Let’s restate the issue – we want to find a model for advanced education that will be accessible and applicable to developing communities around the world.
From the case studies presented we can draw a few conclusions: Universal Education programs must respond to the needs of the community, they must not be based on Western institutions, they must be self-sustainable, they must accomplish the primary goal of improving access to advanced education to every community member.
There are many interesting discussions that can stem from these ideas. These are a few that have been on my mind:
Is education as valuable if it didn’t come from an accredited institution? How can we measure knowledge when education leaves the boundaries of a formal institution? Does anyone have any thoughts on this?
DESIGNING A RURAL EDUCATION PROGRAM
Some practical things to consider when thinking of designing a program would be:
What language will the material be offered in? If presented in the national language, how many people will be excluded from learning? What previous education requirements should there be? How will students be chosen? Will this system rely on trained tutors to facilitate discussions, readings and workbook assignments? Does the system require an instructor with more formal (western) training? What subjects will be offered? Literature? Rhetoric? Mathematics? Or subjects that are more applicable to community development like public health, agriculture and water sanitation? Or an integrated approach?
I think that the answers to these questions must come from the needs of the community and the capacity of the local Ministry of Education. In my view the best way to approach the design of a universal ed program would be to interview secondary students (in the target underserved community) and get a feel for their interests. When I taught Secondary School in The Gambia the majority of my students wanted to go to college in England, Canada or the United States. I can guarantee that many of those students, once they received their valuable degrees, pursued other careers outside of The Gambia. If there were advanced education options for them the situation would have been different and those former students may have remained in country, to pursue local development efforts. It would also help to interview other community members to get an idea of the needs of their needs (not just the subjects of interest to students). Perhaps a community would benefit from integrated pest management programs, health programs or engineering. With this insight and collaboration with the Ministry of Education and experienced educators (with varying backgrounds) a curriculum could be created that is largely based on workbooks, discussions and activities. Representatives from the provinces could be selected as program tutors. They would be invited to the capital to attend the program as well as additional training as a program tutor/educator. Voila! Those representatives would begin the local education program for anyone who has completed secondary school. This program does not require a classroom if those resources are not available. Perhaps those that completed the program would receive a degree or certificate after passing a standard test based on the curriculum (designed by the ministry of Health). Just an idea.
OTHER APPLICATIONS
Since this blog is aimed at college educators, what can we do with this information even if we have no intention of being involved in universal education? Well…no matter where you teach, the students in your classroom are going to be from incredibly diverse backgrounds. I think it is always a good idea to challenge the habits of western education and analyze whether prescribed teaching methods are effective. One aspect of Universal Education is a responsiveness to the needs of a community, this is definitely applicable in a classroom. Making knowledge accessible to every student in your classroom should not be overlooked, and perhaps alternative teaching methods can really improve accessibility for some.
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