This is Part II of my blog "Arts, Education & Global Mobilization." As I was researching education organizations, I learned a number of things I hadn’t known previously about efforts around the world to improve education. Here’s a snapshot of what I learned:
UNESCO: Earlier this month, UNESCO, together with China’s Ministry of Education, held an International Conference on ICT and Post-2015 Education attended by over 300 experts from 90 countries. Apparently, China is part of a joint project in “eight Sub-Saharan countries to integrate technology in teacher training institutions.” And they are committed to the “modernization of education with the help of ICT” in its own country as well as in the international community (International Conference, 2015). I was surprised that a country that vehemently suppresses the media, personal expression and religious freedom would be at the forefront of promoting education innovation.
AFT: I was equally surprised to learn that this month, the AFT and the Mexican National Education Workers Union have come together in a joint Declaration in Defense of Public Schools. AFT President Randi Weingarten stated that they “both believe that access to a high-quality public education is a key civil and human right—particularly for vulnerable youth, children with disabilities, bilingual and multilingual learners, and those from indigenous and minority communities, both rural and urban” (AFT and Mexican Union, 2015). In a country crippled by violence and corruption at the highest levels and Mexican nationals risking their lives every day to seek better opportunities across the border, it is hard to imagine how Mexico’s educators can realize their goal of quality public education. It will be a long, uphill climb but is a worthy aim. I’m interested to see how it plays out and how American educators can aid the process here and there.
OECD: According to the Skills Beyond School page on the OCD website, in some countries “one in four 16-29 year-olds is neither employed nor in education or training.” This is a staggering statistic. To that end, OECD is making a concerted push to improve the employability of youth. And they have an entire arm of their organization dedicated to research and reporting, the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI), to help fulfill their mission to promote innovative learning for all ages in and beyond the classroom.
NEA: The National Education Association advances the cause of a quality public education for all children. In April they launched a national campaign, NEA’s Time to Teach, Time to Learn, to demand that as the Senate reauthorizes federal education laws, the number of federally-mandated tests would be significantly reduced to increase learning opportunities in the classroom (Rosales, 2015).
CCSSO: The Council of Chief State School Officers represents elementary and secondary education leaders working at the state level. In April they released a statement commending the US Senate’s bipartisan approval of the Every Child Achieves Act of 2015. Executive Director Chris Minnich dubbed it a “stable, updated federal law that gives educators flexibility while preserving a strong focus on disadvantaged students” (CCSSO Statement, 2015). This shows positive movement away from the well-meaning but highly flawed No Child Left Behind law, one that is supported by education leaders.
CCSS: The Common Core State Standards webpage dispelled a number of myths I had previously thought to be true:
- The Common Core is a state-led effort that is not part of No Child Left Behind or any other federal initiative . . . State adoption of the standards is [optional].
- The Common Core is not a curriculum. It is a clear set of shared goals and expectations for what knowledge and skills will help our students succeed. Local teachers, principals, superintendents, and others will decide how the standards are to be met. Teachers will continue to devise lesson plans and tailor instruction to the individual needs of the students in their classrooms.
- That is why these standards establish what students need to learn but do not dictate how teachers should teach. Instead, schools and teachers will decide how best to help students reach the standards.
UNICEF: The United Nations Children’s Fund, which advocates for children’s rights, puts a particular emphasis on education in post-crisis situations. They are dedicated to keeping education accessible to children post-crisis (e.g. war, natural disaster, etc.). After a crisis, recovery efforts may “take a long time. But getting children back to school is a quick win. It yields tangible benefits, jump-starts development and offers prospects of a stable future." I am now more aware of education’s crucial role in recovery from a major social crisis.
GPE: The Global Partnership for Education’s mission is “to galvanize and coordinate a global effort to deliver a good quality education to all girls and boys, prioritizing the poorest and most vulnerable.” I was intrigued by their assertion that teaching early literacy, numeracy and critical thinking skills in a child’s native language is a key component of improved education. I have thought the same thing when working with ELD students and wondered why bilingual education isn’t more prevalent. The GPE website shares research that shows that “foundational skills acquired in the mother tongue are transferable to a second language.” They also show that this is “one of the most effective ways to reduce school failure and dropout in the early grades” (Zafeirakou, 2015).
I have only touched the tip of the iceberg in my research and only have a cursory understanding of some of the things I looked at. Nothing is as simple as I’ve made it sound. I’m not entirely sure how to keep my finger on the pulse of global education without getting lost and/or overwhelmed. But I will start by following a few of these organizations on their social media pages to try to keep up.
Sources:
AFT and Mexican Union sign joint education declaration. (2015, May 14). Retrieved from http://www.aft.org/news/aft-and-mexican-union-sign-joint-education-declaration
CCSSO Statement on Committee Approval of the Every Child Achieves Act of 2015 [Press Release]. (2015, April 16). Retreived from http://www.ccsso.org/News_and_Events/Press_Releases/CCSSO_Statement_on_Committee_Approval_of_the_Every_Child_Achieves_Act_of_2015_.html
International Conference on ICT for 2030 education Agenda – Unleash the full potential of ICT for learning [Press Release]. (2015, May 23). Retrieved from http://http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-view/news/international_conference_on_ict_for_2030_education_agenda_unleash_the_full_potential_of_ict_for_learning/#.VWj872RVhBd
Rosales, John. (2015, May 26). Educators and Parents Demand Less Testing … and Lawmakers Listen. NEA Today. Retrieved from http://neatoday.org/2015/05/26/educators-and-parents-demand-less-testing-and-lawmakers-listen/
Zafeirakou, A. (2015, February 20). The power of the mother tongue and multilingual education [Blog]. Retrieved from http://www.globalpartnership.org/blog/power-mother-tongue-and-multilingual-education
