Module 4 Quality Education

Covid 19 and education

• Global disruption: COVID-19 threatened progress in education and created potentially lasting consequences.

• School closures: Beginning in spring 2020, closures disrupted education for 1.3 billion students in 190 countries.

• Lost learning time: UNESCO estimated that two-thirds of an academic year was lost.

• Continued closures: Many schools remained closed throughout the 2021 school year.

• Dropout risk: Experts estimated that 24 million children might not return to school because of the pandemic’s economic impacts.

covid 19 and gender inequality in education

• Greater inequality: The pandemic worsened existing educational barriers for marginalized students, especially girls.

• Risks for girls: Unequal household chores, gender-based violence, early or forced marriage, and early or unintended pregnancy.

• Household responsibilities: Closures increased girls’ childcare and chore duties, reducing time for education.

• Digital divide: In low- and middle-income countries, girls were reported to be 8% less likely to have a mobile phone and 20% less likely to use the internet than men, limiting online learning.

• Girls’ return to school: The passage estimated that 11 million girls might never return, even after the health crisis ended.

three levels of education

primary, secondary, and tertiary

primary education (5-11)

• The objective of primary education is to provide basic education in reading, writing and mathematics and establish an elementary understanding of other subjects.

• Impressive progress since 2000, as this was a focus of the MDGs

• Since 2010, access to primary education and school enrollment rates have risen at all levels, particularly for girls. 

• The world has made impressive progress on education over the last two decades and many experts believe that it is possible to achieve universal primary education by 2030.

percent of children out of school (1990-2018)

• The percent of children out of school has steadily declined in all regions of the world between 1990 and 2018.

• However, sub-Saharan Africa still has 31 percent of its children out of primary and secondary school

primary education trends

• Enrollment progress: Primary school enrollment improved in many Global South countries, partly through Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) investment emphasizing girls’ education.

• Remaining challenges: Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia still need improvements in education access.

• Gender disparities: Significant gaps persist across countries, particularly in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

• Limited schooling for girls: In Eritrea, Djibouti, the Central African Republic, and Niger, girls receive less than 6 years of schooling on average.

• South Asia’s progress: Made the greatest strides in reducing the education gender gap; girls’ expected schooling increased from 6 years in 1990 to 12 years, according

enrollment in primary school

• Strong primary school enrollment both in the Global North and Global South,

• However, some countries where enrollment levels are concerning:

  • Afghanistan,

  • uHonduras,

  • El Salvador,

  • Numerous Other Countries in Africa

secondary education (12-18)

• Characterized by the transition from the single-class-teacher, who delivers all content to a class, to one where content is delivered by a series of subject specialists

• Important for increasing employment, accelerating economic development, and improving individual well-being.  

• Since 2010 many countries have made free universal secondary education a priority  

• Secondary + Primary = Basic Education

secondary education trends

• Achieving secondary schooling has lagged behind the gains in primary school achievements.

• Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia reported only more than one-third of students complete secondary school, compared to 85 percent in the Global North.

Tertiary (higher) education

• Post-secondary education, including trade, technical and vocational education, colleges, academies, institutes of technology, and universities that award professional or academic diplomas and degrees.

• The driver of new knowledge and technologies, and helps develop scientists, technicians, medical practitioners, teachers, civil service members, business leaders, and many other types of professionals.

• Half the population in high-income countries in the Global North and countries in East Asia are projected complete tertiary education by 2030.

higher education in low income countries

• Low-income countries: Higher education expansion has not kept pace with improvements in primary and secondary education.

• Resource shortages: Many countries lack sufficient higher education infrastructure, facilities, and qualified faculty.

• Funding priorities: Some sub-Saharan African governments prioritized primary and secondary education at the expense of higher education, treating it as a luxury.

Tertiary (higher education) trends

• Trends in tertiary schooling remain low in many countries in the Global South.

• Globally, around 32 percent of all adults have achieved higher education

Adult education

• Global illiteracy: The passage reports at least 750 million illiterate adults, with women accounting for two-thirds.

• Causes: Being denied education or forced to leave school limits adults’ opportunities to develop essential skills.

• Educator disadvantages: Adult literacy teachers receive less policy attention, lower pay, and less training; many are volunteers, part-time workers, or lack formal qualifications.

• Modern literacy: Goes beyond reading, writing, and counting to include understanding, interpreting, and communicating information in a digital world.

• Technology access: Limited access creates an additional barrier to developing modern literacy skills.

gender inequalities in education

• Globally more girls than boys remain out of school

• Obstacles for women and girls access to education:

  • Poverty

  • Geographical isolation

  • Minority status

  • Disability

  • Early marriage and pregnancy

  • Gender-based violence

  • Traditional attitudes about women’s status and roles  

indigenous peoples access to education

• indigenous peoples’ marginalized status which is rooted in a complex mix of histories, policies and perceptions, including decades of assimilation policies that did not value indigenous cultural heritage, knowledge, traditional cultural expressions, and languages.

• In some countries, formal education assimilated indigenous populations, separating children from their families, their cultural practices, and languages.

• As a result, resentment and suspicion of their countries’ education system remain high among indigenous communities.

people with disabilities access to education

• Lack of guaranteed access

• Many learning platforms and a lot of digital content are not accessible to blind or deaf students, even those with access to assistive technology. Blind students struggle with information shared in images their software cannot read and end up left behind by frequent changes of online platforms.

lack of adequate infrastructure hindering access to education

Lack of basic infrastructure in this school including no electric lights, no proper desks, and lack of learning materials makes it challenging for young learners

other inequalities in education

• Crises disrupt education: Conflicts, natural hazard disasters, and pandemics keep millions of children out of school.

• Higher exclusion risk: Children in crisis-affected countries are more than twice as likely to be out of school as children elsewhere.

• Trauma’s effects: Conflict, disaster, and displacement harm both access to education and academic performance.

• “Crisis within a crisis”: Losing education adds another hardship for children already experiencing emergencies.

• Displacement barriers: Refugee children and internally displaced children often struggle to access schooling.

• The Digital Divide-the gap that exists between people in the world who have access to computers, mobile devices and the internet, and those who do not. In some areas, internet access is either limited, unavailable, or unaffordable. Nearly half the world is offline

invest in indigenous communities to improve education

• pay Attention to and Invest in Indigenous Communities

  • Improve school attendance

  • Respect and teach indigenous culture, language in schools

reform school to prison pipeline

• Disproportionate tendency of disadvantaged minors and young adults to become incarcerated because of increasingly harsh school and municipal policies.

• Many of these youth have learning disabilities or histories of poverty, abuse, or neglect, and would benefit from additional educational and counseling services.

• Instead, they are isolated, punished, and pushed out. Videos have circulated of police “take-downs” of students at school.

long term investments in educational systems

• Biggest single costs for education are recurring costs:

  • Teacher salaries

  • Supplies and technology

• Many Global South countries do not have enough trained teachers

information communication technologies

• Reducing the digital divide: Expand access to information and communication technologies, including mobile phones, computers, and the internet.

• Global South: Device use is growing, but rural internet access remains limited.

• MOOCs: Massive Open Online Courses, open to broad participation and often available to study for free.

• Uses: Career development, supplemental learning, preparation for higher education, and lifelong learning.

• Subjects: Banking, bookkeeping, regional studies, art history, chemistry, and computer programming.

• Potential benefits: Expand affordable higher education access for low-income communities and democratize education, especially in the Global South.

• Main drawback: Only a small proportion of enrolled learners complete courses.

• Participation barriers: Poor internet connections, language and translation difficulties, and accessibility barriers for learners with disabilities.

interconnectedness with SDG 4 and other goals

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being

  • Education improves health literacy, helping people understand disease prevention, nutrition, hygiene, and treatment.

  • Education prepares healthcare professionals and improves employment opportunities, making healthcare more affordable.

  • Girls’ education supports informed reproductive decisions and better maternal and child health.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  • Quality education gives disadvantaged populations greater access to skills, employment, and higher incomes.

  • Closing gaps linked to wealth, race, disability, and location increases opportunities and social mobility.

  • Digital access and adult literacy programs help previously excluded groups participate in society.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  • Equal educational access strengthens girls’ and women’s economic independence and decision-making power.

  • Keeping girls in school can help reduce early marriage and early pregnancy.

  • Education expands women’s participation in leadership and helps challenge discriminatory gender norms.

stakeholders of beard elementary school

• Stakeholders: People or groups who affect, or are affected by, a problem and its solutions.

• Detroit Public Schools (DPS): School district responsible for the proposed school and site decisions.

• School personnel: Beard Elementary teachers, staff, and administrators.

• Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision (SDEV): Community environmental organization.

• Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ): Environmental regulatory agency.

• Community members: Parents and students affected by the school’s conditions and location.

Beard school history

• Community conditions: Predominantly Hispanic neighborhood where 42% of households lived below the poverty line.

• During the 1900s: The school struggled to serve more than 560 students.

• Educational problems: Extreme overcrowding, building deterioration, no cafeteria, and an inadequate gymnasium.

• Shared goal: School leaders, teachers, the school board, and parents wanted better resources and higher-quality education.

beard school problem and solutions

• Financial barrier: Limited funding restricted improvements.

• 1980s–1990s proposal: DPS proposed a new school at 7036 Chatfield Street.

• Site contamination: Previous industrial and military uses left lead, arsenic, PCBs, benzo(a)pyrene, and trichloroethylene.

• Nearby pollution: Within two miles were 58 polluting facilities, including 40 handling hazardous waste and 9 reporting toxic releases to air or land.

• Reason for considering the property: It was affordable.

• Community response: Mixed reactions because families wanted better education but worried about children’s health.

• Main trade-off: Improved educational facilities versus potential exposure to environmental hazards.

Environmental investigation at Beard school

• Community organizing: Concerned residents worked with Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision to demand information about the site’s history and toxicity.

• Missing records: DPS said historical records had been lost or destroyed after the site sat abandoned for 17 years.

• 1998 investigation: SDEV secured funding for University of Michigan students to research the site’s history.

• Consultant finding: An environmental consultant concluded that toxic compounds contaminated the property.

• 1999 assessment: After meeting with SDEV, DPS approved a two-phase environmental assessment.

• Phase 1 findings: Highly contaminated soils.

• Regulatory response: MDEQ required a decontamination plan and further testing.

• Initial cleanup: DPS removed one foot of soil, replacing it with four inches of crusted concrete and eight inches of new soil.

• Cleanup cost: $150,000.

Further Beard school investigation

• Further requirements: MDEQ requested soil retesting and a report documenting disposal of contaminated soil.

• Assessment findings: Arsenic contamination and illegal dumping of contaminated soil by a DPS subcontractor.

• Community risk: Improper disposal created additional potential health hazards.

• 2000 cleanup: DPS removed more soil and moved the illegally dumped soil to a hazardous waste landfill.

• 2001 community meetings: SDEV requested meetings between DPS and residents but DPS attended only one meeting, despite plans for additional meetings.

• Inadequate response: DPS did not substantially address community environmental concerns.

• Poor transparency: DPS inadequately explained site plans and cleanup and withheld risk assessment results and long-term monitoring plans.

• Language barriers: Most residents spoke Spanish, but DPS provided neither Spanish information nor translators at meetings.

• Underground tanks: DPS discovered and removed two fuel storage tanks before MDEQ could inspect the site.

school opening of beard school

• DPS commitments: A letter to SDEV promised increased site monitoring.

• Bilingual information: DPS promised reports on monitoring and maintenance in both languages.

• Independent advice: DPS committed to hiring an independent consultant for additional testing and cleanup.

• Community participation: DPS promised a Citizen Advisory Committee.

• 2001 testing: Identified seven areas exceeding allowable PCB levels.

• Limited removal: DPS removed only two areas; changes in PCB standards meant the remaining areas were not removed.

• Site cap: DPS capped the entire site after soil removal.

• Continued advocacy: Residents and SDEV demanded more information and transparent communication.

• Environmental justice lawsuit: SDEV sued to prevent the school from opening.

• Court decision: A judge allowed the school to open but required DPS to fulfill the commitments in its letter.

• Opening date: September 2001.

Which level of education is Beard Elementary School trying to provide?

Primary education, which develops foundational skills such as reading, writing, and mathematics.

What environmental and socioeconomic threats impact this problem?

• Contaminated soil: Lead, arsenic, PCBs, benzo(a)pyrene, and trichloroethylene from previous industrial and military activities.

• Poverty: 42% of neighborhood households lived below the poverty line, limiting resources and choices.

• Language barriers: DPS failed to provide Spanish information or interpreters despite the predominantly Spanish-speaking community.

Which goals did each stakeholder group prioritize?

• Detroit Public Schools: Primarily SDG 4: Quality Education, emphasizing an affordable new school. Its handling of contamination and communication showed inadequate attention to health concerns.

• MDEQ: Primarily SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being, requiring testing, cleanup, and proper disposal of contaminated soil.

• SDEV: Primarily SDG 3, advocating for environmental safety, transparency, and community participation while supporting safe education.

what are the trade-offs between quality education and good health

• The existing school offered inadequate learning conditions but moving to the proposed site introduced contamination concerns.

• The affordable property made a new school financially possible, but required cleanup and ongoing monitoring.