The decision to raise university tuition fees has raised an understandable furore. Although personally I am vehemently against any rise in tuition fees, the situation at least, does provide a space to reflect on global education.
Education in England is ‘free’ and an ideology that, alongside free healthcare, is something that should be supported. However, its ubiquity has perhaps led us to take education for granted…at least up till now.
Social commentators have made comparisons with the American system of Tertiary education, but thoughts have not been cast further afield other than Western Lands, which perhaps is a mistake.
I am the first to admit that I have benefited from affordable education at a high standard; many are not so fortunate. One only has to look back decades ago in to my own family history to highlight this. Like many Asians of this generation our parents had to beg and borrow for an education. Due to the Apartheid regime in South Africa, My own father could not study dentistry and had to travel 26 days on a boat to do so. Although I often viewed it as an adventure, but he has been quick to point out that it was somewhat traumatic. It was a sacrifice that had to be made and provided the only opportunity to climb out of real poverty.
This can be far too easily forgotten in England. Tertiary education is often seen as a luxury and a way of extending opportunities that are already available.
It is worth mentioning that the MDGs (Millennium development goals) do not include tertiary education within their remit of their key goals. Goal 2 is to “achieve universal primary education”, with Target 3 to ensure that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary schooling” (UN Millennium Development Goals report 2010). This gives an insight into the state of play.
In 2008 it was estimated that there are still 69 million children of school-age out of school (UN MDG 2010). With almost half of these residing in sub Saharan Africa and a quarter from Southern Asia. In addition children from rural areas are twice as likely to be out-of-school than their urban-living counterparts. Furthermore, of those out of school a gender disparity exists with reference to primary and secondary education, which is firmly on the MDG radar as part of its attempt to promote gender equality and empower women. In fact, UNESCO suggests that “2 out of the 3 countries in the world face gender disparities in primary and secondary education” and up to half “will not achieve the goal of gender parity in education by 2015” (UNESCO UIS report).
A recent visit to Papua New Guinea is a case example. Illiteracy levels are high and good secondary school education incurs substantial costs. (Typical amount would be 900 kinas a year). A significant population explosion means that it is only financially feasible for one of the many children in a household to be educated.
Due to the gender dynamics and role of women it is usually the boys that are prioritised to benefit from an education. Thus the cycle continues to leave women disempowered, uneducated for a new generation and with the myriad of social and political implications that follow.
In Papua New Guinea only one female Member of Parliament serves out of over 100. They are endeavouring to pass a legislation that would guarantee 22 reserved seats for women in parliament, but with a lack of education, even if the motion is passed it is unlikely that there will be suitable candidates to fill these posts.
If some good has come from the whole tuition fee fracas, it is that we can begin to consider the importance and furthermore, the lack of education on a global level.
