in the extraordinary increase in school enrollment by 192% at the elementary level, 375% at the intermediate level, and 712% at the secondary level (Anon, 2020).

Now, in the context of Saudi Vision 2030, the education sector is being swept up in a new wave of investment aimed at equipping Saudi students with the tools they need to tackle “the jobs of the future” (Vision 2030, 2022).   In concrete terms, the considerable public spending (17.5 percent SAR 1.1 trillion in 2019) has resulted in the construction of 719 new schools and in a substantial school staff re-training program (KSA budget report, 2018).

The entire modernization process has thus culminated in the establishment of a system that nowadays looks like this: the country is equipped with an extensive network of public education centers segregated by gender and divided into three basic levels, elementary (six years), intermediate (three years) and secondary (three years) (Barry, A., 2019).

Accessibility

In terms of accessibility, the system can be said to be quite advanced: looking at the three regions with the lowest human development index in the country (0.855 HDI), namely Sourth Narjiran, Asir and Jizan it can be noted that the ratio schools – population is even more favorable than in the Riyadh province, the most prosperous in the country (Subnational HDI, 2023).

In fact, while the southern provinces have about 1 school for every 600 citizens residing in the territory, the populous capital region, although home to 38.9 % of Saudi educational institutions, has a value of 1 to 1392 in terms of school-citizen ratio (Saudi Arabia Education Report, 2021).

Another determinant factor  of accessibility is affordability: government schools are free for the entire population. However, the presence of numerous international private schools and the renown associated with them risks undermining equality in achieving the best schooling, on the basis of economic discrimination (Anon, 2020). However, it is pointed out that the public system, by virtue of the aforementioned centralization, is the most frequented by the population and therefore this constitutes a minor problem (Saudi Arabia Education Report, 2021).

Overall, the Saudi education system can be said to enjoy good accessibility, as evidenced by the growth of the student population by more than 6 percentage points in just four years (Saudi Arabia Education Report, 2021).

For economically disadvantaged students

However, formal equity does not necessarily correspond to substantive equity: while on paper the school system is equally accessible to all citizens from all income brackets, studies show that, in essence, students from economically disadvantaged families do not enjoy the same privileges.

Data report that the percentage of students under the age of fifteen coming from disadvantaged economic backgrounds who repeated an academic year amounts to 24.2 percent, compared with an average of 20.3% reported in Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.

In contrast, economically privileged students who found themselves having to repeat a year of their course of study amounted to only 3.3%, compared with 5.0% recorded in OECD countries.
These data highlight how the range of inequality regarding educational opportunities is eminently wide in KSA, where 20.9 percentage points divide disadvantaged students from privileged ones (compared with an average of 15.3 percent in OECD countries).

Other relevant indicators concern the student-teacher ratio among students in either socio- economically disadvantaged or advantaged schools. Here, too, the measured disparity rates are worryingly high when compared to the OECD average and motivate the poor performance of disadvantaged students in both mathematics and the humanities (Education GPS, 2018).

In light of the above, it is clear that the Kingdom still needs to take many steps to succeed in smoothing out the aforementioned differences so that every individual can fully enjoy his or her right to education.

For women

Another peculiarity to be taken into consideration is gender segregation, which in itself is not an obstacle to the use of educational services but may in some cases be a pretext for degrading education addressed to a gender, often the female one. Yet the data speak for themselves: in Saudi Arabia, female students follow the same curricular program and put to the test they outperform male students in all areas surveyed, including math, science, and curriculum subjects (Abdourahmane , B, 2021).

Such a result seems to support the hypothesis that, particularly in the MENA area, the division between males and females allows the latter to emancipate themselves more easily and express their intellectual qualities free from the social pressures related to the male-female relationship (Eisenkopf, Hessami, Fischbacher, & Ursprung, 2015).

The choice of curriculum subjects is a perfect example of this: in an all-female school it was found that female students felt more comfortable choosing science-oriented subjects, even though usually perceived as “boy stuff” (Sanford, K., & Blair, H., 2013).
In view of this, it can be inferred that the gender segregation system is not a detriment to the education of young Saudi women, quite the contrary.

Additionally, enrollment rates in primary and secondary educational institutions are reported to be almost the same for men and women (Abdourahmane , B, 2021) and in 2018, 66 percent of natural science, mathematics and statistics graduates were women (OECD, 2019).

However, the real issue for a Saudi woman arises once she completes her studies. The unemployment rate for women stands at 21.5 percent, compared to 3.5 percent for men (World Bank Data, 2013). As reported by the OECD women are still less likely to work despite improving gender equality in tertiary attainment levels due to the “regulatory barriers of a conservative society,” combined with endemic discrimination against women and a gendered educational system (Alfarran, A., Pyke, J., & Stanton, P., 2018). The latter, while it does not prevent women from obtaining an adequate education, it does in part prevent them from employing the knowledge they have acquired in the labor market.

In this respect, the data on the accessibility of the educational system for women should be read in conjunction with that on the labor market, so as to have a more complete picture of its critical points.

Saudi Ambassador Visits His Children at ASIS. Photo by Lwi932.

Quality

One of the methods used to assess the quality of a school system is to conceive it as a production system divided into inputs and outputs.
By inputs we mean the stimuli provided to students through curricular programs, methods, staff, and teaching materials, while outputs are student performances, not only in terms of academics, but also participation and long-term impact on society wise (OECD, 2000).

Looking at the case of the KSA, the first critical issue related to inputs provided by the system concerns schools whose principal reported that the school’s capacity to provide instruction is hindered to some extent or a lot by a lack of educational material, which amount to 44.4 percent against an average of 28.4 percent in OECD countries.

A similar figure is found in relation to the lack of teaching staff: 49.5 %of schools complain of such a shortage, compared with an average of 27.1% in OECD countries.

These shortcomes result in relatively lower academic outcomes than the OECD metric. Saudi students scored on average 100 points lower than their OECD peers in tests on reading, mathematics and science. However, it is indicated by PISA that the average for OECD countries amounts to 500, with values ranging from 400 to 600. Therefore, it can be said that KSA falls within a good range of achievement.

Based on the above, it can be concluded that in general the Saudi system, although not without critical issues, boasts an adequate overall quality resulting in fairly good academic preparation and cultural training of students.

In conclusion, Saudi Arabia has faced many challenges in the education sector in recent decades. However, the government has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to improving the quality of education and providing educational opportunities for its citizens. The expansion of public schools and the establishment of new universities are just some of the positive steps taken by the country. Despite this, there are still some issues to be resolved, such as gender inequality and the need to develop a more equal educational system in terms of economic opportunities. This is why it is necessary for government authorities to give absolute priority to the issue: education is a basic human right, and only through quality, inclusive and equitable education Saudi society will progress and prosper.

 

Bibliography

Sfide nel sistema educativo del Sudafrica

Per rispettare gli standard nazionali e internazionali in materia di diritti umani, il Sudafrica deve affrontare diversi ostacoli nella sua sfera educativa. Questo articolo presenterà alcune delle sfide educative più diffuse nel Paese.

 

Infrastrutture

Uno dei problemi principali del settore educativo oggi è rappresentato dalle strutture a disposizione degli studenti. È di fondamentale importanza che le scuole includano strutture sicure e protette per i bambini e le attrezzature necessarie agli studenti per proseguire la loro istruzione. Secondo Equal Education (EE, 2016), nel 2013 il ministro dell’Istruzione di base, Angie Montshegka, ha accettato una legge che obbliga le scuole di tutto il Paese a disporre almeno di acqua, elettricità, internet, aule sicure con un massimo di 40 studenti in classe, sicurezza e le strutture necessarie per studiare e praticare diversi sport. Sebbene l’obiettivo sia stato fissato per il 2016, oggi molte scuole hanno problemi ben più gravi di una cattiva connessione a Internet. Il Paese sta cercando di raggiungere gli obiettivi prefissati, ma la strada da percorrere è ancora lunga. Numerosi articoli evidenziano i casi di morte di studenti a causa di infrastrutture inadeguate. Inoltre, le carenze igieniche delle scuole sono un problema che influisce sulla salute degli studenti. Un esempio è dato dai servizi igienici e dalle latrine a fossa, dove gli studenti sono a rischio di problemi di salute a causa dell’igiene inadeguata. Questi ostacoli impediscono agli studenti di concentrarsi sull’istruzione e sullo sviluppo.

 

Disuguaglianza nell’istruzione

Le disuguaglianze sono ampiamente visibili nelle scuole sudafricane. Secondo Amnesty International, i bambini delle prime 200 scuole ottengono punteggi più alti in matematica rispetto ai bambini delle altre 6.600 scuole. Altre statistiche evidenziano che oltre il 75% dei bambini di nove anni non è in grado di leggere in modo significativo. In alcune province, la percentuale raggiunge il 91%. Il sistema educativo si sta ancora riprendendo dall’era dell’Apartheid, con il risultato che i bambini vengono trattati in modo diverso a causa della loro provenienza, della ricchezza o del colore della pelle. The Quality of Primary Education in South Africa, un rapporto dell’UNESCO, afferma che, in teoria, tutti i bambini hanno uguale accesso ai tre livelli di istruzione del Paese. Tuttavia, molti istituti che ospitano studenti provenienti da comunità a basso reddito non sono riusciti a migliorare la qualità dell’istruzione impartita. Il governo deve affrontare il problema della povertà e dell’istruzione.

Istruzione scadente

Inoltre, la qualità dell’istruzione scolastica è un problema prevalente in Sudafrica. Secondo una ricerca condotta da Gustafsson nel 2021, il pensionamento degli insegnanti in Sudafrica raggiungerà il picco massimo entro il 2030, il che comporterà di conseguenza la necessità di nuovi educatori formati e la ristrutturazione di classi e istituti. Attualmente, la metà delle classi ha 30 studenti per classe, ma il restante 50% può superare i 50 bambini in una classe. Per ridurre il numero, si stima che circa 100.000 nuovi insegnanti entrino nel sistema educativo, il che richiede formazione e finanziamenti su larga scala.

Un’altra sfida che il settore educativo sudafricano deve affrontare oggi è la qualità degli insegnanti. Oltre 5.000 degli attuali insegnanti non sono qualificati per la loro professione. Gli insegnanti non sono competitivi sul mercato del lavoro; hanno una scarsa comprensione dei programmi di studio e nessuna competenza pedagogica, il che porta gli studenti a diplomarsi senza le conoscenze necessarie.

 

Ciclo di analfabetismo

Infine, secondo il rapporto OCSE del 2019, il Sudafrica ha la più alta percentuale di persone di età compresa tra i 20 e i 24 anni nel settore NEET (né occupazione né istruzione). Il Sudafrica ha ottenuto un punteggio di quasi il 50% su questo criterio, il più alto tra tutti i Paesi esaminati dal rapporto dell’OCSE. Il rapporto 2021 del professor Khuluvhe parla della gravità del problema dell’analfabetismo, affermando che, nel 2019, il tasso di adulti analfabeti (di età superiore ai 20 anni) era del 12,1%, ovvero circa 4,4 milioni. Ciò equivale a una parte considerevole della popolazione che non ha raggiunto un livello di istruzione di 7° grado o superiore. L’analfabetismo comporta conseguenze di vasta portata per la popolazione, tra cui una prole non istruita e il mancato contributo alla società, danneggiando così l’economia del Paese. Il Sudafrica deve affrontare questo problema e ridurre il più possibile la percentuale di analfabetismo.

 

Bibliografia

 

1. EE. (2006, July 19). School Infrastructure. Eqaleducation.Org.Za. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://equaleducation.org.za/campaigns/school-infrastructure/

2. Amnesty International. (2020, February 7). South Africa: Broken and unequal education perpetuating poverty and inequality. Www.Amnesty.Org. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/02/south-africa-broken-and-unequal-education-perpetuating-poverty-and-inequality/

3. Gustafsson, M. (2021, August 26). A teacher retirement wave is about to hit South Africa: what it means for class size. The Conversation. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://theconversation.com/a-teacher-retirement-wave-is-about-to-hit-south-africa-what-it-means-for-class-size-164345

4. Khuluvhe, M. K. (2021, March 1). Adult illiteracy in South Africa. Www.Dhet.Gov.Za. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://www.dhet.gov.za/Planning%20Monitoring%20and%20Evaluation%20Coordination/Fact%20Sheet%20on%20Adult%20Illiteracy%20in%20South%20Africa%20-%20March%202021.pdf

5. Editor. (2019, December 27). Opinion: The Challenges Facing The Education System In South Africa. iAfrica. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://iafrica.com/opinion-the-challenges-facing-the-education-system-in-south-africa/

تحديات التعليم الإبتدائي والثانوي في روسيا

إن الاتحاد الروسي دولة حديثة في الأساس. تم تشكيلها قبل ٣٠ عامًا بعد تفكك الاتحاد السوفيتي. تتمتع روسيا بخلفية تاريخية واجتماعية وثقافية فريدة من نوعها، مع مزيج بين الإمبريالية والتأثير السوفيتي و ٣٠ عامًا من التاريخ الحديث. كانت لهذه الفترات المختلفة تأثير على النظام التعليمي. فقد تمت العديد من المحاولات لإصلاح نظام التعليم بعد تفكك الاتحاد السوفيتي. ومن أهمها، القانون الفيدرالي لعام ١٩٩٢ و سميَّ ʼحول التعليمʽ، و يشمل ذلك فرص إنشاء المدارس الخاصة و الكتب المدرسية الجديدة و الاستقلال المالي للمدارس (داشنسكايا، ١٩٩٧). أيضا٬ توقيع بيان بولونيا في عام ٢٠٠٣ الذي يمثل بداية توحيد التعليم الأوروبي في بعض المؤسسات الروسية و تجسيد الاختبارات الموحدة الوطنية التي أصبحت إلزامية منذ عام ٢٠٠٩ (سيرلنا-سبيدي، ٢٠١٦ ).
وفقًا لأحد خبراء التعليم، ظهرت تغييرات أساسية مع إصلاحات ٢٠٠٩- ٢٠١٠ بالضافة الى إصدار توجيه قانوني جديد (حول التعليم في الاتحاد الروسي، ٢٠١٢). تضمنت أهم الإصلاحات تمويل الدراسة لكل طالب، واختبارات موحدة جديدة لخريجي المدارس وطلاب الجامعات الجدد. أيضا  وضع أهمية لقرب المدارس للطالب في عملية القبول̣ و أخيرا، خَلق واستدامة بيئات مدرسية آمنة، وتعزيز التعليم الشامل، والإنهاء التدريجي للمؤسسات التعليمية المتخصصة.

Photo by Oleksandr P: https://www.pexels.com/photo/boy-looking-on-a-tidied-desk-2781814/ 

هذه التغييرات الناجحة تنجم من الاستثمار المستمر في التعليم، وإنشاء نظام تقييم وطني و اتخاذ الدرجات التي تم الحصول عليها في المدارس كمؤشرات رئيسية للقبول الجامعي. و بهذا يتكافأ توفير فرص جامعية لجميع المراهقين، بما في ذلك الأسر ذات الدخل المنخفض و سُكان المناطق البعيدة. تتضمن هذه التغيرات التغطية الشاملة للتعليم و بما فيها مرحلة الحضانة، وتمويل الفرد فيما يخص التعليم. سمحت هذه التغيرات للطلاب الروس بتحقيق نتائج عالية في الدراسة الدولية للرياضيات والعلوم (TIMSS) لعام ٢٠١٩ و التي أظهرت بأن روسيا تتصدر الترتيب بعد اقتصادات شرق آسيا (شميس، ٢٠٢١). بالرغم عن كل هذه التغيُّرات و محاولات الإصلاح، لا تزال روسيا تواجه تحديات في قطاع التعليم.

تحديات التعليم الشامل.
هناك عدة أنواع من التحديات التي تعيق تحقيق التعليم الشامل. أولاً، لا يوجد عدد كافٍ من المتخصصين الذين يمتلكون المهارات والخبرات اللازمة للعمل مع الأطفال ذوي الاحتياجات الخاصة. دوَّنت دراسة أجريت في منطقة الأورال الفيدرالية على أن حوالي ٦٠٪ من مستجيبي الدراسة لاحظوا عدم وجود موظفين متخصصين (علماء نفس، ومعلمون اجتماعيون، ومعلمون خصوصيين، وما إلى ذلك). لا سيما في مدارس المدن الصغيرة والمناطق الريفية (غرنت، ٢٠١٩). ثانياً ، لا توجد مواد دراسية كافية. على الرغم من أن معظم المدارس الشاملة في الوقت الحاضر بها مصاعد ومنحدرات ومداخل موسعة وعلامات برايل ومرافقة صوتية، إلا أن هناك نقصًا في المواد التعليمية والمنهجية لتعليم الأطفال ذوي الاحتياجات الخاصة (ميرنوفا، سمولينا نوفغورودتيفا ٢٠١٩). ثالثًا، البيروقراطية المتعلقة بالتعليم ترهق التعليم الشامل. فإن توزيع السلطة والمسؤوليات بين المعلمين وعلماء النفس والأخصائيين الاجتماعيين يشكل حاجزاً أمام الإصلاحات الازمة.  وأخيرًا، هناك فجوة كبيرة في التواصل والتعاون والتفاعل المناسب بين المعلمين وأولياء الأمور، و بين الأطفال ذوي الاحتياجات الخاصة والذين من غيرهم. يتضح تضارب القيم عندما تختلط الفصول العادية مع أطفال ذوي الاحتياجات الخاصة. و لسوء الحظ، فإن الجهات المعنية في الأنشطة التعليمية ليست على استعداد دائم لفهم تغييرات العصر الحديث.

تراجع مستوى الكليات المهنية والتقنية.
الاتجاه السائد للحصول على دبلوم التعليم العالي مفيد بلا شك للمجتمع. ومع ذلك فلكل عملة وجهان. ففي حالة الاتحاد الروسي، أدى هذا الاتجاه إلى إشباع سوق العمل بأخصائيين من ذوي التعليم العالي. و بدوره أدى إلى تقليل مكانة الكليات المهنية والتقنية و نقص المتخصصين التقنيين أو العمال الحاصلين على تدريب مهني ثانوي (ايفانوفا، ٢٠١٦). تتمتع روسيا بأحد من أعلى معدلات التحصيل الجامعي بين أعضاء منظمة التعاون الاقتصادي والتنمية، كما هو موضح في الرسم البياني ١ أدناه (OECD ، ٢٠١٩). على الرغم من انخفاض مستوى الدراسات المهنية، لا تزال البرامج المهنية أكثر انتشارًا مما هي عليه في دول منظمة التعاون الاقتصادي والتنمية الأخرى.

نموذج ١. توزيع الطلاب الذين تتراوح أعمارهم بين 25 و 34 عامًا، الحاصلين على تعليم عالٍ حسب مستوى التعليم العالي (٢٠١٨)

المصدر: منظمة التعاون الاقتصادي والتنمية. (٢٠١٩). لمحة عن التعليم لعام ٢٠١٩: مذكرة قطرية. منظمة التعاون
الاقتصادي والتنمية.

الاستثمار الناتج عن التحديات الجديدة في النظام التعليمي
لدى روسيا بنية تحتية رقمية رائع، لذا فإن الرقمنة وإنشاء منصات تعليمية مخصصة هي مسألة استثمار إضافي وجهود تعاونية. توجد أهمية راسخة في إمكانيات التكييف مع أساليب التدريس المتغيرة مثل الأنظمة الهجينة والأنظمة عبر الإنترنت أثناء جائحة كوفيد-١٩. تقديم طرق تعليم وتعلم فريدة من نوعها و مخصصة تساهم في زيادة تحفيز الطلاب ومشاركتهم في عملية الدراسة و التعليم.
تنمية المهارات الحياتية
بعد مشاركة الطلاب الروس في تقييم PISA لمهارات التعاون في حل المسائل (٢٠١٥) ، لوحظت أهم فجوة سلبية بين النتائج في الرياضيات والعلوم والقراءة (اختبارات PISA الأساسية) وقدرة الطلاب على حل المشكلات بشكل تعاوني (شميس، ٢٠٢١). يجب تكييف الإصلاحات الجديدة لإدخال جوانب حديثة من العمل التعاوني في المدارس نظرًا لأنها إحدى المهارات الحديثة الحيوية، وجعلها مركزًا لاكتساب المعرفة الجديدة وإتقان المهارات اللازمة و الملائمة لهذا العصر.

بقلم إليزافيتا روساكوفا

ترجمة رويفة الريامية من

المصادر

OECD. (2019). Education at a Glance 2019: Country note. OECD.
Ivanova, S. A. (2016). VIII International Student Scientific Conference «Student scientific forum». In Problems of Modern Russian Education. Retrieved from https://scienceforum.ru/2016/article/2016018497.
Grunt, E. V. (2019). Inclusive education in modern Russian schools: Regional aspect.
Tsyrlina-Spady, T. (2016). Modern Russian Reforms in Education: Challenges for the Future. Seattle Pacific University. Retrieved from https://jsis.washington.edu/ellisoncenter/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2016/08/pdf-tsyrlina-spady.pdf
Shmis, T. S. E. S. (2021, May 10). The Pandemic Poses a Threat to Academic Progress of Russian School Students. World Bank. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/opinion/2021/05/10/the-pandemic-poses-a-threat-to-academic-progress-of-russian-school-students
Mironova, M. V., Smolina, N. S., & Novgorodtseva, A. N. (2019). Inclusive education at school: contradictions and problems of organizing an accessible environment (for example, schools in the Russian Federation).
Programme for International Student Assessment. Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/edu/pisa
Vasiliev, I. A. (2013). Quality of the school education: subjective view on the education process. Sociological Journal, (4).
Gohberg, L. М., Zabaturina, I. Yu., Kovalava, G. G., Kovaleva, N. V., Kuznetsova, V. I., Ozerova, О. К., & Shuvalova, О. R. (2013). Education in Numbers 2013: brief articles guide. М.: National Research University “Higher School of Economics”, 17.

Cover photo source -Photo by Johnny McClung on Unsplash

Sfidat në sistemin arsimor të Afrikës së Jugut

Në mënyrë që të jetë në përputhje me standardet kombëtare dhe ndërkombëtare të të drejtave të njeriut, Afrika e Jugut duhet të përballet me disa pengesa në sferën e tyre arsimore. Ky artikull do të paraqesë disa nga sfidat më të përhapura arsimore në vend.

Infrastruktura

Një nga problemet kryesore në sektorin arsimor sot janë mjediset në dispozicion të nxënësve. Është shumë e rëndësishme që shkollat ​​të përfshijnë ambiente të sigurta për fëmijët, si dhe pajisje të nevojshme për nxënësit për të vazhduar shkollimin e tyre. Sipas Equal Education (EE, 2016) në vitin 2013, Ministrja e Arsimit Bazë, Angie Montshegka, pranoi një ligj që detyronte shkollat ​​në të gjithë vendin të kenë të paktën ujë, energji elektrike, internet, klasa të sigurta me deri në 40 nxënës në klasë, siguri, dhe mjediset e nevojshme për të studiuar dhe praktikuar sporte të ndryshme. Edhe pse objektivi ishte vendosur për vitin 2016, sot, shumë shkolla kanë probleme shumë më të këqija se një lidhje e keqe e internetit.

Vendi po shikon drejt përmbushjes së objektivave të vendosura, por ka ende shumë për të bërë. Artikuj të shumtë theksojnë vdekjet e raportuara të nxënësve për shkak të infrastrukturës së dobët.

Gjithashtu, higjiena jo-adekuate e shkollave është një çështje që ndikon në shëndetin e nxënësve. Një shembull i kësaj shihet në tualetet e tyre, ku studentët janë në rrezik të problemeve shëndetësore për shkak të higjienës së tyre jo të duhur. Këto pengesa i pengojnë studentët të përqendrohen në edukimin dhe zhvillimin e tyre.

Pabarazi ne edukim

Pabarazia është kryesisht e dukshme në shkollat e Afrikës së Jugut. Sipas Amnesty International, fëmijët në 200 shkollat e para shënojnë rezultate më të larta në matematikë sesa fëmijët në 6600 shkollat e tjera. Statistikat e tjera theksojnë se më shumë se 75% e nëntëvjeçarëve nuk mund të lexojnë me kuptim. Në disa krahina, përqindja është deri në 91%. Sistemi arsimor është ende duke u shëruar nga epoka e aparteidit, duke rezultuar që fëmijët të trajtohen ndryshe për shkak të prejardhjes, pasurisë ose ngjyrës së lëkurës së tyre. Persa i perket cilesise se arsimit fillor në Afrikën e Jugut, një raport i UNESCO-s, thotë se, teorikisht, të gjithë fëmijët kanë akses të barabartë në të tre nivelet e arsimit në vend. Megjithatë, shumë institucione shkollore, studentë nga komunitetet me të ardhura të ulëta nuk kanë arritur të përmirësojnë cilësinë e arsimit që ofrojnë. Qeveria duhet të trajtojë problemin e varfërisë dhe arsimit.

 

Edukim i varfer

Për më tepër, cilësia e arsimit të shkollave është një çështje e përhapur në Afrikën e Jugut. Sipas hulumtimit të ndërmarrë nga Gustafsson në vitin 2021, pensionimi i mësuesve në Afrikën e Jugut do të arrijë një numër maksimal deri në vitin 2030, gjë që rrjedhimisht do të rezultojë në nevojën për edukatorë të rinj të trajnuar dhe ristrukturimin e klasave dhe institucioneve. Aktualisht, gjysma e klasave kanë 30 nxënës për klasë, por 50%-eshi tjetër mund të kalojë deri në 50 fëmijë në një klasë. Për të reduktuar shifrat, llogaritet se rreth 100,000 mësues të rinj hyjnë në sistemin arsimor, i cili kërkon trajnim dhe financim në shkallë të gjerë.

Një sfidë tjetër me të cilën përballet sot sektori arsimor në Afrikën e Jugut është cilësia e instruktorëve. Mbi 5000 nga mësuesit aktualë janë të nënkualifikuar për profesionin e tyre. Instruktorët nuk janë konkurrues në tregun e punës; ata kanë pak njohuri për kurrikulën dhe nuk kanë kompetencë pedagogjike, duke bërë që studentët të mbarojnë shkollën pa njohuritë e nevojshme.

Cikli i analfabetizmit

Më në fund, sipas Raportit të OECD nga 2019, Afrika e Jugut ka përqindjen më të lartë të njerëzve të moshës 20 deri në 24 vjeç në sektorin NEET (as punësim, as arsim). Afrika e Jugut shënoi pothuajse 50% për këtë kriter, më i madhi nga të gjitha vendet e ekzaminuara nga raporti i OECD. Raporti i Profesor Khuluvhe për vitin 2021 diskuton seriozitetin e problemit të analfabetizmit, duke deklaruar se, në vitin 2019, shkalla e të rriturve analfabetë (mbi moshën 20 vjeç ) ishte 12,1%, ose rreth 4,4 milionë. Kjo barazohet me faktin se një pjesë e konsiderueshme e popullsisë nuk arrin një nivel të arsimit të klasës së 7-të ose më të lartë. Analfabetizmi sjell pasoja të mëdha për popullatën, përfshirë pasardhësit e paarsimuar dhe moskontributin në shoqëri, duke dëmtuar kështu ekonominë e vendit. Afrika e Jugut duhet ta trajtojë këtë çështje dhe të minimizojë përqindjen e analfabetizmit sa më shumë që të jetë e mundur.

 

Translated by Xhina Cekani from : https://brokenchalk.org/challenges-in-the-educational-system-of-south-africa/

 

References

1. EE. (2006, July 19). School Infrastructure. Eqaleducation.Org.Za. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://equaleducation.org.za/campaigns/school-infrastructure/

2. Amnesty International. (2020, February 7). South Africa: Broken and unequal education perpetuating poverty and inequality. Www.Amnesty.Org. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/02/south-africa-broken-and-unequal-education-perpetuating-poverty-and-inequality/

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