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Education: The Highs and Lows

Proper education is a many-faceted endeavor. There's no-size-fits all plan, but some systems work, while others lag far behind. 7.8 years is the worldwide average for educational attainment.[15] This number nearly doubles, however, for the first world, both accelerating growth in technical fields, and leaving the third world farther behind.[16] What is your country doing to protect it's future?

[From Legatum prosperity index.]

Based on educational correlates to prosperity:

Best educational systems:

Worst educational system:

Profiles:

New Zealand [3][4]

Teachers in New Zealand have multiple tea-time breaks per day, allowing for community and collaboration. Primary students recieve time outside to play, and faculty are on a six-day rotation for professional development days.

• components:
• Social Capital: 4
• Do children have the opportunity to learn? 88.5% yes
• Are you satisfied with the quality of education? 82.1% yes
• Gross secondary enrollment rate: 119.1
• Gross tertiary enrollment rate: 82.6
• pupil to teacher ratio: 14.5
• Secondary education per worker: 3.1
• Tertiary education (post-secondary) per worker: 1.5

Australia [4]

Communities rally around Australian schools, with many comunities instituting a "walking bus" policy, in which parents walk a route to school, picking children up along the way. Weather can be harsh, and many regions require 'sun-hats' for children to play.[5]

• components:
• Social Capital: 3
• Do children have the opportunity to learn? 91% yes
• Are you satistfied with the quality of education? 80.4%
• Gross secondary enrollment rate: 129.2
• Gross tertiary enrollment rate: 75.9
• Pupil to teacher ratio: 15.6
• Secondary education per worker:3.9
• Tertiary education per worker: 1.1

Canada [4]

Canadian schools are noted for their ability to minimize the effects of socioeconomic levels on a student's performance. Teachers are highly trained and play an active role in instituting cutting edge reform.[6]

• Components:
• Social Capital: 8
• Do children have the opportunity to learn?90.6% yes
• Are you satisfied with the quality of education? 82.9% yes
• Gross secondary enrollment rate: 101.3
• Gross tertiary enrollment rate: 93.3
• Pupil to teacher ratio:12.5
• Secondary education per worker: 3.2
• Tertiary education per worker: 1.2

Taiwan [4]

Tawanese schools excel at math, language, and the arts from a very early age. High schools are highly competitive, with the brightest students given greater challenges and more resources. Tawanese colleges, however, lag behind those of other top educational systems.[7]

• Components:
• Social Capital: 24
• Do children have the opportunity to learn? 87.1%
• Are you satisfied with the quality of education? 73% yes
• Gross secondary enrollment rate:100.3
• Gross tertiary enrollment rate: 83.8
• Pupil to teacher ratio: 15.3
• Secondary educatino per worker: 3.8
• Tertiary education per worker: 0.9

United States [4]

Market driven methods have exploded over the past few years. With tax vouchers, charter, and magnet schools offering different approaches to education. Common core curriculum offers a universal world class curriculum. And the United States is home to many of the best Universities in the world.

• Components:
• Social Capital: 10
• Do children have the opportunity to learn? 82.3% yes
• Are you satisfied with the quality of education? 65.3 yes
• Gross secondary enrollment rate: 96
• Gross tertiary enrollment rate:94.8
• Pupil to teacher ratio: 13.6
• Secondary education per worker: 3.7
• Tertiary education per worker: 1.7

Worst Five:

These five countries are impoverished and have horrible education systems. It is nearly impossible to escape poverty (defined as $2500 per capita GDP), however, without at least an 80% literacy rate.[12]

Central African Republic [4]

Though the nation spends 25% of their budget on education, meager teacher salaries and the AIDS epidemic decimated ranks of teachers. Very little data has been gathered in Central African Republic since 2001. [8]

• Components:
• Social Capital: 132
• Do children have the opportunity to learn? 37.6% yes
• Are you satisfied with the quality of the education? 33.5% yes
• Gross secondary enrollment rate:12.6
• Gross tertiary enrollment rate:2.6
• Pupil to teacher ratio:84.3
• Secondary education per worker:0.9
• Tertiary education per worker: 0.1

Niger [4]

Massive nomadic populations render education difficult.One of the lowest literacy rates, particularly among women, in the world is another problem. Officially, education until 15 is mandentory, but the use of troops to compel parents to send their children to school in the 60's has pushed many parents to not even register the births of their children anymore. [9][10]

• Components:
• Social Capital: 98
• Do children have the opportunity to learn? 62.9% yes
• Are you satisfied with the quality of the education? 41.3% yes
• Gross secondary enrollment rate: 13.4
• Gross tertiary enrollment rate: 1.5
• Pupil to teacher ratio: 39
• Secondary education per worker: 0.3
• Tertiary education per worker: 0.0

Chad [4]

The Chadian education system is in a state of crisis. Exemplified in the 9% of students passing high school exit exams last year, and exacerbated by the 2% of the national budget that is spent on education. Rampant corruption, and the disbursed nature of the populace contribute to the educational system's decay. [11]

• Components:
• Social Capital: 83
• Do children have the opportunity to learn? 56.9% yes
• Are you satisfied with the quality of the education? 57.9% yes
• Gross secondary enrollment rate: 25.7
• Gross tertiary enrollment rate: 2.2
• Pupil to teacher ratio: 55.6
• Secondary education per worker: 0.3
• Tertiary education per worker: 0.0

Afghanistan [4]

Women are massively underrepresented in Afghani schools. Largely because, unlike in Taliban times, violence, sexual assault, coercion, and terror are being used to keep girls at home.

• Components:
• Social Capital: 127
• Do children have the opportunity to learn? 43.3%
• Are you satisfied with the quality of the education? 52.6%
• Gross secondary enrollment rate: 45.5
• Gross tertiary enrollment rate: 3.3
• Pupil to teacher ratio: 44.4
• Secondary education per worker: 0.7
• Tertiary education per worker: 0.3

Burkina Faso [4]

Massive malnutrition and the lack of girls in the public education system make Burkina Faso the fifth worst educational system in the world.[13]

• Components:
• Social Capital: 89
• Do children have the opportunity to learn? 53.9% yes
• Are you satisfied with the quality of the education? 40.9% yes
• Gross secondary enrollment rate: 22.6
• Gross tertiary enrollment rate: 3.3
• Pupil to teacher ratio: 48.2
• Secondary education per worker: 0.2
• Tertiary education per worker: 0.0

Africa: a portrait


- The crippling factors have remained the same for many African nations, but there are rays of hope.
- Problems: Tribal sprawl, corruption, war, poverty, lack of infrastructure, lacking social capital.
- 17/21 major conflicts of the 2000's have ended in Africa.[17]
- 6 African nations now rank in the top 100 educational systems.[4]
- Including South Africa,Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Botswana, and Namibia.
- South Africa boasts the best university system in Africa. With 6 ranking in the top 1000 worldwide.[18]
- While north African institutions boast long histories, weathering, numerous invasions, migrations, and political transitions.
- The University of Al-Karaouine in Fes, Morocco, is the oldest continually running African instituion, dating from 859 A.D.[19]

Standardized test scores


- Largely a luxery of educational administrations of the first world, the standerdized test rankings (for PISA) show the disperity between testing success and overall education success.
- Note that while China is #1 in all three testing catagories, the education component of its prosperity index rank is 50th-ranked.

Top 10: reading

[14]
- 1.China: Shanghai
- 2.Korea
- 3.Finland
- 4.Hong Kong
- 5.Singapore
- 6.Canada
- 7.New Zealand
- 8.Japan
- 9.Australia
- 10. Netherlands

Top 10: math

[14]
- 1.China: Shanghai
- 2.Singapore
- 3.Hong Kong
- 4.Korea
- 5.Chinese taipei
- 6. Finland
- 7.Lietchstenstein
- 8. Switzerland
- 9.Japan
- 10.Canada

Top 10: science

[14]
- 1.China Shanghai
- 2.Finland
- 3.Hong Kong
- 4.Singapore
- 5.Japan
- 6.Korea
- 7.New Zealand
- 8.Canada
- 9.Estonia
- 10.Australia

Question: Why are Asian nations disproportionatelly ranked highly for standardized tests?

Unlike western countries, early competition is used throughout many Asian nations, with successful students given more resources through their high school years. Where much of the west uses high school and college to distinguish the most talented pupils, this distinction begins in elementary school throughout much of the far east.

Highs and lows aren't just marks on a test. From Oxford to a tent in Burkina Faso, education matters for health, prosperity, progress, and personal well-being.

Citations


- [1]http://www.prosperity.com/Subindexes-4.aspx
- [2]http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/Why-Are-Finlands-Schools-Successful.html
- [3]http://www.edutopia.org/blog/school-time-in-new-zealand-adam-provost
- [4]http://www.prosperity.com/ExploreData.aspx
- [5]http://pocketcultures.com/2010/09/15/school-days-around-the-world/
- [6]http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2011/08/24/what-we-can-learn-from-canadians/
- [7]http://michaelturton.blogspot.com/2007/10/what-is-educational-system-in-taiwan.html
- [8]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_Central_African_Republic
- [9]https://sites.google.com/a/tcd.ie/republic-of-niger-mdp/education
- [10]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Niger
- [11]http://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/kagbe-rachel/education-in-chad-in-state-of-decline
- [12] http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development-professionals-network/2013/jun/21/funding-education-in-afghanistan
- [13]http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/burkinafaso_65781.html
- [14]http://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisaproducts/46619703.pdf
- [15]http://www.barrolee.com/data/Barro_Lee_Human_Capital_Update_2010April08.pdf
- [16] http://www.oecd.org/education/educationlevelsrisinginoecdcountriesbutlowattainmentstillhamperssome.htm
- [17]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_conflicts_in_Africa
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ongoing_military_conflicts
- [18]http://www.webometrics.info/en/Ranking_africa
- a[19]http://www.african-celebrities.com/acm-bookshelf/africas-oldest-universities-an-acm-compilation/