Poverty and The Effects on Children and Parents

Effects on Children

For children of all ages, poverty has some devastating effects.  Poor children are two times more likely than nonpoor children to have stunted growth, iron deficiency, and severe asthma. A government study in 1996 showed that poverty placed children at greater risk of dying before their first birthdays than did a mother's smoking during pregnancy. Another study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education found that for every year a child spends in poverty, there is the chance that the child will fall behind grade level by age 18. In the 1994 book, Wasting America's Future, the Children's Defense Fund estimates that every year of child poverty at current levels will cost the nation at least $36 billion in lost future productivity alone, because poor children will be less educated and less effective workers.

For parents struggling to raise a child, poverty adds extensive stress to the family. McLoyd (1990) states that economic hardship experienced by lower-class families is associated with anxiety, depression, and irritability. With those qualities may come a tendency on the part of parents to be punitive, inconsistent, authoritarian, and generally nonsupportive of their children. The strain of poverty may also promote the use of disciplinary approaches that take less time and effort than approaches such as reasoning and negotiating. Spanking and forms of physical punishment are quick; they may relieve frustration and they don't demand much thinking in the midst of multiple worries and stress.

Effects on Parents

Families in poverty, when parents are working, are influenced by the kind of occupations in which the parents work. Kohn (1977) has found that lower-class parents look at their children's behavior with a focus on its immediate consequences and its external characteristics, whereas middle-class parents explore their children's motives and the attitudes expressed by their behavior. Kohn interpreted these differences as connected to the characteristics associated with the level of occupation. Bronfenbrenner and Crouter (1982) concur that parents' workplaces affect their perceptions of life and the way they interact with family members. Consequently, their parenting styles reflect aspects of their work life. Again, as you watch children play, you will see indications of these influences in their conversations, roleplaying, interactions, vocabulary, and perspectives.

It is possible that parents from higher socioeconomic statuses—parents with enough money to be comfortable while raising their families—are more likely to show more warmth and affection, talk to their children more, be more democratic, be receptive to their children's opinions, and stress creativity, independence, curiosity, ambition, and self-control. Parents who are experiencing "financial strain, depression and anxiety, marital discord and disrupted parenting due to their circumstances may be harsher with, less supportive of, and more detached from their children" (Ryan, Fauth, & Brooks-Gunn, 2006, p. 329). When you put yourself in the shoes of parents from lower socioeconomic statuses—parents without enough money to be comfortable while raising their families, with constant worries about how to feed, clothe, and shelter their children—you can begin to understand why their behavior might differ significantly from the behavior of parents from higher socioeconomic statuses.

Poverty and Housing

The information on poverty previously described looks even more bleak when reviewed in the context of housing costs. Rent increases have exceeded inflation and much low-income housing has been lost to decay, gentrification, and urban development. The National Low-Income Housing Coalition reported in 2004 that a full-time minimum wage income continues to be inadequate to afford even the most modest two-bedroom home at fair market rent, and that it would take nearly three times the federal minimum wage to afford such rent. Even more discouraging are the data showing that "in only four counties in the U.S. can a full-time worker earning minimum wage afford a typical one-bedroom apartment".

It is also reported that women, children, and the elderly are overrepresented among those with housing problems. Children are present in 93% of overcrowded households and 56 percent of households with multiple problems such as overcrowding, malfunctioning heating or plumbing systems, and health hazards (Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University, 2003). Those health-related hazards include lead poisoning, asthma, asbestos, radon, and mold. Added to these problems is a huge lack of affordable housing, the leading cause of homelessness.

References :

http://www.education.com/reference/article/poverty-effects-children-parents

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The Effects of Poverty on Teaching and Learning

Poverty is an issue that more and more of our nation's children are coming face to face with. The price that children of poverty must pay is unbelievably high. Each year, increasing numbers of children are entering schools with needs from circumstances, such as poverty, that schools are not prepared to meet.This paper will examine the effects of poverty on teaching and learning. Poverty as a risk factor will be discussed as will a number of the many challenges that arise in teaching children of poverty. Implications of brain-based research for curriculum reform and adaptation will be presented.

The Concept of Being At-Risk

The term at-risk refers to children who are likely to fail in school or in life because of their life's social circumstances. It does not appear that any one single factor places a child at-risk. Rather, when more than one factor is present, there is a compounding effect and the likelihood for failure increases significantly. Poverty is considered a major at-risk factor (Leroy & Symes, 2001). Some of the factors related to poverty that may place a child at-risk for academic failure are: very young, single or low educational level parents; unemployment; abuse and neglect; substance abuse; dangerous neighborhoods; homelessness; mobility; and exposure to inadequate or inappropriate educational experiences.

Being able to identify and understand children who are at-risk is critical if we are to support their growth and development.� In order to do this, warm and caring relationships need to be developed between teachers and children. This will enable teachers to detect any warning signs that may place children at-risk for failure, interfering with their chances for success in school and life (Leroy & Symes, 2001). Academic and behavioral problems can be indicators of impending failure. Among such behaviors are: delay in language development, delay in reading development, aggression, violence, social withdrawal, substance abuse, irregular attendance, and depression. Teachers may have difficulty reaching a student's parent or guardian. They may also find the student does not complete assignments, does not study for tests, or does not come to school prepared to learn because of poverty related circumstances in the home environment.� These children may be unable to concentrate or focus. They may be unwilling or unable to interact with peers and/or adults in school in an effective manner. These issues not only have an impact on the learning of the child of poverty but can also impact the learning of other children.

Challenge: Diversity

The rise in the number of children in poverty has contributed to making our nation's classrooms more diverse than ever before. This, indeed, makes both teaching and learning more challenging. This issue can remain a challenge for teachers, as opposed to becoming a problem, if focus is placed on student learning as opposed to teaching.

Teachers need to be tuned in to the culture of poverty and be sensitive to the vast array of needs that children of poverty bring to the classroom. Social contexts have a significant impact on the development of children. The social world of school operates by different rules or norms than the social world these children live in. Focus should be placed on finding a harmonious relationship between the cultural values of students and values emphasized in school. Considering that so many different cultures are represented in our society, we often encounter students who belong to more than one cultural group. They may be poor in addition to being non-English speaking or of an ethnic/racial/religious minority group (Bowman, 1994; Marlowe and Page, 1999).

High-mobility is a symptom of poverty and its surrounding social factors. Children of poverty may live in places that rent by the week or even day. They may move from town to town as their parent searches for work or runs from problems (such as an abusive spouse, criminal record, financial responsibilities). They may live in homeless shelters or battered women's shelters that only allow brief stays. They may live on the streets. The conditions they live in and their day-to-day life experiences can have a significant effect on their education and achievement. Moving is a very emotional event for children. Combine this issue with the multitude of other issues faced by mobile and homeless children and the impact on their emotional, social and cognitive development can be overwhelming.

School attendance is often irregular. Transfer to a new school becomes the norm. Aside from the differences from the general school population due to other aspects of their poverty, mobility compounds the difficulty these children have making friends. They may behave hostilely or be totally withdrawn due to past attempts to make friends. With regard to both the academic and social aspects of school, they may figure, "Why bother? I'm just going to move again." They also often come to school with no records from their previous schools; and it may be difficult for schools to track the records down. Teachers have no idea what these students have learned. It is challenging for schools to place these children in classrooms and get them additional services they may need. Even if placement is successful, these children will likely move again within the school year. It is also challenging to help these students to learn at least something of value while they remain in our classrooms.

Children become aware of social and economic status differences at a very young age. They also grow increasingly aware of both their own social status and that of their peers, developing class-related attitudes during their years in elementary school. Teachers can help children to develop caring and sensitivity toward different cultures including social classes. Activities and lessons should be based on how children perceive themselves and the world at the various stages of development. For example, children who are in the age range of 7-12 years are less egocentric. They focus on internal characteristics or traits of people as opposed to external, observable social class differences.� They also recognize similarities and differences among groups. At around age 11, children can consider causes and solutions to poverty.

Taking into account a spiral curriculum, at earlier ages children can become acquainted with social class and other cultural differences. During the latter years, the topic can be revisited for deeper understanding. This is a great opportunity to include community service learning projects in the curriculum, such as volunteering as a class in a soup kitchen. It is important that these activities be followed with both group discussion and individual reflection to help children think critically about their experiences (Chafel, 1997; Gomez, 2000).

As teachers, these aspects of poverty make planning and preparation absolutely critical. Content needs to be related in varying ways to meet the needs of the diverse students in the classroom. We have to consider the cultural values of these children as we arrange their learning. Constructivism is a key concept in that it respects student differences and allows students to use their own prior knowledge and experiences to make connections and learn. It affords students the opportunity to become active learners by questioning, hypothesizing and drawing conclusions based on their individual learning experiences. If there is limited foundation for children to draw upon, we need to help them develop a base of knowledge and experiences so they have somewhere to start.

By providing emotional support, modeling, and other forms of scaffolding, teachers can help students use their strengths, skills, and knowledge to develop and learn (Marlowe and Page, 1999). Learning experiences and problem solving based on real-life problems can help them deal with some of the issues they may be faced with in their lives. Learning by doing gives students the opportunity to be active and imaginative problem solvers (Bassey, 1996).� Thus, diversity actually presents us with a chance to enhance the quality of education for all our students and provide them with a variety of opportunities to develop into productive citizens. As our schools and nation become more diverse, the need for understanding and acceptance of differences becomes more important. Our challenge is to provide children with an effective multicultural education that will foster awareness, respect, and acceptance.

Challenge: The Achievement Gap

The difference in academic performance among children from different classes or groups (ethnic, racial, income) is referred to as the achievement gap. Children of poverty generally achieve at lower levels than children of middle and upper classes. The causes are numerous and are related to both the social environment in which poor children live and the education they receive in school. Factors such as the quality of student learning behaviors, home environment, past experiences with education, and teacher attitudes are among the many influences on student achievement. Slavin (1998) proposes that schools can have a powerful impact on the academic achievement and success of all children by viewing them as at-promise rather than at-risk and preparing them to reach their full potential.

A good education is often the only means of breaking the cycle of poverty for poor children. These children need an education that is founded in high standards and high expectations for all. Curriculum alignment must exist to ensure that a rigorous curriculum and assessment accompany and are aligned with the standards. What occurs in our classrooms has a significant impact on student achievement. The curriculum should be challenging to prevent decreased opportunity for higher education, which translates into less opportunity in life for them.

Content should be of high quality and be culturally relevant. A watered-down curriculum is unacceptable. Teachers should be knowledgeable of the cultures in which their students live so they can plan effective and engaging lessons. Additionally, instructional and classroom management techniques that work well with some students don't necessarily work well with poor children. The perspective and experiences of the children need to be considered (Goodwin, 2000). Other aspects that can help close the achievement gap are discussed in the following sections: motivation, readiness and parent/family involvement.

An article by Haycock (2001) addresses issues related to poverty and the achievement gap through research conducted by The Education Trust in the late 1990's. They questioned both children and adults on what they suspect are causes of this achievement gap. One comment among those made by the children was, " 'What hurts us more is that you teach us less.' " Haycock (2001) concludes: "...we take the students who have less to begin with and then systematically give them less in school." What schools do obviously matters. What also matters is effective teaching.

Source :

http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/teaching/poverty/

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Top Ten (10) Degrees In Demand.

In the modern times possibilities have improved and the higher knowledge levels are not only restricted to a particular field but have protected almost every academic self-discipline. Keeping in terms with the current job leads there are number of higher knowledge levels that are of great requirement. All of these major levels have come up with many job possibilities that offer profitable pay range, profession growth and job fulfillment. Read on the article if you wish to know in details about the top 10 higher knowledge levels in requirement.

1. Computer Science

Computer researchers are the one who have totally changed the world pc in business as well as in personal lifestyles thus information technology brings the record of top higher knowledge levels. Job possibilities for information technology graduate students are required to grow 24 percent through 2018, according to the U.S. Division of Work. A information technology degree increases to take part in more innovative and effective work to advertise certain areas from better to best and more over with profitable pay range.

2. Accounting Degree

A degree in information is the right choice for those who really like bashing figures because the need for such individual are increasing as the present economical globe is becoming more and more complicated and aggressive. Bookkeeping tasks have been estimated to develop by 22 % between 2008 and 2018. A cpa is mostly accountable for the fund division of the organization – guaranteeing all economical information are precise and all taxation are compensated.

3. Marketing Degree

With wide job possibilities and rifle scopes, a certification in promotion is not only a well-known level but can also help develop a effective profession in business. A promotion level can get ready an personal for an entry-level place in a promotion division, working with other groups such as innovative, revenue and fund and progressively go up the steps of achievements. As modern organizations are competitive every second to produce attention in their products and focus on effective customers and viewers, a promotion administrator can be of much requirement.

4. Information Science

In this Information age, the world essentially relies upon in details for financial, professional and professional precision thus details technology is one of the top higher knowledge levels to opt for. A powerful scholastic history and the right certification can lead directly to a appropriate and fulfilling position with valuable factors in any of the sectors from the wide details industry. Thankfully that 17 percent development is predicted in this area in the long run.

5. Business Administration

A profession in company is extremely potential and the level provides some of the biggest spending tasks. It benefits one with the primary modus operandi of a company and an contact with working with customers and top authorities. An MBA level could also help experts search for progression within their present area and can obtain social and authority abilities that could help when looking for control tasks. Possibilities look shiny for such graduate students with a 17 percent estimated increase in profession.

6. Engineering

One can quickly have a appealing profession later on with an technological innovation certification, especially in technical, electric, pc and aeronautical. From connects, spiders, tall buildings to satellite, the only line executed them is technological innovation. The contemporary ever third world will never stop to value an professional as they are required in almost all kind of sectors. Other well-paid areas of technological innovation are oil, substance, biomedical and nanotechnology.

7. Finance Degree

Finance is one such place of expertise that has top professions in requirement. Knowing the marketplaces and how organizations increase and spend investment is what the course includes which can advantage the pursuer while experiencing the existing cost-effective company community. According to the 2012 NACE job perspective 61.3 % of interviewed organizations were eager for seek the services of finance graduate students which indicates people seeking this course has a amazing Future.

8. Nursing Degree

There is currently a well-known requirement for rns (RNs), and it is predicted to proceed up to 2016. So a bachelor’s or master’s level in medical can confirm to be excellent new profession for those who want to generate dense dollars. More over with the seniors getting mature and new children being created each day, medical is a level that one can never go incorrect with. The Division of Work is of the perspective that authorized medical tasks will improve by 22 % since 2008 to 2018.

9. Journalism

Many companies are looking for workers who can create and show information by means of terms, in both create and online which indicates, literature is a preferred level. Journalism graduates can also area up with his/her desire job as the level gives companies a feeling that the graduate student is familiar with the essential abilities of the career. The area of literature is never stand still – increasing in number and complexity and inciting the need for authors, journalists and publishers.

10. Psychology Degree

From being a social employee, experiments to psychiatry/psychoanalysis, a level in mindset reveals up unlimited work opportunities. In fact, one of the biggest strong points of a mindset level is the tremendous wide range of profession routes that are available to graduate learners. Students can customize the amount and learning and level to pay attention to specialised areas that entice their passions. In addition to fulfilling someone’s interest in human instinct, having a strong knowing of what makes people do certain things can be a very valuable expertise in a wide range of job.

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Top 5 Education Trends in 2013

So the world didn’t end, and now we’re all excited to pop open the champagne, eat way too much food, and ring in the New Year!

Despite the number 13’s unlucky reputation, we’re all super excited for 2013. Not only internally, where we here at Noodle are working hard to improve our product and give our users a top-of-the-line educational experience, but big changes are also happening externally in the education field.

So we’ve put together a list of the Top five trends in education that we’re most excited to see in 2013.

Happy New Year!

1. Social media will play an even bigger role

Social media has made its way into most sectors, from advertising to sports to the entertainment industry. So naturally, it was bound to become popular in the education field sooner or later. From student-created YouTube videos to SMS marketing to professors creating classroom focused blogs and Facebook pages, both teachers and students will continue to benefit from social media inside the classroom. Although social media has become increasingly popular in the past year or two, in 2013 we’re expecting it to make an even bigger splash in the classroom. 

2. More universities will offer online learning

From free podcasts and online learning tutorials, the internet has made it possible for people to push their educational boundaries and access some of the best resources from the comfort of their own home. Now in addition to paid online classes and degree programs, some universities are even offering free non-credit online courses. Top schools like University of California – Berkeley, Johns Hopkins University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University are currently offering free courses, and we only expect to see this trend grow in the coming year. Noodle has also jumped on the online learning bandwagon, with a collection of over 450,000 free online learning materials, available to our users anytime, anywhere. 

3. The MOOC trend will carry on

What’s a MOOC you might ask? No it's not a character from Dr. Seuss. It actually stands for “Massive Open Online Course” and has been all the rage in the ed tech sector since the term was coined in 2008. MOOCs are revolutionizing the way students learn, and this trend is making its impact across the globe. These courses are typically free, and only require a computer and, of course, the internet. For the new year, there is even talk that MOOCs will become a mechanism for students to receive official college credit. Currently the MOOC methods reach nearly 200 countries in 44 different languages, and have 4,500 testing centers around the world. 

4. A better job market for college graduates

The recession might not be completely over, but upcoming college graduates can (hopefully) look forward to a less stressful job hunt than their predecessors. According to a survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), employers said they expect to hire 9.5% more graduates from the class of 2012 than they did from the previous graduating class. And students getting their degree in one of the STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), will be especially valuable to employers hiring in the new year. So to the class of 2013, take this as a sign to brush up on your interview skills, update your LinkedIn profile and score your dream job in 2013! 

5. Game-based learning will gain popularity

Who doesn’t love a good game? Game-based learning (GBL) is becoming increasingly popular inside classroom walls, as teachers become more and more familiar with the process and its many benefits. GBL can be anything from learning simulations, to serious games, to using video games in the classroom. It’s understandable that parents might be skeptical (“Video games at school? Seriously?”) But GBL is designed to balance gameplay with subject matter, and help students retain and apply what they’ve learned in the real world. Although it’s still in the early phases, in 2013 we’re sure to see games being used more frequently in the learning process. 

This article originally appeared on Noodle.org

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UK education system lagging behind in producing 'all-rounders'

Analysis puts Britain 15th in table comparing number of 15-year-olds achieving top grades in maths, reading and science

The UK's education system is lagging behind many of its competitors in producing all-rounders – students who achieve top results in maths, reading and science exams, analysis from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) shows.

The results from international standardised tests administered by the OECD show that while 4.6% of UK's 15-year-olds achieve the highest grades in the three core subjects – 15th overall, and above the OECD average of 4.1% – the country sits well behind some of its European, Asian and Pacific rivals.

Nearly one in eight students from Singapore gain high scores in maths, science and reading, and one in 10 from New Zealand. Shanghai topped the OECD's league table with 14.6% of students, while Finland was the best in Europe with 8.5%.

The OECD said the results were important to show the depth of a nation's talent pool for future economic growth, with the most proficient students being the most likely innovators and producers of new knowledge and technologies.

Andreas Schleicher, the OECD's deputy director for education and skills, said: "High-level skills across the three key subject areas are critical if countries are to create workers able to compete in the global market for jobs. But the UK produces fewer than 5% of these all-rounders, while jurisdictions like Shanghai and Singapore have more than double that."

Among its European peers, the UK performed similarly to Germany and France, but all three were outperformed by the Dutch, Belgians and Swiss. In comparison, Austria, Denmark and Italy all fell below the OECD average, with Spain and Greece further back. Schleicher said the changes introduced at secondary school level had the potential to overhaul the country's performance on international rankings.

"Reforms to the education system hold the promise to raise standards in science, reading and maths, and will enable the UK to compete on the global stage," he said.

Elizabeth Truss, the education minister, said: "This analysis highlights the importance of reading, maths and science for our future economic prosperity. We are focusing reforms on ensuring that young people are strong in these vital subjects."

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Pakistan needs to reform its education policy

Pakistan is a developing country and its economy is the worlds 27 th largest economy based on its purchasing power. However, the country remained impoverished due to internal political disturbances and negligible foreign investment, since independence.

During the past one decade, Pakistan became the victim of terrorism and therefore no significant foreign as well as overseas Pakistanis investment were observed. Due to the reason, Pakistani engineers, doctors and other technical skilled personnel are facing acute jobless dilemma. If Pakistani policy makers really cares and interested for the uplift of its people then its high time to change its educational syllabus in accordance with the present geo economic scenarios. Pakistan is in no doubt situated in a very important and strategic place. Its a bridge between China and Arab Nation and further to developing African countries. Both Arab Peninsula and China are economically viable nations while Africa is the booming place where Indian, Chinese and European companies are in a race to capture the business. So we are lucky in the sense that we can not only play a vital role in bridging the ties between Chinese and Arab world but can also take the benefit from their growing economic boom. But how!!!

Due to deteriorating economic conditions within Pakistan as well as current economic meltdown in other parts of the world on the one hand while growing business of Chinese and Indian companies on the other hand, Pakistanis are facing extreme difficulties to get its place. In the Arab Peninsula, Arabic speaking are preferred otherwise Europeans get the advantage and are highly paid while in Chinese and Spanish companies, language is the main barrier for Pakistanis. But unfortunately, Pakistani policy makers never felt these issues as threats because we always preferred to speak and learn English. However even in Europe, other languages are equally important alongside English. Now the time has come where we have to sincerely start at least Chinese, Arabic and Spanish in schools and colleges curriculum as a subject to make the prospects of our future generation better and secure. With the fast moving and changing current international scenarios its very evident that Chinas economy is the most dynamic and stable at the moment. China almost captured all the market from Australia to America. You have seen Chinese dominance not only in the consumer products but also in the technology and advance sciences. We very well know that Chinese export to USA is far more than US exports to China. Below mentioned statistics clearly shows how Chinese market penetrates the developed countries.

China is now the EUs 2nd trading partner behind the USA and the EUs biggest source of imports by far. EU goods exports to China in 2010 (113.1 billion Euro) whereas EU goods imports from China 2010 (281.9 billion Euro) Similarly African countries like South Africa gives special business facilities to Chinese. Language is the other language which is widely spoken in all parts of the American (South, Central and even North) continent besides Spain and some parts of Africa, so is very useful for the business and career point of view. Spain had many colonies around the world till the third quarter of last century, which are now independent states and are very significant and vibrant in the current geo-economic situation. Moreover, Spanish language is very similar to Portuguese which is also widely spoken in Portugal, Brazil, and even some part of African continent. Analyst also favours Brazil and other South American countries after China and India in the future booming market. Its also similar to Italian and French. This shows the importance of learning Spanish language atleast for career and business purposes.

Similarly, Arabic language is important in many respects. Our Holy book is in Arabic, our culture is very similar to the Arab world, and major part of the labour force is working in these countries whose mother tongue is Arabic. Its spoken in more than 22 countries. Most of these Arabic speaking countries are oil-riched and business hubs. Arabic speakers are preferred in most of the job advertisements in these countries. However, its important to note that many of the MNCs like Google, Microsoft, Dell, HP, Cisco, Juniper, Nokia, Sony, Toyota and many others have their regional HQs in UAE, Saudi, Qatar, and Bahrain etc. Even Airbus and Boeing are planning to open their regional manufacturing plants in this peninsula.

Now question arises how to cater this problem for our young generation. Although, we produce some fine crops and have skilled personnel but is it enough without job and business opportunities? In Europe, its mandatory to learn some foreign languages. For Example, Germans, Danish, Swedish usually learns Spanish which is widely spoken around the world, especially in South America, Central America, and even in USA and Canada besides in Spain. This is not only beneficial for tourism purposes only but businesses purposes as well. Now with the growing and booming market of China, where many US and European companies has regional and manufacturing head offices, these European nations will soon start Chinese language to cater and counter Chinese business. This shows how much important is to learn Chinese, Mandarin, Arabic and Spanish languages. Keeping in mind that Short course and languages are not sufficient but we have to introduce these foreign languages in schools and colleges as compulsory subject where student may choose anyone between Spanish or Chinese-Mandarin.

Whereas we can amalgamate Arabic language within our Islamic studies subject, so that we not only learn Arabic as language but can also understand our religious studies in a better way. Its not very complex issue rather it has tremendous practical benefits. This may improve our socio-economical problems as well as geo-political relations with our neighbouring countries. We always taught in our books and literature that Pakistan is a country which is located in a very strategic and geo-economically area but never take the benefit from this geo-economical presence. Alongside the production of high quality crops and technological products for export purposes, now its high time to utilize all these above mentioned options and improve our nations youth prospects which would definitely helpful in strong and stable Pakistan.

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Does education has system in Pakistan?

Education is the most constructive factor for any society as it opens new horizons for the people to perceive things in different dimensions. A nation cannot properly understand national aims and goals, if the majority of people remain uneducated. They cannot understand the value of unity and discipline in life and remain unaware of the latest advancements. Education improves human, Physical and other resources which further improve the factors of production. So, it is important to set a proper system for education.

Education is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education and the provincial governments, whereas the federal government mostly assists in the education, accreditation and finances for research. The article 25-A of Constitution of Pakistan obligates that State will provide free and compulsory quality education to all children of the age of five to sixteen years in such a manner as determined by law. Education system is the most important need and top priority in a country but the quality of education has a declining trend in Pakistan. Pakistan’s progress in improving its human development indicators has been uneven. Poor education and weak accountability systems spoil the precious public money and hamper the way of effective education.

Pakistan’s education system remains failed in educating the common people. Lack of management, poor polices and bad planning are the causes while corruption also plays its role in destroying the education system. We must have changed our education system and syllabus after 1947 as Singapore, India and Malaysia have done. Pakistan’s overall literacy rate is almost 55% which is very poor. We are far behind than other countries even, in subcontinent, we have lowest literacy rate. Insufficient funds and poor allocation of funds in the budget for education are also major hindrances in the growth of education sector.

Pakistan is one of the eight countries in the whole world that spend less than 2% of GDP on education. Pakistan has lots of educational institutions but the problem is that all of them are not well-groomed and cannot compete with today’s educational requirements. If some private institutions provide quality education, they are out of common public’s reach. In my point of view, the most awful thing in our education system is the division of Education in different levels. There is a major difference between private and public education. Even after 66 years of independence, we do not have a syllabus for all. There are English, Urdu and Religious divisions which create confusion and chaos in the society.

So, there must be equal education for all so that there might not be any difference between rich and poor. Pakistan needs to impose emergency in education sector through right policies and proper planning otherwise Pakistan’s survival is in danger. If Pakistan wants to grow, it needs major reforms in education system.

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Inequality in Education

Educational opportunities available in Pakistan are of a very diverse nature. There are deep divisions based on regional disparities, rural-urban location, gender, income and wealth of parents, medium of instruction in schools, curricula and syllabi, ideological divides, type of schools, and access to extra coaching (shadow education), among others. In the last couple of decades as income and wealth inequalities have increased in Pakistani society in general, and our society has become more fragmented and divided, on various socio-economic lines, the disparities in education have also increased concurrently. The rapid growth of the private sector, over this period, has also added to the diversity and inequality of educational opportunities.

There are significant differences in access to education, dropouts and proportion of out of school children, as well as learning achievements of children. These differences should be of grave concern to policy makers in Pakistan. Where they are a reflection of the existing disparities and divisions in the country, the schooling system will cause these disparities to increase manifold over the next few years if they remain unchecked and unchallenged. It is worth highlighting this aspect of our education system.

There has always been a hierarchy of schooling in Pakistan. However, the increasing range of private schools means the difference between high and low quality education is growing. There is a mushroom growth of the English-medium schools, especially at the primary level. English still fascinates parents who feel elated when their children demonstrate verbal skills in English. However, the high tuition schools that give good quality education, meant mainly for the elite, are indirectly perpetuating class distinctions as they mainly cater to the upper strata of society. Increasingly the quality of education depends on being able to pay for private education. Standard government schools deliver very low learning outcomes. Employment opportunities are dictated by the type of school attended. Schools, which might confer economic opportunities on students, are beyond the reach of normal citizens. Consequently, the school system reinforces the social gap rather than offering opportunities for social mobility.

In Pakistan enrolment in private educational institutions is 34% of total enrolment[1]. The number of private schools has increased, over the last decade, in Pakistan and they are no longer restricted to urban areas. Punjab and Kyber Pakhtunkhwa have seen significant growth in privates schooling in both urban and rural areas, with higher growth in urban areas, but interior Sindh and rural Balochistan have very few private schools. The major constraint, on opening private schools in various areas, seems to be the availability of teachers locally. Private schools have opened up in large numbers where there has been an available and ready supply of matric/intermediate pass individuals. These have mainly been females in Punjab and KP. This partially explains the expansion in these two provinces, aside from demand factor differences, and it also explains the constraint in interior Sindh and Balochistan. It also explains why most of private school expansion has happened at primary level. If we want similar expansion of private schooling in other areas we have to find the supply of teachers, local or ways of transporting teachers from other areas into supply constrained areas.

Private schools cost more than their public counterparts. Though most private schools are low fee schools, barring the small number of elite schools, they are still more expensive than public schools. Parents from all income quintiles send children to private schools but there is a strong correlation between wealth and enrolment in private schools. Parents from lower income quintiles sometimes need to decide which child to send to a private school if they cannot afford to send all their children. Some data is also showing that children from private schools also get more paid coaching, after school hours, than their public school counterparts. All of these trends will exacerbate educational and later opportunity and income/wealth disparities in the society.

There are disparities in access to Education, particularly for the rural poor and girls. Substantial gender disparities continue to exist. Drop out rates between kachi and grade 5 are high. One of the reasons for low enrolment rates for girls, especially in rural areas is non-availability of local female teachers. Most of the government schools lack basic facilities like drinking water, electricity, latrines and boundary walls. Gross Enrolment Rate (GER) and Net Enrolment Rate (NER) in the middle and matric level education are at lower level than in primary education.

Article 25A promises free and compulsory education to all children. The idea behind the promise, whether it is seen in the language of rights or is seen in more functional terms as a public good argument, is to provide opportunities to all children so that they can develop their potential fully. But if the education system is as fragmented and divided as it is in Pakistan, how can any argument for opportunity for all, far less a move towards equal opportunities for all, be made or be credibly sustained. Our education system is divided on lines of geography, class, income/wealth, medium of instruction, cost, syllabi and curricula, and gender and these differences manifest themselves in differentials in access, dropouts and in the quality of education that is imparted. And existing differences in educational provision will, inevitably, create even bigger differences in the future and will further entrench differences too. If our objective is to educate all children, and at least to a minimum standard, so that these children can have some equality of opportunity, or at least a bigger set of opportunities available to each of them, we need to challenge the existing differences and divisions. 25A provides an opportunity for articulating this challenge through the subordinate legislation that will come and through the arrangements that will be made for operationalizing it.

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3 Pakistani universities among world’s top 200

KARACHI: According to new world rankings, seven universities of Pakistan have made it to the list of top 250 Asian universities while three other universities among the top 200 world universities in agriculture and forestry.

Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), United Kingdom-based universities ranking agency issued the ranking for the year 2013.

In accordance to the ranking, Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad (QAU) has secured 119 position among top 250 Asian varsities while National University of Science and Technology Islamabad (NUST) was declared 120, Agha Khan University Karachi (AKU) between 151-160, Lahore University of Management Sciences Lahore (LUMS) between 191-200, University of Engineering & Technology Lahore (UET), University of Karachi and University of the Punjab Lahore between 201-250 are now in top 250.

“This is the result of hard work and the passion we poured into the university in order to deliver world class education in developing country,” Quaid-e-Azam Universities Vice Chancellor Masoom Yasinzai said.

In addition, three Pakistani universities: University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) 142, Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi 152 and QAU 172, are now in the Top 200 World Universities categories in the disciplines of agriculture and forestry.

“We are in the subject ranking list, which carries over 3,000 varsities,” Vice Chancellor University of Agriculture Faisalabad Iqrar Khan said. “It is important, however, that we sustain the ranking we attained.”

Commenting on the universities’ international recognition, Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr Javed Laghari said during the last year six Pakistani universities were among top 300 Asian universities. “This year seven varsities are in the list of top 250,” he said.

According to HEC sources, since the establishment of education body in 2002, research output has grown eight-folds (from 815 research papers in 2002 to more than 6,300 in 2012) with the largest number of publications in areas of economic development.

As a result, the world share of Pakistan’s research has gone up by 300 per cent in the last five years.

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Philanthropy: The immortal legacy of giving to education

The time for investing in the education of Pakistani youth is now. There is no greater or longer-lasting legacy for any citizen than giving to education. While those who have can share their good fortune with those who have not, everyone can and must contribute to improve education quality and access for youth.Even the smallest gift to education can make a tremendous change in the life of a student who travels hours to reach a school, stays late at night to study after a full day of work, or who has big dreams for the future.

Big dreams come true with support There are many ways to contribute to the education of the next generation such as donating to student-oriented endowment funds, establishing public-private partnerships with universities, or simply donating toward student scholarships. All these contributions can bring changes that will last for years to come and ensure a lifetime legacy that will be remembered and honoured not just by individuals, but celebrated by everyone.

The Promotion of Education in Pakistan (PEP) Foundation lost one of these philanthropists and one of its founders, Dr Inge Grundke-Iqbal, last month. A native of Germany, Inge was, in addition to being a world-leading Alzheimer’s disease researcher, a passionate educationist committed to helping talented students coming from economically disadvantaged backgrounds in Pakistan.

Since 1994, Dr Grundke-Iqbal dedicated much of her energy, resources and time to increase access to quality education for those Pakistanis who could not afford it otherwise. Through PEP Foundation activities, she ensured that talented students have a fair chance to continue their studies, advancing their talents. Inge was a strong advocate of student voices in Pakistan. During many professional meetings concerning education issues organised by PEP Foundation in Pakistan and New York, she ensured that students were well-represented and that their opinions and concerns were heard.

Inge Grundke-Iqbal defines a great, lifetime educationist who supported the dreams of many poor students in Pakistan and made it possible for them to earn graduate and undergraduate degrees by generously donating her lecture earnings, salary, prizes and book royalties to this cause. Her legacy continues to live on through the projects of the PEP Foundation, such as the Student Advancement Fund Endowment (SAFEs) and Student Start-Up Business Centres (SSBCs) at various public and private higher education institutions in Pakistan. Many students and future generations of students, will continue to benefit from these projects and from Inge Grundke-Iqbal’s dedication to improve education.

Big pockets, big hearts Another notable example in Pakistani education philanthropy is represented at one of the best institutions of the country. In addition to an education of world-class standard, LUMS has taken serious steps to attract the most talented students who cannot afford it financially by awarding Rs340 million financial assistance to more than 40 per cent of its students.

The Vice Chancellor, Dr Adil Najam, is rightly proud to have earned the trust of the Suleman Dawood family, the Syed Babar Ali family, and the Mushtaq Gurmani family, whose donations made it possible to add to the existing Suleman Dawood School of Business (SDSB) two newly named Schools — the Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering and the Mushtaq Ahmed Gurmani School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and within the next three years an independent School of Law. The School of Science and Engineering, which graduated its first class of undergraduates, is being named after LUMS Pro Chancellor Syed Babar Ali to commemorate his vision, dedication and philanthropy as the single largest donor to LUMS over the last 26 years.

In an interview with The New York Times that was printed in the Dec 19, 2009, issue, Syed Babar Ali emphasised his conviction that one day LUMS students might deliver the leadership skills needed to change the country for good. As a Harvard Business School graduate, he fully understands the importance of quality higher education and the crucial role it plays in preparing leaders. His vision is fully embraced by other philanthropic families, such as the Gurmani Foundation, that endowed the Gurmani Centre for Language and Literature at LUMS and recently gave LUMS the largest private single gift ever given to any higher educational institution in Pakistan, a Pakistani Rs 1 billion endowment, to assist talented students with financial assistance and other scholarly activities.

The way forward Pakistan’s youth, making up the majority of the population, must be educated and provided with the necessary skills to become a viable workforce and produce the next generation of innovators, and leaders. By increasing access, improving quality and having more means to reward talent, education at all levels can offer many opportunities to its youth and to the general population.

Educating young Pakistanis must become a national priority not just for the government, the educationists and the visionaries of the society, but a concern shared by all citizens. Families that give to education causes, regardless of their identification as business people, those of modest means, or internationally recognised scientists, all share the vision and the commitment to invest in the future of Pakistan. Their foresight and dedication must be shared and thus enlighten all other families and individuals to help alleviate the burden of the education crisis in Pakistan. The gift of education is immortal and ensures a legacy like no other, benefiting not just one individual but the society, and the world.

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Supporting education: Making money and doing good

Making lots of money and doing good in the world at the same time are not contradictory concepts according to Peter Blair Henry, the current dean of New York University Stern School of Business interviewed on February 24, 2013 by The New York Times. His refreshing viewpoint emphasises that there is a different way of thinking about the role of business in society. As the dean of one of the most prestigious business schools in the world, he is trying to educate a new generation of business leaders that want to make the world a better place. While considered avant-garde in the developed world, his vision is crucial for the developing world including Pakistan’s new business elite and educators.

In the current competitive world, no country can be developed and brought to its full potential without having an easily accessible system of education that is of high quality and supports creativity and talented students. One of the critical objectives of higher education is to support the large pool of talented but financially disadvantaged students to reach their goals and become the next generation of leaders, scientists and professionals who can lead the country out of poverty into an economically sustainable nation.

Giving back Supporting education, especially higher education in Pakistan has never been more important or time-sensitive. Big businesses, corporations and also self-made wealthy people in Pakistan must realise that the future of the country and their business’ success depends on the quality of the education delivered today. Their donations to support student education through fellowships or student endowment funds are critical to the advancement and accessibility of education. It is especially important to consider the power of small but continuous donations in a populous country like Pakistan.

The power of numbers is impressive and can make a real difference in fundraising for education (see: ‘Civic duty: university education for the community, by the community’, Dawn April 7, 2013). Even a small contribution to a student endowment fund can over time grow and increase the chances that talented young persons become successful and make a difference in the world.

To enable more students to access and receive a quality education is the goal of the PEP Foundation programme: the Student Advancement Fund Endowment (SAFE). The endowment fund is dedicated to provide scholarships and financial aid to needy students. It is invested in guaranteed income instruments such as government bonds with only half of the gains, at the end of each year used for scholarships. The other half of the gains together with the principal are reinvested so that SAFE becomes a source of awarding scholarships in perpetuity.

The scholarship programmes supported by SAFE ensure that talented students are not deprived of their education because of their financial status and will have a chance to excel in their studies. With initial financial assistance from PEP Foundation, SAFEs have already been established at the University of Punjab; the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore; Government College University Lahore; Government College University Faisalabad; the Beaconhouse National University, Lahore; Lahore College for Women University; and University of Agriculture Faisalabad while Memorandums of Understanding have been signed with 19 additional universities.

Everyone in the community, including business leaders and philanthropists may contribute to these student funds at any time by contacting their local universities or during the university’s designated education fundraising week.

Next generation of philanthropists The receivers of these funds will become not only the next generation of leaders, but also the next donors and philanthropists who can contribute to the institutions that have helped them. However, it is important that even those who are blessed to have the support of their families and do not need financial assistance for their education know the value of philanthropy. Encouraging volunteering and donating to noble causes such as education or other community needs, makes students responsible citizens and can be regarded as a part of their civic education.

Similarly, community service must become part of school curricula to instill civic duty and compassion in students, and also make their education relevant to the needs of the community around them. The next generation of professionals, leaders and scientists will include those talents that employ global solutions to local needs and can easily apply their intellectual abilities and financial power to make the world a better place, starting at home.

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Civic duty: University education for the community, by the community

The current enrolment of around five per cent of the 17-23-year age group in a college/university is less than 10 per cent of that desired for Pakistan to become a successful developed country. Furthermore, Pakistani universities are producing graduates without any training in the practical problem solving of the needs of the communities they belong to and without much real life exposure to their issues.

Pakistani universities need to transform to meet their obligations of making high quality and relevant education accessible. To achieve these goals, universities will need both funds and the support of the communities they serve. The bridge between a university and the community is critical both for successful fundraising for the former from the latter and to make education relevant to the needs of the community and Pakistani society.

Pakistan, with its population of ~190 million, is currently the sixth most populous country and is on its way to becoming the fifth most populous country in the world by 2050 if it continues to grow at its current rate. With the current number of about 73 public-sector (and a similar number of private) universities, each of these institutions serves over one million people on average.

As a way of making education relevant to the needs of the society and to in turn receive the community’s support, a practical community service course should be a part of the core curriculum of every undergraduate and graduate programme. As a part of this course the graduating students would volunteer teaching basic mathematics, science, languages, art, music and basic computer skills to children and adults in need, as after school or evening programmes and to inpatients in their area hospitals and volunteer their services assisting hospital staff in providing ambulatory services. The community service would also include time spent by students to raise funds for their university’s Student Advancement Endowment Fund (SAFE). This is an endowment that makes education accessible to students from economically disadvantaged families by providing need-based scholarships and enhancing the academic capacity building programmes that directly benefit students (‘Higher education: Innovations and gains through self-help’, Dawn, Images on Sunday, May 12, 2012).

One of the most effective ways for universities to give more financial aid to talented students who cannot otherwise attend higher education is to raise funds periodically to increase the capital in their student endowment fund. For a populous country such as Pakistan the power of numbers is impressive and can make a real difference in fundraising for education. The strength of such campaigns comes from the simple mathematical fact that even a small contribution multiplied by thousands of people can mount up to millions of rupees over years of investing them in student endowment funds. Universities need to plan effective, transparent and creative fundraising campaigns where students can become a major vehicle during a dedicated educational annual fundraising week. Most importantly, higher education institutions must increase the public awareness of how important education is and make their financial needs clear to appeal to the community for their contribution.

Finding your niche The best fundraising strategies not only raise considerable amount of funds periodically thus ensuring lasting funding for different projects; they also give the donors a sense of pride. Their donations also express a commitment to a valuable cause to the society. Some schools in the United States come up with inventive ideas appealing to their communities to help them. One example in Florida is collaborating with local authorities to sell specialty automobile licence plates, whereof the tag sale $2 goes to the state and $15 goes to help fund school activities. These special tags having educational symbols such as a graduation cap and a diploma inside an apple are predicted to bring in as much as $3 million. Some schools have found unique ways to raise money from their students and community. In one school students who purchased a sticker for a dollar could wear a hat to school on that day. That particular school does not allow its student to wear hats, so it was a rare exception for most.

In another school with a strict dress code, teachers paid $5 to wear casual jeans to school. As part of its school-to-career programme, one school opened a store that sold snacks, clothing, school supplies and novelties before and after school and at lunchtime. Initially, faculty operated the store, but students are gradually taking over the responsibility for selling, ordering, and restocking the store.

These fundraising ideas can be very useful to generate funds for SAFEs and capacity-building programmes but most importantly they make excellent training of students and a great way to encourage communication between universities and the communities surrounding them. With such strategies, the participants also feel part of something significant, a sense of ownership which has shown to be very important in maintaining sustainable development practices over time.

It is time for everyone in the country to participate and offer a helping hand to secure education’s financial sustainability. Communities all over the country have the chance of a lifetime to leave their mark in history by sponsoring the future through improving and investing in educational institutions. It is the civic duty of every single citizen to contribute in developing a better future and stronger nation by securing affordable and quality education for everyone.

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