Rich countries leave many children behind in terms of education. At what level should wealthy societies tolerate inequality in the education of children? There will always be disparity in children's educational attainment, but our new study argues that we should look at the countries with the shortest gaps between the best and worst performing students, as some of these countries may show us that the best way to achieve both worlds:
Low inequality and high standards. Our report shows European Union and OECD countries on a measure of inequality in educational achievement (the difference between the 10th and 90th percentiles of reading scores at age 15) in the International Student Assessment Program ( PISA) 2015. Inequalities are everywhere, but some countries are more pronounced than others.
Latvia and Ireland have the shortest intervals: just over 220 points separate the best and worst performing students. This means that, in these countries, some students lag far behind others in reading, as the OECD consistently scores up to 30 points in one year of schooling. Bulgaria and Malta are at the bottom with an interval of more than 300 points.
In particular, there is no compromise between equality and quality in education systems. In fact, small gaps in test results are seen in countries with higher mean scores and more children reaching basic levels of reading proficiency (see the figure below). Thus, countries with poor average results also have more children lagging behind their peers.
The same goes for elementary school. Countries with large differences between the best and worst performing students have lower levels of reading literacy around the age of 10. This is true for 30 rich countries in the International Prosperity Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2016 of Progress.
The domain of interval reading at that age is already so great that in more similar countries some children can only process simple informational texts, while others can interpret complex literary passages.
More uniform systems have higher standards
There is also a socioeconomic aspect to these patterns. In both PIRLS and PISA, children with better-educated parents do better in school, so larger gaps help extend the cycle of inequality from one generation to the next. Factors beyond the control of children, such as gender, school location.
And or immigration status, are, on average, one-fifth of the difference in reading scores at age 10, a figure that is as high as 41% in Slovakia. The occupation of the parents emerges as an important circumstance among these factors. On average, this is 12% of the difference in reading: a figure that ranges from 7% in Portugal to 33% in Slovakia.
What can we do about it?
Schools can reduce differences in family backgrounds by providing a quality education for all children. But some characteristics of the school system may, on the other hand, reinforce inequalities. The recent OECD publication in the UNICEF report calls for greater awareness of the role of practices such as early selection, grouping by school ability and grade repetition in different educational programs.
Often times, children of different backgrounds also fall apart in different schools. When children from poor families end up on fewer educational paths, they are denied the opportunity to get off to a good start in life and develop their potential.
Yekaterina Chzhen, Anna Gromada and Gwyther Rees are the lead authors of the recently released UNICEF report An Unfair Start: Insecure Education for Children in Rich Countries. The Research Office-Innocenti is a UNICEF exclusive research center.
It informs the strategic directions, policies and programs of UNICEF and its partners, shaping the global debate on children's rights and development, and the global research and policy agenda for all children, and especially the most vulnerable. Or do research on current issues.
A welcoming classroom: all skills, an education. A group of smiling schoolchildren in khaki uniforms stand around one of their classmates in a wheelchair. Students will be photographed inside their classmate at the government primary school in Bariyar Tola Trimohani village, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Disability is a theme for International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2018. What kind of progress are we making to ensure that children with disabilities realize their fundamental right to education?
Inclusiveness, the promise to leave anyone behind, is at the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Nowhere is the challenge of realizing the promise that ensuring quality inclusive education for children with disabilities is more important than ensuring it.
Children with disabilities are denied the right to education around the world; almost half of them do not go to school. Evidence suggests that, without exception, children with disabilities are more likely to drop out of school than their non-disabled peers.
In some countries, this number is potentially four times higher. This exclusion has long-lasting effects, as education is a gateway to children's full participation in society: transition to adulthood, employment opportunities, and engagement with their communities.
In khaki uniforms, two young schoolchildren speak to each other in sign language as their teachers see it. A teacher is teaching sign language to two young students. They are both hearing impaired. They attend a school for deaf children in the city of Buacay, in central Ivory Coast.
However, there are strong reasons for hope. Many countries have made steady progress in implementing education laws and policies to support children with disabilities. Data provided by UNICEF shows that in 2017, 88% of the 103 countries where programs are implemented had national laws, policies or plans to support the education of children with disabilities. In 2013 it was 62%.
There has also been a change in the attitude of teachers and school administration towards the enrollment of children with disabilities in regular schools. The measure went from 40% in 2013 to 65% in 2017. A supportive school environment can greatly enhance the learning experience for children with disabilities.
Especially for people with mild or moderate disabilities who can participate in regular school life with few adjustments. In countries like Ghana, which have a comprehensive 'inclusive education policy', the involvement of various stakeholders, from children and parents to teachers and administrators, is central to the inclusive approach.
Graph showing the countries that implement the main inclusive education measures. Countries that implement important inclusive education measures. However, it is clear that significant challenges remain on the ground.
These include supporting the physical environment of schools (such as the presence of accessible classrooms and restrooms), or the development of human resource capacity, such as teacher training or specialized care. In 2017, for example, only 33% of countries had adequate human resources in schools to effectively support inclusive education.
How can we increase the speed?
The road ahead is challenging, but there are three important factors that must be brought to the fore for inclusive education to become a reality. First, the answer to inclusive education does not lie in creating more schools for children with disabilities, which will only serve to alienate them and are unlikely to be sustainable in the long term.
Instead, sharing resources that already exist in education systems, between regular and special schools, can address a variety of challenges. For example, teachers in regular schools are often left isolated to deal with children of a wide range of learning abilities with little training or assistance.
Therefore, the curriculum for pre-service teachers needs to be more responsive to diverse learning needs and includes inclusive learning methods modules. In addition, drawing on existing experience in specialized schools to support teachers in regular schools, such as the use of Braille or the support of physical and speech therapists, may be areas where financial or technical support should be directed. .
Schools built on 'universal design principles' - an approach to design and products, services and the environment that can be used by all - are necessary to create a more accessible school environment. These principles are flexible and adaptable to different contexts.
Including school projects, where examples of their application range from wide doors and hallways to adequate lighting in classrooms and step-free entry into buildings. According to a World Bank study, if a project is included from the start, an additional cost of around one percent is required for universal design. Failure to include these principles, on the other hand, can affect high human and opportunity costs due to inaccessibility.
General Education School # 3, Altai, Gobi-Altai Province, Mongolia - September 13, 2018: UNICEF, in partnership with the local government, has created special education classes for children with disabilities. UNICEF also offers special education training for teachers, school supplies and school furniture.
Once in the classroom, it is important that children with disabilities have learning materials and resources that meet their needs, including textbooks and learning support. Advocates for the disabled often use the term "book famine" to highlight the lack of textbooks in accessible formats for the disabled.
These resources are almost non-existent in regular schools in low- and middle-income countries, including basic materials that teach children to read. And, as the saying goes, "If you don't learn to read, you can't learn." However, the innovative use of technology is very promising in this field.
UNICEF and its partners, for example, are developing disabled-accessible digital textbooks to make textbooks available and affordable for children in developmental and human contexts. Prototypes are being produced, tested and validated in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Children with disabilities have long been the last to exercise their fundamental right to education. It is time for governments, communities and society to go beyond this recognition and invest in their right to education in a practical and realistic way.
0 Comments