Skills for work?: From skills development to decent livelihoods in Ghana's rural informal economy

In developing countries, skills development has been neglected. Skills development does not appear in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) or in many poverty reduction strategies and has been side-lined in favour of investment in primary education. However, it is hoped that discussion of skills development in the 2005 Global Monitoring Report and the World Summit in September 2005, will refocus attention on skills. In Ghana, skills development has received too little actual emphasis, despite the rhetoric of the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (2003–2005), the new Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (2006–2009), and more than 150 years of preoccupation with making education more relevant to the world of work.     

Socioeconomic Situations of the Elderly Within the Context of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Nigeria

It is still unknown how the MDGs have impacted the socioeconomic situations of the elderly in Nigeria. This has become essential to appraise the attainability of the MDGs in Nigeria. Quantitative data were collected through an individual-based questionnaire. Multistage sampling was employed to select local government areas, enumeration areas, and individuals for the study. In all, 810 respondents were interviewed.

The study shows that more than 3 out of every 10 female respondents mentioned trading; more than a quarter of their male counterparts mentioned the same. Only 3.5% of the female respondents and 7.5% of their male respondents mentioned investment as their sources of income. A few of the respondents live above a dollar daily. The general response among the respondents is that the impact of MDGs is yet to felt. The paper asserts that primitive capital accumulation via corruption causes poverty for some, increased social inequality, and geographical objectives, which are currently insufficiently alleviated by policy action.     

Poverty alleviation and integrated service delivery: Literacy,early child development and health

This paper argues that many internationally financed literacy programs do not sufficiently take into consideration important daily life issues of the learners, including nutritional deficiencies that may hinder learning, or of children–parent–society interactions that may improve learning. As a result, many programs have become synonymous with increased supply of a low-quality education. Often, these programs address almost exclusively Education for All (EFA) international policy targets, without sufficiently addressing other poverty alleviation targets, as defined by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This paper further contends that approaches that would generate the greatest effects within an EFA-perspective may not be the best way to alleviate poverty within a MDGs-perspective. Based on a case study of a women's literacy program in Senegal, this paper proposes to look at needs within an MDG perspective, and to use multi-pronged and integrated approaches to intervene in sectors where the poverty alleviation impact is the greatest.     

Are the MDGs enough? Donor perspectives and recipient visions of education and poverty reduction in Rwanda

Achieving the millennium development goals (MDGs) forms the central focus of many donor agencies’ policies, resulting in a renewed focus on basic education. This paper explores the different perspectives of donors and the Government of Rwanda (GoR) with regard to education and training. GoR discourse mirrors the international poverty reduction agenda, yet it is looking well beyond this goal. Striking a balance between providing basic education in line with the poverty reduction agenda and providing higher levels of education and training to attain broader socio-economic goals results in an internal struggle between different policy priorities and viewpoints, and an external struggle with donor agencies whose influence over policy processes is considerable. Nevertheless, a closer look at individual donors in Rwanda reveals that their actual activities demonstrate a less than clear focus on the MDGs, begging the question of just how pertinent the MDGs are.     

Macroeconomics, (Adult) Education, and Poverty Eradication in Southern Africa

The Millennium Summit held in New York in September 2000 outlined the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The first of these involves the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, setting two targets: halving by 2015 the percentage of the world’s populace in 1990 with income less than US-$1 a day (i.e., cutting this percentage from 27.9 to 14%); and halving the share of people who suffer from hunger. As for education, the MDGs seek to ensure that all children can complete primary schooling by 2015. Drawing on examples from selected southern African countries, the present study examines the need to strengthen economic support for (adult) education as an instrument of poverty eradication. It argues that human capital is one of the fundamental determinants of economic growth, and that this economic resource is essentially determined in both qualitative and quantitative regards by education.     

A historical reflection on literacy,gender and opportunity: implications for the teaching of literacy in early childhood education

This paper presents a historical reflection on gender and literacy, with a view to informing the present teaching of literacy in early childhood. The relationship between gender, literacy and opportunity in the labour market is examined, given that despite girls’ achievement in literacy, in comparison with boys’, women continue to earn substantially less than men. In order to understand this relationship, this paper reflects on literacy as a socio-historical construct as well as examining the ways in which the past is constitutive in forming enduring notions of gender that penetrate all elements of society, including the literacy classroom. This critical analysis of what is learned about and through the medium of literacy in the early childhood classroom has major implications for the teaching of literacy today. It is argued that in order to address this issue, early childhood educators need to value and nurture children’s digital literacies as well as create learning environments that allow all children genuine opportunities to question, challenge and explore dominant discourses that are embedded in text.     

Unmasking complexities involved in operationalising UPE policy initiatives: Using the ‘fCUBE’ policy implementation in Ghana as an exemplar

In most parts of the world today, the goal of providing all children with free and Universal Primary Education (UPE) has received broad national and international support and some educational systems have evolved from predominantly ??fee-charging?? towards ??fee-free?? status in recent times. In Ghana, for example, the endorsement of Education for All (EFA) and millennium development goals (MDGs) agreements coupled with commitment to internal constitutional reforms have resulted in the initiation of the Free Compulsory Universal, Basic Education (fCUBE) policy. Dishearteningly however, in many low-income countries (including Ghana), verbal commitments to these laudable social goals do not appear to be translated into the needed changes in policy and practice. This article draws on a case study of the fCUBE policy implementation to provide insights into the complexities involved in operationalising UPE policy initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa. The methodological approach involved the critical discourse analysis of interviews with Ghanaian education officials who mediate policy at the ??meso-level??. Owing to the commitments of the fCUBE policy to enhancing the educational opportunities and outcomes for the socially and economically disadvantaged, the paper sees it (i.e. the fCUBE policy) as deeply rooted in social democracy. However, it is argued that as long as there is a blurring in meaning of the intentions encapsulated in its title, primary education in Ghana cannot be said to be ??free??, ??compulsory?? and ??universal??. It is concluded that accentuating policy purposes in low-income countries is not inherently problematic but that the challenges lie with how the intentions and provisions of policy are conceptualised and operationalised in context.     

Boys and Literacy: Lessons from Australia

ABSTRACT This paper examines the complexity of the issues associated with boys and literacy. It initially reviews Australian research documenting gender differences in literacy performance, highlighting the interplay between gender, class and ethnicity within this research. It then develops a framework for considering the interconnectedness between literacy, various masculinities, and schooling. The paper argues that literacy, as it is constructed in the school, becomes a domain of knowledge and a set of technologies that run counter to various dominant constructions of masculinity. As a result, school literacy is often in contrast to other electronic and visually-based 'literacy skills' that boys have access to. The paper suggests an approach which works with social constructions of masculinity, and discourses on 'critical literacy', to provide strategies for boys' literacy education that will not be in conflict with the education of girls reform agenda of the past 20 years.     

Macroeconomics, (Adult) Education, and Poverty Eradication in Southern Africa

The Millennium Summit held in New York in September 2000 outlined the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The first of these involves the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, setting two targets: halving by 2015 the percentage of the world’s populace in 1990 with income less than US-$1 a day (i.e., cutting this percentage from 27.9 to 14%); and halving the share of people who suffer from hunger. As for education, the MDGs seek to ensure that all children can complete primary schooling by 2015. Drawing on examples from selected southern African countries, the present study examines the need to strengthen economic support for (adult) education as an instrument of poverty eradication. It argues that human capital is one of the fundamental determinants of economic growth, and that this economic resource is essentially determined in both qualitative and quantitative regards by education.     

Universalizing Nine-Year Compulsory Education For Poverty Reduction in Rural China

Lack of access to basic education leads to diminished individual and national capabilities, therewith furthering cycles of poverty. An equitable education system meeting basic learning needs represents not only a human right, but also a means for reducing poverty, promoting productivity, and sustaining development. The Government of China – the most populous developing nation, the majority of whose citizens live in rural areas – has been committed to universalizing nine-year compulsory education among school-aged children and eliminating illiteracy among youths and adults aged 15–45. This study examines lessons learned from China’s efforts in these areas. It also reports on current challenges and trends in a new national initiative for achieving high-quality universal basic education by the year 2007.     

贫困地区发展落后的原因与对策分析

贫困地区的发展问题一直是困扰中国经济社会发展的重大问题,贫困地区的落后是多种因素综合作用的结果.贫困地区按照不同的标准可以分为地域贫困、民族贫困、生态贫困3种类型.贫困地区发展落后的主要原因是自然环境恶劣;文化教育发展滞后,精神贫困严重;市场竞争致使贫困地区边缘化;基础设施、社会服务设施、金融服务设施等相对落后,生产生活条件差.实现贫困地区率先发展的主要对策是加大投入力度,促进贫困区域整体发展;物质扶贫与精神扶贫相结合;有效发挥市场机制作用,创新投入机制;加速经济结构调整,发展当地的特色经济;建立开发式扶贫为主、救济和农村社保相结合的多层次扶贫体系等.     

Curriculum-making in South Africa: promoting gender equality and empowering women (?)

The United Nations Millennium Development Goals (2000?2015) are clearly embedded in South Africa's education policy documents. However, they are not adequately infused into the curriculum. This article focuses specifically on the third Millennium Development Goal (MDG) ? promoting gender equality and empowering women ? and the need to place this curriculum content at the centre and not on the periphery, to achieve its goal. Qualitative document research was used to explore the extent to which South Africa's curriculum-making has promoted gender equality and the empowerment of women during the promotion of the 2000–2015 MDGs. The findings of this research show potential intersections of poverty, age and worldviews with gender; a stronger focus on human rights values; and concrete strategies to combat unhealthy sexual behaviour. However, the curriculum continues to be saturated with negative perspectives and binary perceptions of gender. There is also a lack of attention to the world of work. The assumption underlying this seems to be that gender equality and the empowerment of women are unattainable or that they are unimportant. This article concludes by underlining the need for the curriculum to be a genuine agent of change, which necessitates a new gender discourse in curriculum-making.     

Universalizing Nine-Year Compulsory Education For Poverty Reduction in Rural China

Lack of access to basic education leads to diminished individual and national capabilities, therewith furthering cycles of poverty. An equitable education system meeting basic learning needs represents not only a human right, but also a means for reducing poverty, promoting productivity, and sustaining development. The Government of China – the most populous developing nation, the majority of whose citizens live in rural areas – has been committed to universalizing nine-year compulsory education among school-aged children and eliminating illiteracy among youths and adults aged 15–45. This study examines lessons learned from China’s efforts in these areas. It also reports on current challenges and trends in a new national initiative for achieving high-quality universal basic education by the year 2007.     

EDUCATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND RESOURCES FOR SUSTAINABLE ACCESS TO SCHOOLING AND OUTCOMES: THE CASE OF EARLY LITERACY DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTHERN TANZANIA

ABSTRACT

Following on the 1990 and 2000 World Conferences on Education for All, African governments increased their focus on access to schooling (but not necessarily on outcomes) by providing more facilities for increased enrolments. The learning outcomes that had been neglected led to a call to focus on more sustainable access – re-examining the quality of some of those facilities against the anticipated quality of educational outcomes. Studies in Southern and Eastern Africa, including the one under discussion here, indicate that the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will not rely only on school-based factors but also on the careful analysis of wider socioeconomic and cultural factors. This paper, through the results of the case study component of the Early Literacy Development project in the Lindi Rural District of Southern Tanzania, discusses why literacy development has lagged behind in Sub- Saharan Africa. The focus of the study and of this paper is on the relationship between literacy practices, literacy events and early literacy development at home and school in low-resourced communities. The extent to which school infrastructure and ecology including buildings, teaching learning materials and teacher characteristics reinforced literacy practices and events at home and school is also highlighted as being of special interest.

The study was sponsored by the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Development (formerly CIDA) – Strengthening Education Systems in East Africa (SES-EA).     

健康素养的内涵与评价

健康是人首要和珍贵的财富,实现健康及其可持续发展的重要途径是提高健康素养。健康素养是保障人全面发展的必备素养,是反映经济社会发展水平的综合性指标,是体现教育质量和教育公平的重要素养。健康素养具有综合性、层次性、互动性、终身性和目的性等特点。基于健康素养的不同界定,国际上开发了大量的以成年人为对象的健康素养评价工具。国际上的健康素养研究为我国学生健康生活素养研究的开展提供了借鉴:应准确理解和把握学生健康生活素养的内涵,开发完善我国学生健康生活素养的评价体系,高度重视沟通性和批判性健康素养的培养。     

Planning post-primary education: Taking targets to task

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have shaped much educational target setting by governments and their development partners to the extent that they have focused on just two of the commitments—universal enrolment and completion of primary schooling, and gender equality in primary and secondary school access and achievement. A consequence is that many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have yet to develop coherent plans for the post-primary sub-sector. Yet without expanded access beyond primary it is unlikely that the MDGs will be achieved. Privileging investment in the enrolment and completion of the last primary child over-investment at post-primary levels may satisfy a rights-based approach to development; it may not be the best strategy to sustain gains in access to educational services or to alleviate poverty through redistribution or growth. Skews in investment unfavourable to post-primary are partly the result of target setting that has been narrowly interpreted and which depends on assumptions that become questionable on close analysis.This paper first summarises the case for reconsidering investment strategies for post-primary education in general, and for secondary schooling in particular. Second, it explores issues related to target setting and target getting in relation to post-primary provision, many of which apply to target setting generally. Finally, concluding remarks draw together the case to reconsider how targets are defined and how they might be used in national planning more productively.     

Aiming higher: Learning profiles and gender equality in 10 low- and middle-income countries

Global education goals have many aims, among them universal basic schooling, universal literacy and numeracy, and gender equality. We use unique, nationally representative data on adult learning outcomes to examine the link between schooling and literacy in ten low- and middle-income countries. We simulate scenarios of increasing school grade attainment, increasing learning per year, and achieving gender equality, and examine learning outcomes in each. In six of the ten countries only about half or less of younger adults (aged 18−37) with primary completion as their highest schooling can read a few sentences without help. Simulations show that achieving universal primary completion would still leave many adults functionally illiterate: in India nearly a third of adults would still be unable to read. Our simulations further show that, while achieving equality of schooling attainment would produce improvements in women’s literacy, in many countries this would still leave a third of women unable to read. Gender equality of learning per year produces very little gain as, once in school, girls’ learning nearly matches that of boys. In nearly all countries steepening the learning profiles for all students to the best-performing of the ten countries would lead to greater gains in literacy for women than achieving gender equality in both schooling and learning. Achieving learning for all will require both eliminating gender gaps but also improving how much is learned while in school.     

Evaluation of adult literacy education in the United States: A review of methodological issues

This is a critical review of methodological issues in the evaluation of adult literacy education programs in the United States. It addresses the key research questions: What are the appropriate methods for evaluating these programs under given circumstances. It identifies 15 evaluation studies that are representative of a range of adult literacy contexts at various evaluation levels; and reviews each study regarding evaluation designs, data sources, learner assessment tools, and indicators of program effectiveness. It summarizes methodological lessons learned regarding the evaluation of adult literacy education and identifies areas for further research.     

Education enrolment rate vs employment rate: Implications for sustainable human capital development in Nigeria

PurposeThe study examines the dynamic interrelationships among the school enrolment rates and the rate of employment (via unemployment rates) in Nigeria.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed Autoregressive estimates and an unrestricted VAR approach to analyze these relationships.FindingsThe study lends credence to the new-growth theory (i.e. endogenous models) that more investments in human capital, through education especially at higher levels, will allow human capital to evolve dynamically to increase long-run growth positively in Nigeria. This tendency engenders multiplier effects in stimulating sustainable human capital development given that education-driven growth facilitates employment in the short-run. However, to sufficiently sustain human capital development to generate employment in the long-run, it appears there is need to combine education with other cooperant factors such as social safety nets, good governance, private sector development and efficient utilization of human and physical resources.Originality/valueThe growth literature has been definitive on the role of human capital in achieving long-run economic growth. Therefore, investments in education have been identified as a vital channel for building human capital and achieving long run development objectives. Thus, in the nascent quest for sustainable development, this study takes the new growth theory a step higher by examining the modulating effects of education-driven growth (i.e. via school enrolments rates) in setting the pace for employment patterns in Nigeria.