Challenges - Educating Girls: A Priority for The Future
Intro
Educating girls must be a priority of the future could possibly be viewed as a statement of gender bashing; however that is not my intention. For the past few years, I’ve heard similar statements concerning the importance of girls attaining their education; however, I assumed it was due to a rise in teenage pregnancy and or a means of building teenage girls’ self-esteem.
It was not until this week’s Hubmob topic of education and a statement from Oprah that I began my research and learned that the priority of educating girls is a precedence that covers so much more. Prior to revealing Oprah’s statement and my research; let’s take a look at some of the overall challenges of educating kids both male and female in the future.
- Education for the 21st Century: Balancing Content Knowledge with Skills | Britannica Blog
The last six months has seen the publication of several reports touting the indispensability of 21st-century skills to students. Why the sudden concern, and what are the prospects for addressing it? And what are 21st-century skills, anyway? - Obama Speech - Teaching Our Kids in a 21st Century Economy
The other day, I was reading through Jonathan Kozol's new book, Shame of a Nation. In it, he talks about his recent travels to schools across America...
Education Today and Tomorrow
Today’s technological age that we live in poses numerous
problems for our established educational system. Many of these issues can be located on
YouTube as video expressions of frustration like the one above and the ones on the
right. These issues must be addressed in order to meet our kids' interest and encourage creativity for future innovation.
Sir Ken Robinson makes the compelling argument that creativity is just as important as literacy. However, in our current education model, the majority of emphasize is the four literacy’s of writing, reading, mathematics and science. Of course, he does not dismiss these, and even says that they are important, but he says we emphasize these too much. What are the standardized tests all about? That’s correct reading, writing, mathematics and science.
Because so much importance is placed on these four (which are residuals of the industrial-revolution model of education from the late 1800s) little time, money, or room is left for anything else that would encourage a child to find his or her creative talents. Needless to say, numerous hubs and videos could be created discussing the problems of teaching kids based on the industrial-revolution model rather than a technological model.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once stated, “If the colleges were better, if they really had it, you would need to get the police at the gates to keep order in the inrushing multitude. See in college how we thwart the natural love of learning by leaving the natural method of teaching what each wishes to learn, and insisting that you shall learn what you have no taste or capacity for.”
Global Awareness
Nelson Mandela once stated, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” As the above video reveals education has universal problems and complications. In this technological age, everyone is interconnected via the Internet; so not only are you now competing within your own country; individuals are now being compared to students that are on the other side of the world.
However, the purpose of this hub is to focus on the importance of teaching girls in the future. Cultural beliefs, traditions, environments, and religions have made it more difficult for some children to compete with the male and female students globally. This is especially true for girls! Even in the United States women are still striving to overcome the times when women were not allowed to go to school in order to make a better living. According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2001 estimated that 89 percent of young women -- ages 25 to 29 -- have completed high school and 87 percent of men that age have a high school diploma. At the college level, 30 percent of young women (ages 25 to 29) had college degrees, versus 28% of young men, but working women still make only 72% of the median income of men.Oprah Winfrey states, “When you educate a girl you change an entire community.”
Educating Girls: A Priority of the Future
Numerous organizations believe that there are several benefits associated with educating girls throughout the world. Many cite such benefits as:
- the reduction of child and maternal mortality,
- improvement of child nutrition and health,
- lower fertility rates,
- enhancement of women’s domestic role and their political participation,
- improvement of the economic productivity and growth,
- and protection of girls from HIV/AIDS, abuse and exploitation.
For more information please take the time to read the additional links that I am providing within this hub.
Many organizations have found that girls’ education yields some of the highest returns of all development investments, yielding both private and social benefits to individuals, families, and society as a whole. An excerpt from Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn's Half the Sky cites, "It is impossible to realize our goals while discriminating against half the human race. As study after study has taught us, there is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women." —KOFI ANNAN, THE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL , 2006
Be sure to check out Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn's Organization and addition infomration on Oprah's website at the following links:
I think you will agree that this hub has exposed numerous issues that need to be addressed and or changed within our present educational system. However, no one person can bring about all these changes. It will require numerous people diligently working together to improve education globally. So I challenge you to find an area that is important to you and let's began to work towards making changes that will improve our educational systems. Personally, I am impressed with, and will be supporting the work that is being done globally to bring about change by educating a girl, who will in turn teach her village...
Links to Donate Towards Educating a Girl
- Sponsor a Woman Survivor of War | Women for Women International
Investing in Women and Adolescent Girls - One person in eightor close to 900 million peopleis a girl or young woman age 1024. Presently, Women for Women International is working with thousands of young women and adolescent girls who fall between the - The Heifer Org - Women in Livestock Development (WiLD)
Women and girls make up the vast majority of the people living in poverty around the world today. Yet they are often given the least opportunity to change their lives for the better. - The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy
Oprah Winfrey dreamt of building a first-class school to nurture, educate and turn gifted South African girls from impoverished backgrounds into the country's future leaders. Her dream became a reality in 2007... - Half The Sky Movement
In addition to Half the Sky, here are some of the groups that specialize in supporting women and girls in the developing countries. This list is not exhaustive; it includes groups large and very small.
Add'l links on Girls Education
- UNICEF - Basic education and gender equality - Introduction
A rights-based approach to education can address some of societies deeply rooted inequalities. These inequalities condemn millions of children, particularly girls, to a life without quality education and, therefore, to a life of missed opportunity - World Education - Girls\' and Women\'s Education Initiative
World Education provides training and technical assistance in literacy, workplace, health, and HIV and AIDS education around the world. - Education - Girls\' Education
The World Bank is committed to fighting poverty and helping developing countries invest in their education systems. The World Bank has recognized that there is no investment more effective for achieving development goals than educating girls.
