10. Освіта в країнах «третього світу» (Education in the Third World countries)

All children around the world have the right to an education. Education gives people the skills they need to help themselves out of poverty and into prosperity. Education in the third world can be done, and is being done, but it is often not as good as industrialized countries. There are many reasons for that.

The biggest threat to education is a lack of funding. Bad governance, high staff turnover, inefficient use of funding, corruption, and lack of management and organisational skills are obstacles to the universal provision of education. Teachers’ working conditions are unacceptable in many developing countries: many teachers have to teach two or three shifts a day – in classes with very high student numbers and for little or no money at all. And in some regions of Africa so many teachers have contracted AIDS that schools are forced to remain closed.

Many developing countries face the problem of low-quality teaching. Many of the teachers are volunteers. Teachers are poorly trained and ill-prepared for what awaits them in schools. The curricula are overloaded with subjects and do not meet the learning needs of the children, and convey stereotypical images of female and male social role models. Group work, independent learning, critical thought and problem-solving, the use of new technologies and the promotion of life skills are not sufficiently promoted.

There is a huge need for adequate classrooms. Many schools are poorly equipped. They lack textbooks and teaching materials, and when these are available, they are often as outdated as the furnishings. Many schools have no funding to cover overheads such as water, electricity or transport for pupils.

Rural regions, also poor urban districts, usually lack a school network. Children often have to walk extremely long distances to school. Many of them are not allowed to attend schools some distance away as parents are concerned about their safety. Many people in developing countries cannot afford to pay school fees or for learning materials, school uniforms, and transport to school. Numerous families rely on the income their children contribute. Most children between the ages of 5 and 14 have to work – often up to 16 hours a day.

In many Third World countries, traditions stop parents enrolling girls in school. The stronger the cultural preference for boys, the greater the gender disparities in the educational sector. Many of girls will not go out of fear of retaliation or humiliation. This fear can often lead to violence when the townsfolk seek some sort of revenge when the girls keep on attending school. This is sheer ignorance and really needs to be worked on.

In addition, many children are prevented from going to school on account of crises and wars. The majority of people who are forced to flee armed conflicts are women and children. In many countries where civil war is raging, the majority of schools have been destroyed.

Universities and colleges in developing countries are also poorly equipped. Only few are able to sufficiently fulfil their research and teaching responsibilities. The courses are usually too theoretical and not geared to the needs of the labour market. However, sustainable economic development is not possible without qualified experts. Educated people are important for tackling development-related tasks at private-sector, government, and social level.