Session 2 Discourses of Educational Development Dave Bainton

Educational timelines…. Actors? Priorities Power Social impact

Discourses (of educational quality) What are the shifting discourses of educational quality in your chosen context? What influences these changing discourses?

What are the shifting discourses of educational quality in your chosen context?

What influences these changing discourses?

(Post)colonialism.. Cycles of response Narratives of power and response. We cannot but reference the past…. Resistance/development/overcoming the situation that is pre-given. Neo-colonialism Living history Ghosts Legacies Hegemony

Narratives of power and response. We cannot but reference the past….

Resistance/development/overcoming the situation that is pre-given.

Neo-colonialism

Living history

Ghosts

Legacies

Hegemony

Narratives Write a short narrative of the legacies that are alive in your chosen educational context…and how they connect with something that happens now..

Write a short narrative of the legacies that are alive in your chosen educational context…and how they connect with something that happens now..

Placing ourselves in this narratives Matjinge Secondary school, Zim, 1991-94 VSO - Colonialism Nation – building and school expansion Agriculture, Building subjects SAPs – maternal mortality doubling Philosophically.. We both live out these dominant narratives ( and in doingso, recreate them

Matjinge Secondary school, Zim, 1991-94

VSO - Colonialism

Nation – building and school expansion

Agriculture, Building subjects

SAPs – maternal mortality doubling

Philosophically.. We both live out these dominant narratives ( and in doingso, recreate them

Narratives 2 Write a short narrative that places your own experiences in context of a dominant discourse – as teacher, as student, your own, your grandmothers….

Write a short narrative that places your own experiences in context of a dominant discourse – as teacher, as student, your own, your grandmothers….

International agendas Three key texts… Jomtien (1990) World Declaration on Education For All - Meeting Basic Learning Needs (and framework for Action) Dakar framework for Action (2000) MDGs

Three key texts…

Jomtien (1990) World Declaration on Education For All - Meeting Basic Learning Needs (and framework for Action)

Dakar framework for Action (2000)

MDGs

International Policy 1. World Declaration on Education for All Quality as meeting basic learning needs; Enhanced environment for learning (nutrition, health care, and general physical and emotional support).

1. World Declaration on Education for All

Quality as meeting basic learning needs;

Enhanced environment for learning (nutrition, health care, and general physical and emotional support).

Discourse Analysis of the text Key phrases Is this universal? Critique…

Key phrases

Is this universal?

Critique…

International Policy 2. Dakar Framework for Action Says a lot about quality. Quality at heart of education. Quality education satisfies basic learning needs, enriches lives. Students, teachers, learning methods, learning facilities, curriculum, language of instruction, environment (safe, gender-sensitive), assessment of learning outcomes, management, relationship with community & cultures.

2. Dakar Framework for Action

Says a lot about quality.

Quality at heart of education. Quality education satisfies basic learning needs, enriches lives.

Students, teachers, learning methods, learning facilities, curriculum, language of instruction, environment (safe, gender-sensitive), assessment of learning outcomes, management, relationship with community & cultures.

Dakar (2000) EFA Goals (i) expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children; (ii) ensuring that by 2015 all children, particularly girls, children in difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities, have access to and complete free and compulsory primary education of good quality; (iii) ensuring that the learning needs of all young people and adults are met through equitable access to appropriate learning and life skills programmes; (iv) achieving a 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015, especially for women, and equitable access to basic and continuing education for all adults; (v) eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005, and achieving gender equality in education by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls' full and equal access to and achievement in basic education of good quality; (vi) improving all aspects of the quality of education and ensuring excellence of all so that recognized and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all, especially in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills.

(i) expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children;

(ii) ensuring that by 2015 all children, particularly girls, children in difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities, have access to and complete free and compulsory primary education of good quality;

(iii) ensuring that the learning needs of all young people and adults are met through equitable access to appropriate learning and life skills programmes;

(iv) achieving a 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015, especially for women, and equitable access to basic and continuing education for all adults;

(v) eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005, and achieving gender equality in education by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls' full and equal access to and achievement in basic education of good quality;

(vi) improving all aspects of the quality of education and ensuring excellence of all so that recognized and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all, especially in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills.

International Policy 3. MDGs Say very little about quality All children should complete full cycle of primary education. Gender parity.

3. MDGs

Say very little about quality

All children should complete full cycle of primary education.

Gender parity.

EFA and Quality? Quality vs. Quantity issue (quality discourse is response to EFA discourse) Is it feasible to implement quality improvements alongside expansion? 1. Gains in quantity come at cost to quality 2.Targets for expansion are unachievable. 3. Is international emphasis on quality being implemented at country level?

Quality vs. Quantity issue (quality discourse is response to EFA discourse)

Is it feasible to implement quality improvements alongside expansion?

1. Gains in quantity come at cost to quality

2.Targets for expansion are unachievable.

3. Is international emphasis on quality being implemented at country level?

Zones of Exclusion (Lewin 2007)

Lewin (2007) Compare 37(5) Access-Quality relationship the majority not enrolled have attended & dropped out; many more enrolled but not attending regularly; amongst those enrolled & attending many learning little – ‘silently excluded’; Primary enrolment ratios relate to secondary enrolment ratios through teacher supply & impact of transition rates.

Access-Quality relationship

the majority not enrolled have attended & dropped out;

many more enrolled but not attending regularly;

amongst those enrolled & attending many learning little – ‘silently excluded’;

Primary enrolment ratios relate to secondary enrolment ratios through teacher supply & impact of transition rates.

GMR 2009 Overcoming Inequality: Why Governance matters No coincidence that GMR focuses on inequality Quality/inequality/access/expansion and differential access… Schooling and social cohesion? Social rupture?

No coincidence that GMR focuses on inequality

Quality/inequality/access/expansion and differential access…

Schooling and social cohesion? Social rupture?

There has been remarkable progress towards some of the EFA goals since the international community made its commitments in Dakar in 2000. Some of the world’s poorest countries have demonstrated that political leadership and practical policies make a difference. However, business as usual will leave the world short of the Dakar goals. Far more has to be done to get children into school, through primary education and beyond. And more attention has to be paid to the quality of education and learning achievement. Progress towards the EFA goals is being undermined by a failure of governments to tackle persistent inequalities based on income, gender, location, ethnicity, language, disability and other markers for disadvantage. Unless governments act to reduce disparities through effective policy reforms, the EFA promise will be broken. Good governance could help to strengthen accountability, enhance participation and break down inequalities in education. However, current approaches to governance reform are failing to attach sufficient weight to equity.

There has been remarkable progress towards some

of the EFA goals since the international community

made its commitments in Dakar in 2000. Some of the

world’s poorest countries have demonstrated that

political leadership and practical policies make a

difference. However, business as usual will leave

the world short of the Dakar goals. Far more has to

be done to get children into school, through primary

education and beyond. And more attention has

to be paid to the quality of education and learning

achievement.

Progress towards the EFA goals is being undermined

by a failure of governments to tackle persistent

inequalities based on income, gender, location,

ethnicity, language, disability and other markers

for disadvantage. Unless governments act to reduce

disparities through effective policy reforms, the EFA

promise will be broken.

Good governance could help to strengthen

accountability, enhance participation and break

down inequalities in education. However, current

approaches to governance reform are failing

to attach sufficient weight to equity.

Discussion Do you agree with the GMR? What role governance? Are national governments to blame for not taking inequality seriously enough?

Do you agree with the GMR?

What role governance?

Are national governments to blame for not taking inequality seriously enough?

For next time…Quality frameworks a) Send me your personal piece if not done so already b) Read, Barrett,A., Chawla-Duggan, R., Lowe, J., Nikel,J., Ukpo, E. (2006), Review of the ‘international’ literature on the concept of quality in education , Edqual. Available to download at: http://www.edqual.org/edqual/publications/intlitreview.pdf c) Either… write up and send me the narrative that you wrote today ( OR find one other article that you enjoy on the topic of frameworks for education quality. Write a short review of this article. Send me the reference for the article ( or the article itself) and your review piece.

a) Send me your personal piece if not done so already

b) Read,

Barrett,A., Chawla-Duggan, R., Lowe, J., Nikel,J., Ukpo, E. (2006), Review of the ‘international’ literature on the concept of quality in education , Edqual. Available to download at:

http://www.edqual.org/edqual/publications/intlitreview.pdf

c) Either…

write up and send me the narrative that you wrote today (

OR find one other article that you enjoy on the topic of frameworks for education quality. Write a short review of this article. Send me the reference for the article ( or the article itself) and your review piece.