Education

Deaf and hearing impaired children in the developing world are greatly disadvantaged.  The cost and maintenance of hearing aids is so high that most families cannot afford them, and must instead rely on an intermittent supply of donated devices and short-term ‘fitting teams’ from abroad.

Poverty and HIV/AIDs in Zambia is causing an epidemic of abandoned, neglected or orphaned children as family means are stretched beyond breaking point. Parents and extended relatives simply cannot afford to feed, clothe and educate the younger generation so many turn to orphanages as a last resort.

In South Africa, early childhood education programs are poorly funded by a government already inundated with developmental mandates.  Many of the system’s teachers were taught under the apartheid regime and did not receive a quality education themselves.  Without best practice systems in place and limited opportunities for knowledge sharing, the motivation and morale of teachers within disadvantaged communities is low and leads to high absenteeism.

Although Zimbabwe is ranked among the best in Africa for literacy rates, premature school dropout and subsequent income insecurity are rampant.  Credit facilities have little on offer for those who lack collateral security, thereby limiting their earning potential due to lack of investment.  Some are labour constrained, whilst others are labour endowed; but almost all destitute Zimbabweans are food poor and without means to support their household.

As humanitarian crises have lifted in Sri Lanka, national development has shifted its focus toward building a strong economic core in the private sector and diversifying rural livelihoods.  Demographic transition that has accompanied the drive toward middle-income country status now poses some challenges regarding aged dependency.

The worldview of the Indian people towards the Dalit (lowest caste) means that they are denied the basic human right to education.  As global awareness has increased, international pressure has brought about some level of equality by reserving some places in educational institutions and government employment.

Barriers of language, ethnicity, poverty and remoteness are all too familiar for children of minority people groups in rural China.  As they typically start school without knowing a word of Chinese, they are denied access from mainstream education and are confronted by a national curriculum which does not cater for their cultural diversity.

In some Cambodian communities, the importance of education is not fully realised.  Children follow their parents into the status quos of rice farming, building or begging that have been the only vocational options for generations gone by.

In the Philippines the incidence of poverty is 50% for those who do not complete primary school, and less than 2% for those with a college degree.  Within urban poor settlements situations at home are rarely conducive to study due to noisy and crowded spaces, obligation for family responsibilities, lack of affordable tuition, and extensive unhealthy eating habits.

Casteism leaves no respite within Indian spheres of education.  The ‘untouchables’ are without rights and frequently subject to abuse and neglect from castes above.  Whilst growing international awareness has led to some positive intervention, it is from this group of people that the bulk of India’s unskilled and uneducated still come.

In Timor-Leste, many families are too poor to invest in their child’s education.  The combined cost of books, stationary, uniform, transport and school fees are prohibitive yet education is key to many of the nation’s development needs.  By upskilling the next generation with the opportunity to go to school or university, the path is laid for a brighter future of youth engagement and employability.

In Papua New Guinea, poor planning has resulted in rapid and uncontrolled expansion of primary schools which is exceeding the supply of qualified teachers.  Consequently, many remote schools have been operating with lessons taught by untrained teachers and volunteers, some of which have not completed primary school themselves.  Literacy competencies are low, and teaching equipment is minimal.

Literacy in Bloom will address the lack of access to learning resources for unschooled adults, illiterate women and bilingual children in the developing world through Bloom – a free interactive software.  The ability to read, write and understand numerical concepts has an enormous impact on a person’s life, as it is integral to social, political and economic empowerment.

Although the Indian family as a social institution is well known for the emotional and physical support that it provides to its extended members, it sometimes fails to respond to the needs of women, especially for women in difficult circumstances.