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• Sudden and Abrupt: How India is Changing Its Education System Amidst a Global Pandemic

  Saturday, May 9, 2020 at 08:54:55 PM by Givology Staff

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  Every morning, students across the world wake up, get dressed, eat, and head to school. That is, they get dressed, eat, and walk to their computer and begin classes. The worldwide coronavirus pandemic has affected the lives of over one billion children, many of whom now lack education. The US has responded by implementing remote learning across nationwide. European nations have responded similarly, though many, such as Germany, have begun to reopen. However, one nation’s efforts have been greatly overlooked: India. With a population of over a billion combined with widespread poverty and urban crowding, India has taken remarkable steps to further its education amidst the pandemic.
  Locked down since March 24th, India’s 300 million students have suddenly found themselves shuttered at home. With many lacking the technology to transition to online learning, ingenious strategies have been proposed by India’s educational system to facilitate education.
  It is no secret that Microsoft has heavy influence in India, and vice versa. Indeed, Microsoft’s CEO, Satya Nadella, is of Indian American descent. With the launch of Microsoft Teams in 2017, many educators around the world have chosen Microsoft Teams as their preferred platform of teaching. India is no exception. Across India, schools have begun to utilize Microsoft Teams to teach. The British School, an extremely diverse, co-educational school located in New Delhi has made use of Microsoft Teams to continue the usage of collaborative education. “Human beings in general thrive on social interaction, which was missing in traditional e-learning platforms.” said Vanita Uppa, director of the British school. “You can never really replace a teacher because the teacher provides that human interaction, but I think platforms like Teams enable a teacher to be able to reach out to their classroom remotely and continue to interact.”
  Many business analysts see COVID-19 as the crucible of India’s online education market. Startups in India have begun to offer free access to their learning programs, which is aiding children in learning across India. In March, Byju’s, an Indian-based learning platform with over 40 million users announced it would give children free access to its learning app. Since then, Byju’s has experienced a 60% increase in usage. With an ever-burgeoning population and growing market, India’s online education market is set to ever grow, and COVID-19 could be the catalyst behind its explosion.
  India faces great struggles in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. In 2015, it was reported that only 22% of India’s population had access to the Internet. This meant over 4 in 5 children had no access to the Internet, making remote learning almost impossible. However, there is hope. Internet usage in India has spiked, with hundreds of millions gaining internet access in recent times, with over 500 million regular users by 2019. This access to Internet may be what allows the student population of India to resume their studies. India has overcome many challenges in the past, and this is no exception. With a committed government and determined population, India will solve this problem to its education. Perhaps, as we continuously find ways to educate our students throughout this crisis, we will find strategies that will change how we do education forever.
  
• A Forced and Sudden Experiment: A Brief Overview of Initial Educational Practices During COVID-19

  Monday, April 20, 2020 at 06:53:32 PM by Givology Staff

  Each morning for the past few weeks, my alarm has roused me from my bed, I’ve scrambled to make myself presentable, and I’ve headed to school. That is, I’ve pulled on some sweatpants and a hoodie, trooped across the room, settled in front of my computer, and opened an online meeting platform to the pixelated faces of my teachers and classmates. We all have experienced significant changes in our personal, professional, and educational lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic that is disrupting routine institutions around the world, and school systems have seldom undergone such drastic and widespread shifts in such a short period of time. Students and educators are confronted with the task of continuing to learn and teach without the familiarity of in-person interaction.
  
  The current global health crisis necessitates fundamental shifts in the structure and operation of schools. Amidst continuous changes in data and conflicting forecasts, educational networks are under pressure to process rapid decisions that will affect vast populations — students, families, teachers, and school staff. The most common decision by countries across the globe has been to close all schools nationally. Many school district administrations also have instituted remote education initiatives to mitigate loss of learning, such as communicating online and distributing paper materials (Azzi-Huck and Shmis; Winthrop). According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), as of April 20th of 2020, 1,575,270,054 learners had been affected by 191 country-wide school closures; this is 91.3% of total enrolled learners around the globe (see fig. 1).
  
  Fig. 1. Global monitoring of school closures caused by COVID-19
  [font=OpenSansRegular, arial, sans-serif][/font]
  Source: UNESCO. “COVID-19 Educational Disruption and Response.” [i]United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization[/i], 2020, [url=https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse]https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse[/url]. Accessed 15 April 2020.
  
  Structural shifts in schools have affected numerous areas of learning quality, including such matters as: assessments, graduation, inequity, and effectiveness (Burgess and Sievertsen; Hodges). First, administrations must decide how students can be adequately and fairly evaluated without supervised assessments, such as finals or standardized testing. My own high school, for instance, currently is offering the option to request a “pass/fail” grade, depending on how work progresses over the term; this raises potentially unavoidable concerns regarding student response to that option.
  
  Second, this year’s secondary school and university graduates may face significant roadblocks. Upper grades at secondary schools are missing the chance to tour colleges and to demonstrate their full scholarly capacity, leaving them with difficult decisions to make about furthering their education. And any graduates looking for jobs or careers may find that options are limited; in many regions, the workforce has been diminished to essential workers only, leaving others desperately trying to shift course. My cousin, as one small example, has been studying since middle school to work in theater; now that she is about to graduate, all of her training and career options have been closed.
  
  Third, inequalities on both local and global scales are exacerbated when the process of scholarly inquiry is expected to take place at home (Burgess and Sievertsen). Successful learning is bolstered by such luxuries as sufficient electronics, reliable utilities, food sources, and adult support. Due to societal and economic inequities, there are both countries [b]— [/b]and students within countries [b]— [/b]who have little difficulty accessing the essential supplies and resources necessary to complete work remotely, while other countries [b]— [/b]and students within countries [b]— [/b]are finding themselves on the other side of a digital divide without the same buttressing (Azzi-Huck and Shmis). While there are many more extreme examples for this point, I know a family on my street facing these conundrums on a more superficial level: The mother is a seventh grade teacher with the responsibility of converting her class to an online experience. She is also taking care of a three-year-old preschooler, and her kindergarten-aged daughter was sent home with a paper packet of materials, as it was too difficult for the teacher to manage an online class of five-year-olds — the twist is that the daughter attends a Spanish immersion school, so all of the work is in Spanish, which the mother does not speak.
  
  Fourth, even if students are able to gain access to the proffered materials, there is the fundamental question of how rich any learning experience can be under these circumstances — what will be the depth of knowledge, creativity, and critical thinking, as compared to on-site education? Educause Review, an organization that focuses on positive contributions of technology to higher education, cautions that society should understand the distinction between two forms of remote learning: a carefully crafted offering of technologic tools designed to enrich community engagement that is developed over time as a full educational solution; versus a rapidly deployed stopgap established in order to provide some continuity in learning during a crisis. Currently, we are clearly in the second category, and the expectations for outcomes cannot be held to the same standard as that of the first category. As institutions and individuals adapt, results may be more optimal when there is the ability to employ flexibility of methodology, personalization in use of home resources, engagement of student interests, and integration of our current crisis into the curricula (Hodges et al.). As another minor example in a sea of severe breakdowns, early signs of foundering can be seen in an online class for my younger sister — the students quickly learned how to shut off cameras, leave the “classroom,” and text each other, unbeknownst to the teacher until several days later. This prompted communications from the teacher requesting that parents regularly enforce engagement with the distance learning.
  
  The numerous unknowns of the current global societal crisis leave us with significant unanswered questions regarding educational ramifications: When will regular academic operations will return? Will we push for updates and modernizations to these operations in order to more effectively prepare for the future? How many students will actually return to these systems? How many might drop out due to a need for earned income? How many will simply become lost in the confusion? How many might decide to continue learning outside of a structured system, finding that the flexibility and personalization suits them (Strauss)? Regardless, in this moment, it is more crucial than ever for students, educators, and families to work collaboratively in order to disseminate accurate information and to maintain empathy for the disparate needs of others. Perhaps, as we find novel approaches to learning together, we may even develop strategies and generate ideas that apply to combatting COVID-19.
  
  Works Cited
  Azzi-Huck, Kaliope, and Tigran Shmis. “Managing the impact of COVID-19 on education systems around the world: How countries are preparing, coping, and planning for recovery.” [i]World Bank Blogs[/i], 18 March 2020, [url=https://blogs.worldbank.org/education/managing-impact-covid-19-education-systems-around-world-how-countries-are-preparing]https://blogs.worldbank.org/education/managing-impact-covid-19-education-systems-around-world-how-countries-are-preparing[/url]. Accessed 15 April 2020.
  Burgess, Simon, and Hans H. Sievertsen. “Schools, skills, and learning: The impact of COVID-19 on education.” [i]VoxEU[/i], 1 April 2020, [url=https://voxeu.org/article/impact-covid-19-education]https://voxeu.org/article/impact-covid-19-education[/url]. Accessed 15 April 2020.
  Hodges, Charles, et al. “The Difference Between Emergency Remote Teaching and Online Learning.” [i]Educause Review[/i], 27 March 2020, [url=https://er.educause.edu/articles/2020/3/the-difference-between-emergency-remote-teaching-and-online-learning]https://er.educause.edu/articles/2020/3/the-difference-between-emergency-remote-teaching-and-online-learning[/url]. Accessed 16 April 2020.
  Strauss, Valerie. “When this is over, what will education researchers want to study about the 2020 covid-19 crisis? Here are some answers.” [i]Washington Post[/i], 12 April 2020, [url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/04/12/when-this-is-over-what-will-education-researchers-want-study-about-2020-covid-19-crisis-here-are-some-answers/]https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/04/12/when-this-is-over-what-will-education-researchers-want-study-about-2020-covid-19-crisis-here-are-some-answers/[/url]. Accessed 15 April 2020.
  Winthrop, Rebecca. “COVID-19 and school closures: What can countries learn from past emergencies?” [i]Brookings[/i], 31 March 2020, [url=https://www.brookings.edu/research/covid-19-and-school-closures-what-can-countries-learn-from-past-emergencies/]https://www.brookings.edu/research/covid-19-and-school-closures-what-can-countries-learn-from-past-emergencies/[/url]. Accessed 15 April 2020.
  
• Ten Facts About Global Education

  Wednesday, November 27, 2019 at 08:55:54 PM by Givology Staff

  
  
  
  Interested in expanding your global education knowledge? Check out the following ten fast facts about education; we’re sure you’ll learn something new!
  
  
  
  2. It would take $39 billion (USD) every year to send all adolescents to school.
  3. If all women had a primary education, there would be 1.7 million fewer malnourished children.
  
  [color=#333333][/color]
  
  [color=#333333]5. [/color]In one of three countries, less than three quarters of teachers are trained to national standards, resulting in 130 million children enrolled in school who are not even learning the basics.
  6. [font="Times New Roman"]China has more students per class than [/font][url=http://fusiondotnet.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/edif_2012--n9_final.pdf]most other countries[/url][font="Times New Roman"]. The average for lower secondary education is above 50 students per classroom in China. It’s around 23 in the United States and below 20 in Switzerland and Russia.[/font]
  [color=#222222]7. [/color]Children in Holland start school when they turn 4 years old, so there is always someone new in class.
  8. In Bangladesh, there are at least 100 “boat schools” on water, with running electricity, classrooms, and even a library. They are usually solar-powered.
  
  
  
  10. 30 years ago, America was the leader in quantity and quality of high school diplomas. Today, the nation is ranked 36th in the world.
  [color=#444444]That concludes our ten facts. Have any other interesting or unique tidbits that you would like to add? Comment below. [/color]
  [color=#444444]Sources:[/color]
  [url=https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/9-facts-about-education/]https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/9-facts-about-education/[/url]
  [url=https://www.scoopwhoop.com/Interesting-Facts-Education-Around-The-World/]https://www.scoopwhoop.com/Interesting-Facts-Education-Around-The-World/[/url]
  [url=https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-education-america]https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-education-america[/url]
  
• Interview with Shanghai Chapter

  Tuesday, October 1, 2019 at 04:44:38 PM by Givology Staff

  
  
  Givology has 29 chapters around the world that help us raise funding and awareness for our education projects and scholarships through local events. Our chapters are often started by our volunteers and interns at the high school, college or regional level to give members opportunities to educate, inspire and motivate others to improve access to quality education in their community.
  
  At our Shanghai Chapter, our volunteers are supporting their school lunch program through fundraising events and raising awareness of the importance of food quality.
  
  Learn more about our Shanghai Chapter and how you can get involved through this Q&A!
  
  [b]Q: Tell us about yourselves and your school. [/b]
  [b]
  [/b]We are students from YK Pao Secondary school, a bilingual school located in Song Jiang, Shanghai. Students in our chapter are from different grades: freshman, sophomore and junior. All of the students conglomerated in Givology Shanghai chapter is because we are interested in challenges in education as well as planning events for good. Our chapter is supporting the school lunch program(visit here to check out: https://www.givology.org/~slprogram/) by planning whole-school fundraising events and raising awareness of the importance of increasing food quality.
  
  
  
  [b]Q: What is the education system like in Shanghai? [/b]
  [b]
  [/b]There are several education systems in Shanghai, including international, bilingual, and public schools. As students from YK Pao, we are immersed in a bilingual education system. Our school provides education from year 1 to year 12. Students learn IGCSEs during their freshman and sophomore year and study IB for their junior and senior year. Our school offers various subject choices that allow us to explore our world which relates to our school’s missions: developing the whole person, passing on traditions of Chinese culture and fostering an international perspective.
  [b] [/b]
  [b]Q: What motivated you to start a Givology chapter?[/b]
  [b]
  [/b]I am personally interested in educational challenges (especially food qualities in school) in nowadays society. However, when I am seeking out opportunities with my friends, we don’t know how to commence. Givology provides a great opportunity for me and many people in my school community who are interested in educational challenges
  
  [b]Q: What are some goals of your chapter for this school year? [/b]
  [b]
  [/b]We are planning fundraising events such as our first “Trick or treat express” that will be held on Halloween week in our school. We are also blogging on our Instagram account about different event’s follow-ups and about our school lunch program we are fundraising for (our ins account: givology_ykpao). Later, we are planning to collaborate with our school to design a bracelet of the school and Givology elements, all profit will go to the school lunch program (visit here to check out: https://www.givology.org/~slprogram/).
  
  
  
  [b]Q: What inspires you all to volunteer? [/b]
  [b]
  [/b]We love charity, the idea of starting a Givology chapter and truly support our community are attractive to all of our members. Even though we might not have the full capability to do much as high school students but we sincerely hope that our aspiration and actions in our school community would make some difference in the world!
  
  [b]Q: Do you have an education story to share? (IE: a favorite teacher, defining moment, etc) [/b]
  [b]
  [/b]I have been participating in YK Pao school’s junior counselling program (students helping teachers in summer camp as assistants) for four years. It is very interesting when I am taking care of class as a “teacher” because I have never experienced seeing things in the perspective of a teacher. I constantly participate this program is because it truly helps me to develop my responsibility when I am taking care over 20 students at the same time and practise important communication skills when I am collaborating with my partner and my teacher.
  
  [b]Q: Any message you want to leave to the Givology community?[/b]
  
  We are very excited to join the Givology community and share our stories in Shanghai! Looking forward to meet with other Givology chapter members.
  
  
  [i]Starting a Givology Chapter is a great way to get involved with your community and connect with others. You can learn more about our chapters and how you can start one of your own here: https://www.givology.org/get-involved/start-chapter/[/i]
  
• Introducing Our New Intern: Isabel Shew

  Wednesday, August 21, 2019 at 04:10:16 AM by Givology Staff

  It is a unanimous truth that the best education does not concern itself with divulging a single set of ideas but multiple ones filled with versatile visions and perspectives. Concisely put, “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” To Isabel Shew, this undoubtedly speaks of the importance of creativity and open-mindedness in our classrooms. As a new development intern, Isabel Shew hopes to work with Givology partners to learn how education empowers individuals to voice their concerns and visions for their communities. Isabel, although just a sophomore at the Briar Woods High School, has had a lot of experience with bringing a comprehensive education to her local community. She has created fitness slides shows, compiled videos and given presentations to help underprivileged kids learn what a healthy lifestyle entitles. In addition, she loves spending her summers teaching younger kids the basics of programming at a summer camp. Aside from her academics, Isabel enjoys running competitively as part of her school’s cross country team. As part of the Girls Scouts since 1st grade, Isabel instantly resonated with Givology’s mission when she first learned about it through LinkedIn. She hopes to learn a lot through her time working with Givology.

• Volunteer Spotlight: Philip Wang

  Tuesday, August 6, 2019 at 08:05:38 PM by Givology Staff

  [img]/images/user/1842_16584128312771889605.png[/img]
  
  Philip Wang balances his life both as an involved member of the Givology team and as a Senior IT Engineer at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, located in Seattle. Recently, he has been helping with and learning from the revamp of the Givology website. He explains how he has been honing his skills in Python, which the old website was written in, while getting familiar with the new site’s progressive design.
  
  Philip’s love for science began at a young age growing up in North Alabama. “My fascination with space and technology was well supported by the science in the city. Marshall Space Flight Center is nearby and I attended Space Camp twice,” he says.
  
  He went on to continue his studies at The George Washington University, and enrolled in several classes, including Physics. Looking back on it now, he comments that he didn’t fully appreciate the value of the course. “As it turns out, in Physics, like many other parts of life, learning to break problems down into their fundamental parts and solving the smaller problems is really foundational to moving forward,” he notes. These problem-solving skills has shaped who Philip is today and how he functions both at Givology and at the workplace.
  
  Philip first became introduced to Givology by a friend who has also been on the team for a number of years. He suggested that Philip should volunteer to work for Givology’s cause and contribute his technological skills to the improvement of the non-profit.
  
  When asked why volunteering with Givology matters to him, Philip explained that “Givology is run by good people, maintained by great volunteers, doing fantastic work to make the world a better place.” He genuinely enjoys hearing about partners on their work and the updates on the staggering contributions that have been made for people in need worldwide.
  
• Net Enrollment Rates and What We Can Learn From Them

  Tuesday, July 30, 2019 at 10:36:31 PM by Givology Staff

  [img]/images/user/1842_15747369961282647017.png[/img]
  
  Our planet is filled with data. From volcanoes to monsoons to poverty, you can find spreadsheets that sprawl across hundreds of rows and columns for every topic. Data visualization is the usage of graphics to turn that complexity into something that is easy to understand. By communicating clearly and efficiently, data visualization can provide the depth of lengthy reports in an engaging manner—an incredibly useful trait in the field of education analysis.
  
  The quality of education around the world is hard to evaluate, but getting people into schools is just as important. Furthermore, making the transition from primary education to secondary and tertiary programs is key to ensuring valuable learning opportunities are leveraged to their full potential. When measuring the enrollment rates of the world, our first thought is to look at how many students at a certain age are in school compared to how many at that age are eligible to be in school. We can see the global trends for such a measurement here:
  
  [img]/images/user/1842_2287499035843272789.png[/img]
  
  View this interactive visualization [url=https://plot.ly/~Casion/5/]here[/url]
  
  [img]/images/user/1842_10519473049060349591.png[/img]
  
  View this interactive visualization [url=https://plot.ly/~Casion/10/]here[/url]
  
  On an international scale, net enrollment rates have steadily increased since recording of this data started, although there’s been a worrying slowdown over the past 12 years. Moreover, despite the difference between male enrollment rates and female enrollment rates, the way this gap changes is just as interesting.
  
  [img]/images/user/1842_10130206936078886526.png[/img]
  
  View this interactive visualization [url=https://plot.ly/~Casion/13/]here[/url]
  
  While this gap has started to close over the years, not all regions are making progress at the same rate. While just over 10 percent of countries have a difference of more than 4 percentage points in primary education, this is still twice the global average. Indeed, while the median gender difference is only about 0.12%, these countries drive the average to over 15 times this value. Weaker education leads to less opportunities and experience, which can make a significant impact on wages.
  
  Furthermore, and most surprisingly, this difference disappears in secondary and tertiary education programs. Based on the overall lower rate of enrollment in these curricula, this is likely due to men leaving school after elementary school. Extrapolating from UNICEF data in Vietnam and South Asia to a global scale, the most likely reason students leave is to provide monetary support to their families, either by working or by eliminating the expense of school.
  
  National income also makes a significant difference. Globally speaking, there’s over a 17 percentage point difference in primary enrollment between high-income and low income countries. Depending on whether you include or exclude high-income countries, the gross enrollment rates for tertiary education in a region can vary from as little as no difference in Sub-Saharan Africa (mainly due to the lack of high-income countries in the region) to as much as an 8% difference in Latin America and the Carribean. Higher-income countries also tend to have a smaller gender gap in education.
  
  [img]/images/user/1842_11077881295314993857.png[/img]
  
  View this interactive visualization [url=https://plot.ly/~Casion/7/]here[/url]
  
  [img]/images/user/1842_5291152043130833207.png[/img]
  
  It might not seem like a large difference, but this gross enrollment rate certainly looks different.
  
  [img]/images/user/1842_6318662659301794702.png[/img]
  
  View this interactive visualization [url=https://plot.ly/~Casion/1/]here[/url]
  
  Looking at the primary education gross enrollment rate, it appears that enrollment is over 100%. How is that possible?
  
  Let's take the country of Ghana as an example. Basic education in Ghana starts at age 4, and lasts 11 years to age 15. If nobody other than the students in that age group is in the primary education program, then the gross enrollment rate will be 100%. However, if a 3 year old is enrolled early or a 16 year old is still in basic education due to retaking a grade, the number of people taking primary education will be higher than the number of students who are expected to be taking it, hence the higher percentage.
  
  On one hand, this metric seems rather useless. If the gross enrollment rate in tertiary education is 100%, is that because everyone's heading to college right away or are there just enough early and late enrollees to outweigh the missing students? Likewise, someone who finishes their secondary education program early negatively impacts the gross secondary enrollment rate, even if they’ve experienced the full curriculum.
  
  That being said, the difference between net and gross enrollment rates is incredibly important. If net enrollment tells us how efficient the country is at keeping people who should be in school in school, the difference between the gross enrollment rate and net enrollment rate tells us how many repitants, late entrants, and underage applicants enter the education system. Here is where we can learn significant knowledge about education patterns across the world.
  
  When looking at inflated primary school enrollment rates, we know that there are three possible reasons. Either students are entering primary school too early, entering too late, or spending too much time in the curriculum. In the case of the latter two, we’ll see evidence through considerably lower net enrollment in secondary school. For the former, though, we’d see slightly the carrying of slightly higher gross enrollment into secondary education, but little else. The data suggests that it’s late enrollment that’s hamstringing both primary and secondary education across the planet.
  
  In addition, the gender difference in gross enrollment is significantly smaller than in net enrollment. Once again, financial support often takes precedence over education, and once the initial barrier to education is overcome there tend to be fewer obstacles in the way to completing it.
  
  [img]/images/user/1842_13566787648431664680.png[/img]
  
  However, with every challenge understood, visualization realized, and project completed, we get closer to making their dreams come true. We get closer to making an impact of our own. We get closer to each other. And, perhaps most of all, we get a glimpse of what we can really achieve with the whole world on our side.
  
  For more information about the state of education or what you can do to help, check out the following resources:
  
  Data from UNESCO at data.un.org
  Data from UNESCO at data.worldbank.org
  Watch the Givology Blog for more articles and stories
  Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!
  
• Education Around the World: Kenya

  Tuesday, July 23, 2019 at 01:19:33 PM by Givology Staff

  [color=#00cc00]This week’s installment of the Education Around the World blog will explore Kenya’s education system. Kenya is home to one of Africa’s fastest-growing economies and a developing education system. [/color]
  
  [color=#3399ff]The Basics[/color]
  The history of Kenya’s education system dates back to the mid 18th Century when Christian missionaries from Britain started to arrive in large numbers. These missionaries set up schools around Kenya, primarily in large cities such as Mombasa. From 1895 to 1963, when Kenya was a protectorate and later colony of Great Britain, the opportunities for children to receive an education expanded tremendously. When Kenya gained independence in 1963, a new government hoped to make primary education free for all children; however, it would be several years before this would be achieved.
  Kenya has more than 8.5 million primary school-aged children, out of a 50 million population. [b][color=#00cc00]Based on a 2015 UNICEF study that collected data from 2009 to 2014, the average percentage of students who attended primary school was 84 percent for males, and 87 percent for females.[/color][/b] Since the beginning of the 21st Century, the number of students attending primary school has been rising steadily as a result of successful efforts by the government to eliminate tuition costs for primary schools in 2003 and secondary schools in 2008.
  [color=#3399ff]Structure[/color]
  After Kenya gained its independence, the education system was structured on a 7-4-3-2 model, with seven years of primary, four years of lower secondary, two years of upper secondary, and three years of university-level education. However, in 1985, the structure was replaced by an 8-4-4 model with eight years of basic education, four years of secondary education and a four-year undergraduate curriculum.[color=#00cc00][b] The primary reason for the shift was centered around a lack of skilled employment. [/b][/color]The old model lacked the proper curriculum and structure to train Kenyans to occupy a wide variety of jobs requiring a range of skills. In contrast, the new system’s curriculum incorporated employable skills within the first eight years, so that a student who had to drop out to support his family could do so successfully.
  In terms of curriculum, the primary level has nine different fields including English, Kiswahili, a local language, mathematics, science, social studies, religious education, creative arts, physical education, and life skills. These nine fields are standard across Kenya, and assessments mark the end of each year to test students achievement in most subjects. These assessments are known as the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examination (KCPE) and determine the path the student will take after primary school. Those who perform well will continue in national secondary schools, while those with scores that are average and below can continue their education in local schools.
  [color=#3399ff]Public, Private, and [i]Harambee[/i][/color]
  There are three distinct types of schools at the secondary level in Kenya: Public (government-funded), private, and [i]Harambee[/i]. As mentioned in the previous section, students who perform well on the KCPE can choose to attend public schools, which are run by the national government. These schools are fully funded by the government, therefore the students who attend the national public schools have better resources and receive instruction from more qualified teachers.
  In the late 20th century as the number of students choosing to continue their education increased, the government was unable to provide funding to build more schools; [b][color=#00cc00]instead, communities became engaged in building [i]Harambee [/i](Swahili: means “all pull together) secondary schools that were only partially funded by the government.[/color][/b] Unfortunately, this support does not always materialize, making it difficult for students in Harambee schools to receive a quality education. Private schools in Kenya are generally only accessible by students from affluent families. Most private schools tend to use the British education system, and therefore are popular among the families of diplomats and government officials alike.
  [color=#3399ff]Literacy Statistics[/color]
  According to a 2014 report by UNESCO, the literacy rate for Kenyans in the 15-24 age group is 87 percent for males, and 86 percent for females. In this age group, the difference between males and females is insignificant; unfortunately,[b][color=#00cc00] in the 65 and above age group, 75 percent of males are literate, while only 36 percent of females are literate.[/color][/b] Perhaps this staggering difference can be attributed to the fact that more males were employed than females, which would have required the ability to read.
  [color=#3399ff]Assessments of Quality[/color]
  Like other developing countries, it is difficult to obtain concrete measures of quality for the entire student population of Kenya. However, there are not nearly enough teachers to suit the increasing needs of the student population. [b][color=#00cc00]Furthermore, about 30 percent of teachers have not received formal training in instruction.[/color][/b] Though attendance is mandatory until the completion of secondary school, there are approximately one million students who do not attend each year - the 9th highest of all countries in the world. To increase student performance, government initiatives should focus on bringing qualified teachers to schools, and find ways to drastically increase student attendance. Givology and its partners have worked to improve upon these efforts and continue the progress Africa, and particularly Kenya has made over the past half-century in advancing education standards.
  [b][color=#3399ff]Our Partners in Kenya:[/color][/b]
  [color=#3399ff]Interested in learning more about our partners? Click each name for more information:[/color]
  [url=https://www.givology.org/~fkites/][color=#00cc00]Flying Kites[/color][/url]
  Flying Kites seeks to raise the standards of care for the world's poorest children by giving them the tools they will need – education, imagination, and resolution – to succeed in and contribute to a complex and changing world. Flying Kites focuses on providing a holistic education that stresses the value of extra-curricular activities and community involvement. Their goal is to foster the desire for social change in their children, as well as to provide them with the necessary tools to make their voices and actions count
  [url=https://www.givology.org/~tptrust/][color=#00cc00]Turning Point Trust[/color][/url]
  Turning Point is a Christian charity working in Africa’s largest slum, Kibera, Kenya. Their mission is to demonstrate God’s heart for the poor through programmes that relieve poverty, transform lives and restore hope amongst vulnerable children and their families. Turning Point offers a holistic range of programmes which provide children with access to education, healthcare and regular meals, in addition to providing them with psycho-social support.
  [url=https://www.givology.org/~kcfexcellence/][color=#00cc00]Kakenya Center for Excellence[/color][/url]
  The Kakenya Center for Excellence is a primary boarding school focused on serving the most vulnerable underprivileged Maasai girls. The first primary girls’ school in the region, the academy focuses on academic excellence, female empowerment, leadership, and community development. Located in Keyian division of the Trans Mara district of Kenya, the Center opened in May 2009 with 32 students.
  
  
  Sources:
  http://uis.unesco.org/country/KE
  https://www.britannica.com/place/Kenya/Education
  https://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/kenya_statistics.html
  https://wenr.wes.org/2015/06/education-kenya
  
• Top Ten Documentaries

  Sunday, July 21, 2019 at 02:26:07 PM by Givology Staff

  Documentaries are important way to learn more about the issues in our world today. Here are our top ten picks!
  1.Time for School
  
  The documentary made by PBS follows children in Afghanistan, Benin, Brazil, India, and Kenya as they start school. The documentary film started filming these kids in 2003 on their first day of school and continued to film them for 12 years throughout their educational career. The children fought to attend school despite the obstacles such as poverty, child labor, and war chaos surrounding their countries.
  2. We Will Rise
  
  [font=" times="" new="" roman"]The CNN documentary follows world leaders and activists as they travel through Liberia and Morocco to meet girls battling to get an education. The girls sit down with Michelle Obama and discuss their stories and bring light to women’s education. The documentary includes stories from Meryl Streep and Hanene, a thirteen year old girl, talking about challenges in her community to a town hall meeting with young girls in Morocco.[/font]
  3. He Named Me Malala
  
  The documentary illustrates the story of Malala Yousafzai, a nobel peace prize winner, and how she fought for education rights. Malala has become an international symbol advocating for children’s education.
  4. Half the Sky
  
  Based on the book Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, the documentary follows activists as they journey through 10 different countries. The documentary details the lives of women in the countries such as problems with prosititution and maternal mortality. Also, the documentary presents options to empower the women by providing education, health care, and economic solutions.
  5. Daughters of Destiny
  
  The documentary features five girls from different age groups from the lowest caste group in India and living in an impoverished neighborhood. The documentary is filmed over seven years and highlights the girls lives as the go to the Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project, a boarding school which provides 24 preschoolers free education till the 12th grade. The project demonstrates the ability of girls to still be academically successful regardless of their caste.
  6. The Great Day
  
  In the sequel to the documentary On the Way to School, filmmaker Plisson documents the lives of impoverished children facing different challenges. The documentary includes stories of children such as Nidhi from India who is studying to be accepted into a prep school and Tom from Uganda practicing to pass the Ranger exams.
  7. SOS Africa Children's Charity
  
  This documentary features the SOS Africa’s project called the Western Cape Education Project. The filmmaker captures the lives of the children in the charity. The film helps bring the viewers in the shoes of the children in South Africa working through the education program.
  8. How to Build a School in Haiti
  
  The film series follows the challenges of a charity to build a new school in Haiti. The 2010 earthquake, resulting in devastating impacts on the country, had two journalists go and donate rice to the rural communities. While providing rice to impoverished areas, the journalists were shocked when they say the condition of the community of Villard. The documentary films the journalist trying to build a new school in Villard and analyzes the impact of his work.
  9. [url=https://www.unicef.org/people/people_37430.html]Wake Up World[/url]
  The documentary by Vanessa Redgrave shows the history of UNICEF and its progress for the children of the world. As a child during WWII herself, Redgrave is able to provide a personal perspective on the children UNICEF aided from their beginnings. The documentary demonstrates UNICEF’s commitment to help children from their dire situations.
  10. Women are the Answer
  
  This documentary presents an association between educating women and decreasing climate change. The film urges to provide education for women through secondary school which would result in a lowering of the population growth. The documentary is set in southern India and analyzes the birth rates, health care, and the education system.
  
  
  Bonus! Check out this [url=https://www.unicef.org.au/blog/news-and-insights/august-2018/the-photographer-shining-a-light-on-children]photographer[/url] from Australia working with UNICEF to photograph the lives of children living in the poorest regions of the world and presenting their stories.
  
• #GivologyGrads: Emmaus Road Foundation

  Friday, July 12, 2019 at 05:21:01 PM by Givology Staff

  [font=OpenSansRegular, arial, sans-serif][/font]
  The Emmaus Road Foundation is this week’s feature in our #GivologyGrads Campaign. It is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide access to formal or non-formal education to the poor in Colombia.
  [font=OpenSansRegular, arial, sans-serif][/font]
  The organization has many goals that it seeks to fulfill but three are most prominent-- to foster the physical, spiritual, emotional and social growth of the Colombian people as a driving force for social development, to contribute to the formation of grass-roots leaders who are committed to the well-being of their own communities and to model processes of gradual self-sustainability.
  The long time partnership between The Emmaus Road Foundation and Givology has yielded many positive results: we have provided tens to hundreds of students with scholarships over the past five years.
  [font=OpenSansRegular, arial, sans-serif][/font]
  [font=OpenSansRegular, arial, sans-serif][i][/i][/font]
  [font=tahoma, sans-serif][i]Letters from students currently sponsored by Givology[/i][/font]
  
  [color=#669900]THE GRADUATES[/color]
  Keep reading to learn more about the students under the support of the Emmaus Road Foundation!
  [font=OpenSansRegular, arial, sans-serif][/font]
  Anyuri lives with her mother Nelly in a small house where they pay rent. Her father does not live with them and does not support the family expenses. Anyuri’s mother lost her right hand 20 years ago while she was working and since then it has been very difficult for her to find a formal job, so she rents a small store where she sells liquor at night. In addition, Anyuri’s mother helps to pay for medical expenses of Anyuri’s grandfather.
  The income Nelly receives is not enough to pay for food, medical, housing and school expenses, so she has requested support so that her daughter can complete her studies. Anyuri enjoys going to the park and sharing time and food with her mother. She enjoys art and ethics class at school and would like to pursue a degree in Forensic Science.
  [font=OpenSansRegular, arial, sans-serif][/font]
  [color=#0099ff]Dana[/color] lives with her mother and her 5 years old nephew. She doesn't know her father and does not receive any kind of support for her school expenses and living expenses. Dana’s mother works in an enterprise that makes pencils. The money she earns is not enough to pay for Dana ?s education because she is also paying a loan to the bank for the house they live in. Other expenses Dana’s mother pays are food, health, transportation and Dana’s nephew’s school expenses. Dana’s mother has arthritis in her legs and the medical treatment and physical therapies are expensive. Dana enjoys spending time with her nephew and going out with friends to watch movies and eat ice cream. Dana enjoys Spanish, music and art classes the most. She would like to become a teacher for children.
  [font=OpenSansRegular, arial, sans-serif][/font]
  [color=#0099ff]Juan[/color] lives with his father and his younger brother in a small apartment. His father works as a messenger, earning $375 (USD) monthly. Juan’s grandmother takes care of him and his brother while the father works. His mother and father got divorced several years ago and the mother does not live with them. Out of the monthly income, Juan’s father has to pay for utilities, rent, food, transportation and health, which makes it very difficult for Juan to have what is required to attend school. Juan enjoys physical education and math classes and would like to become a professional soccer player.
  [font=OpenSansRegular, arial, sans-serif][/font]
  [color=#0099ff]Juliana[/color] lives with her father and her younger sister in a room of a relatives’ home. The mother does not live with them. Juliana’s father is unemployed due to two surgeries he had two years ago. Because of his unemployment, Juliana, her sister and father are living in a relatives’ house and cannot afford school supplies and uniforms. Currently, Juliana ?s relatives are helping her father to pay for food, health and school expenses. Juliana enjoys drawing, dance and literature classes and would like to graduate from college and become a professional to be able to work and help her family.
  [font=Calibri, sans-serif]______________________________________________[/font]
  
  Want to learn more about how you can support students like Anyuri, Dana, Juan, or Juliana?
  
  [color=#669900]-Donate[/color] via paypal (finance@givology.org) and include a note to the student you want to fund. They will
  be transcribed and shared with students at the end of the campaign! They love receiving words of
  Encouragement!
  [color=#669900]-Share [/color]this opportunity with friends, family, and fellow grads using #GivologyGrads
  -For more information [color=#669900]check out the Givology Instagram![/color]
  For more Givology follow us on:
  Twitter @Givology
  Instagram @givology
  Subscribe and listen to the Givology Impact Series here