Archive for category: Education

Information and stories on education.

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Rebuilding of Higher Education in Afghanistan 

Higher Education in Afghanistan
The health of higher education in Afghanistan is a product of invasion and civil war. The tumultuous nature of Afghanistan’s history has left obstacles in the path of educational institutions. This takes the form of many hindrances, such as the country’s current political stability or the ruling leader’s tendency for tradition. In the absence of education, economic instability and a lower standard of living may follow.

Turbulent Establishment

The establishment of formal modern education in Afghanistan didn’t exist until 1875. However, it was not until 1919 that the number of established institutions exceeded four. In 1929, during his nine-month rule, Habibullah Kalakany closed girls’ schools and stopped female students who went abroad from continuing their studies. Shortly after, Zahir Shah allowed girls once more the freedom of education. He also established the first small sign of higher education in Afghanistan, the Kabul Medical Faculty in 1932.

In the 1960s and ‘70s, Afghanistan’s educated class grew the strongest. However, the Soviet invasion in 1979 devastated the infrastructure of higher education in Afghanistan. An entire generation of the educated class disappeared, either killed or escaped. The Taliban occupation of Afghanistan further hindered the integrity of higher education. These disastrous conflicts rendered Afghanistan one of the most impoverished in the world.

Brain Drain

“Brain Drain” is a dire issue for the infrastructure and further human development of Afghanistan. This occurs when young Afghans receive degrees from institutes of higher learning and prefer job opportunities or the standard of living outside of their home country. Generally, when facing a crisis, the number of educated emigrants produced by a country will be higher than the number of educated citizens in that country.

The effects of brain drain directly impede further infrastructure development in Afghanistan, continually reducing the country to a state of stagnant reconstruction. The country’s condition of low development poses a threat to the advancement of higher education. According to a study by David J. Roof, in 2014, the higher education enrollment ratio in Afghanistan was around 5%, among the lowest in the world.

The World Bank suggests that Afghanistan could follow the strategies of other developing countries such as Pakistan and Sri Lanka in order to reduce the brain drain. This includes offering tenure tracks to young academics or encouraging studying abroad.

The Taliban’s Effects on Women’s Education

Many commonly think that in repressive regimes, the educated will bring the most opposition. The Taliban’s recapture of Kabul in 2021 initiated one of the world’s most critical humanitarian crises, leaving millions of Afghans starving and unable to collect salaries. However, young academics, specifically women, are being further barred from receiving higher education due to new Taliban decrees, which also restrict women’s freedom to work or leave the house.

In September 2021, the Taliban regime allowed women to continue studying in gender-segregated universities under strict dress codes. However, in March 2022, it banned the opening of schools for girls and women past the sixth grade.

This decision could divert international donations and deepen the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

Foreign Aid

According to the U.N. Human Development Report, in 2020 Afghanistan ranked 169th of 189 countries based on the Human Development Index. An increase in foreign aid or grants focused on bolstering higher education would greatly benefit the country economically and politically by creating and filling jobs as well as providing a future for a more stable government.

In June 2021, the World Bank approved an $18 million grant to Afghanistan through the Higher Education Acceleration Transformation Project to bolster the infrastructure, quality and accessibility of higher education. A majority of this grant will help develop educational facilities, support teachers and improve curriculum and textbooks.

An additional goal of this grant is to empower women in higher education to pursue leadership positions, as only 30% of students of higher education in Afghanistan are women.

Due to gender disparities in higher education within Afghanistan, advocacy has mostly focused on increasing the accessibility of education to female students. The World Bank grant is a large step forward in opening up opportunities for Afghan women.

USAID has also drastically aided in the development of higher education in Afghanistan, focusing on matching universities and the labor market to cultivate 31 new degree programs for undergraduate and graduate students. In addition, the USAID PROMOTE scholarship will award up to 900 Afghan women the opportunity to seek both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees to diversify academia in Afghanistan.

Higher education in Afghanistan is unfortunately a framework of feeble institutions that heavily rely on foreign aid. Foreign aid has become the most important factor in the development of education infrastructure in Afghanistan, and actions by the World Bank and USAID have alleviated some of the negative effects of brain drain and gender inequality.

– Caroline Zientek
Photo: Flickr

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Battling Disability and Poverty in the UK

Disability and Poverty in the U.K.
Like in so many other countries, disability and poverty in the U.K. are rampant. However, people often overlook the disabled in the U.K. because it is not a developing country. In the U.K., 14.6 million people are disabled and face prejudice because of their disabilities.

The Equality Act of 2010

The Equality Act of 2010 includes rights for those with disabilities. It defines disability as one having “a physical and mental impairment for a substantial and long-term negative effect on one’s ability to perform daily activities.”

Rights under the Equality Act include protection from prejudice and discrimination based on one’s disability. People with disabilities often experience discrimination in education and in the workplace.

Disability and Education

Of the 14.6 million people battling disability and poverty in the U.K., 9% are children, according to Scope. Children with disabilities are more likely to experience bullying and exclusion from the education system.

As of 2021, of the people with a disability in the U.K., “24.9% had a degree or equivalent as their highest education.” Comparatively, 42.7% of the non-disabled people had a degree. Disabled people are almost three times more likely to not have a degree at all.

Disability and Employment

Because they are less likely to receive an educational degree, disabled people in the U.K. are “less likely to be in employment than non-disabled people.” The employment rate for disabled people in the U.K. is 53%, while the employment rate for non-disabled people is 82%, according to Scope. The employment gap between disabled and non-disabled people is 29%.

Because the employment rate is comparatively lower for disabled people than non-disabled people, poverty for the disabled is likely. In 2014, 18.4% of the disabled people within the working age, 16-64, experienced food poverty. Meanwhile, disabled people above the age of 65 are twice as likely to experience food poverty, according to the Equality and Human Rights Commission report.

The Disability Resource Centre

The Disability Resource Centre (DRC) is a nonprofit organization that helps battle poverty in the U.K. by empowering disabled people. In 1992, the Birmingham Disability Rights Group established DRC, and now, it advocates to improve the lives of disabled people across the U.K.

It is a disabled-led organization that offers a variety of services including advocacy, life skills development, employment and training opportunities, among many other services. Its mission is to give disabled people an opportunity to live out their full potential in society.

In 2019/2020, DRC served more than 3,600 people with 3,000 more people using its e-learning portal. Additionally, during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, DRC conducted 366 outreach activities to empower disabled people across the U.K.

Although disability and poverty in the U.K. are growing problems, organizations like the Disability Resource Centre are giving disabled people a voice and an opportunity to thrive in a hostile society.

– Chris Karenbauer
Photo: Flickr

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Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in the Philippines

Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in the PhilippinesThe Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in the Philippines, known as the 4Ps, is a conditional cash transfer program developed by the World Bank and the government of the Philippines in 2007. The 4P’s main objective is to provide financial assistance to the impoverished to “improve the health, nutrition and the education of children aged 0-18.” Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the poverty rate in the Philippines rose to 23.7% in the first six months of 2021, meaning at least 3.9 million Filipinos endured poverty. To combat the high poverty rate and a lack of social safety net, the 4Ps program helps impoverished households to break cycles of poverty.

Beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program

The program specifies certain criteria for eligibility. The beneficiaries must live in the poorest municipalities, in accordance with the 2003 Small Area Estimates of the National Statistical Coordination Board. In addition, a household must be living at or below the “provincial poverty threshold.” The household must also have children between the ages of 0 and 18 years old. Households with pregnant women are also eligible. In 2022, the 4Ps program assists “more than 800,000 families classified as poor and near-poor based on the Standardized Targeting System and the poverty threshold issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority.” Since 2008, the 4Ps program has served more than 5 million impoverished households.

The beneficiaries are able to receive two types of grants, including a health grant of ₱500 per household per month and an education grant of  ₱300 per child per month for 10 months. Mikee Romero, one of the writers of the law institutionalizing 4Ps, told the Philippines News Agency in September 2020 that the program’s ₱169.3 billion budget for 2021 “also includes  ₱41 billion “for social protection programs like medical, transportation and burial assistance” and ₱4.3 billion “for disaster response, such as the provision of relief goods.”

Effectiveness of 4Ps

The implementation of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in the Philippines has increased the utilization of health and education services. Children face lower risks of enduring poverty in adulthood as the program aims to break intergenerational cycles of poverty through the provision of resources and services necessary for growth and development.

The 4Ps program has helped to increase school attendance rates as it offers financial assistance for education and has a strict rule of “85% attendance a month” for child beneficiaries of the program.

A Herald Express article published in August 2018 says, “The 4Ps program has smoothly bridged the gap from poverty to an improved living condition among its beneficiaries.” The article also highlights that the 4Ps “changed the behavior of learners and their attitude toward learning” and helped improve the academic performance of generally low-performing learners.

In addition, 4Ps offers educational seminars with topics ranging from financial management to the importance of women in society and works with Sustainable Livelihoods Programs (SLP) to help families develop income-generating activities to build a better future.  The 4Ps program strengthens labor skills and opens up economic opportunities for the impoverished in the Philippines. The program provides microfinance services and training to those who engage in the SLP. Through skill training, beneficiaries are more likely to increase productivity and rise out of poverty.

A Look Ahead

The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in the Philippines helps break the poverty cycle. The program also increases the ability of households to provide for their children and family needs. Overall, the 4Ps model looks to improve quality of life by providing the impoverished with the resources, services and skills to thrive.

– Jiaying Guo
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Mobile Preschools in Uzbekistan

Mobile Preschool in Uzbekistan
On February 18, 2020, the population of Uzbekistan topped 34 million people. Uzbekistan ranks 42nd on the list of countries and dependency based on population. Reports stated that both sexes of children in Uzbekistan were among school children not attending school in 2019. Mobile preschools in Uzbekistan could help solve this issue.

Enrollment Numbers

Physical, linguistic, cognitive and socioemotional development in early childhood from 0 to 6 years old is a pivotal period. What children learn in these years shapes and defines their futures. There are 2,450,000 children in Uzbekistan and only 818,000 receive preschool education. In 2012, the preschool enrollment rate was 23.3% and lowest globally. By 2013, only 5% of households’ children in the country attended preschool. School enrollment has decreased by more than 50% over the last few decades. According to UNICEF, 175 million children worldwide did not attend pre-primary education as of 2019. Meanwhile, four out of five kids do not enroll in school in low-income areas in developing countries. In a child’s life, education is essential to their future and at an early age. If the children do not have that, it can have a devastating effect on the rest of their lives.

The Program

Mobile preschools in Uzbekistan accept children from ages 3 to 7 so that they can obtain preschool education no matter their living situation. Children who live in the villages now have the same opportunities as those who reside in the cities. Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting on November 7, 2017, to expand the public education system. The program started in 2017 and the enrollment has jumped from 27% to 67%.

Just five years ago, one in four kids in low-income areas had no access to schools and other children had to walk long ways to reach them. Many schools faced a shutdown due to the collapse of the Soviet Union, while others faced privatization. The government concluded that providing school buses to schools could give out access instantly. Uzbekistan created mobile schools for areas where it is inappropriate to develop schools and where preschools are not available.

Every morning in the Soviet Republic of Uzbekistan, school buses head up to the parks of remote areas to bring the school to the children instead of taking children to school. The school buses provide small restrooms and solar panels to keep running every day. Partnered through a grant with Global Partnership Education worth $49.9 million and administrated by the World Bank, the project is improving.

Looking Ahead

Mobile preschools in Uzbekistan have helped low-income areas since 2017 and have no plans of stopping. The preschools have helped many children in rural areas go to school where children otherwise could not access it. Altogether, 65 buses serve 16 kids at a time that can attend three hours of play-based learning. The next day, the buses go to a different area in the community for preschoolers who attend every other day. Other countries can also utilize mobile preschools in order to improve education in remote areas.

– Alexis King
Photo: GetArchive

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Brazilian National School Feeding Program Brings Aid

Brazilian National School Feeding Program
The world wastes about 1.3 billion tons of food fit for human consumption, according to a 2020 World Food Programme (WFP) article. Meanwhile, many global citizens, young and old, struggle to secure enough food to sustain themselves on a daily basis. This is a difficult and localized reality prevalent in many communities throughout Brazil. The Brazilian government implements the Brazilian National School Feeding Program to address hunger among schoolchildren.

Food Waste and School Closures

A 2020 article from the WFP USA explains that society perpetuates food waste in one of two ways. Either excess eatables are disposed of at businesses like hotels and restaurants (typical of high-income countries) or farm-grown produce is otherwise ruined in the process of taking it from field to plate (more common in low-income countries). In Brazil, both of these situations are commonplace.

Providing food to children, in particular, is a task that fell by the wayside in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, 15% of Brazilian households endured hunger. School closures due to the pandemic cut off Brazilian children’s access to meals provided by school feeding programs. In 2021, The New York Times reported that “Children, many of whom have been out of school for over a year, beg for food outside supermarkets and restaurants” in Brazil. These circumstances highlight the critical role of school feeding programs in poverty-stricken nations.

The Brazilian National School Feeding Program (PNAE)

For several decades, the Brazilian government and related organizations have strategically worked to improve meals for schoolchildren. While, initially, this entailed offering enough food to keep students coming to school, it now focuses on an equally important facet of diet — nutrition.

In 1954, with the goal of feeding students in Brazil, Brazil established the Brazilian National School Feeding Program (PNAE). The program, which remains active and important to the Brazilian education system to this day, supports 40 million students or more. It supplies meals on a daily basis to these students, now drawing on the expertise of more than 8,000 nutritionists for better dietary protocol.

Including More Vegetables and Using Local Resources

In modern-day Brazil, the law mandates that a minimum of 30% of the eatables in school feeding programs must come from small-scale farmers. It is also preferred that feeding programs acquire such produce from local businesses rather than acquiring produce from more distant sources. The meals within these programs are based on menus designed by nutritionists to ensure necessary developmental nutrition and efficient use of local food sources.

Observances such as these are part of a movement within the program in more recent years attempting to curb health complications in juveniles. In the early 2000s, obesity became one of the main pitfalls associated with Brazil’s Zero Hunger Program, an endeavor that the PNAE became part of in 2003. In 2016, a third of Brazilian children between 5 and 9 fell in the overweight category of body mass.

Since then, the PNAE has adjusted its feeding strategy to address this dilemma. The PNAE now gives precedence to fresh fruit and vegetables, rather than foods high in sugar. Overall, the PNAE places an emphasis on nutrition rather than just the sheer quantity of food offered to schoolchildren.

Digital Engagement for the PNAE Community

In addition to making better nutrition decisions while feeding students in Brazil, the PNAE has also put time and effort into providing a means for digital community engagement. The ePNAE app helps teachers, nutritionists, parents of students and the children themselves to look at menu options throughout the country.

This social app, according to the Government of Brazil, “allows you to monitor the data on the transfer of funds to each school and assess the quality of school meals in your region.” The mainstream application, available through the Play Store and App Store, also offers a number of “healthy eating tips.” In this way, the ePNAE app itself helps educate parents and students on the importance of nutrition.

The PNAE, as one of the largest school feeding programs globally, successfully improved its strategy for feeding students in Brazil. Inspired by the PNAE’s successes, other nations looking to promote similar programs study and implement its modus operandi.

– John Tuttle
Photo: Flickr

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How the Batonga Foundation is Empowering Women

Empowering Women
Angélique Kidjo is an African singer. She was born on July 14, 1960, in the city of Ouidah, in what is now Benin. Kidjo sings in many different music styles (Afropop, jazz, gospel, Latin, etc.) and languages, as she is fluent in five. She has received many musical accolades, including four Grammy awards. Kidjo began her activist career in 2002 when she became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. She founded the Batonga Foundation in 2006, which focuses on empowering women in Benin and surrounding countries.

Women’s Education and Rights in Benin

Benin is a francophone country located in West Africa. The country gained independence from France in 1975, when its name changed from Dahomey to the People’s Republic of Benin. As of 2020, Benin had a population of approximately 12 million. Beninese people speak an estimated 68 languages with the most common ones being French, Fon, Yom and Yoruba.

Benin’s economy relies mainly on agriculture and trade with Nigeria. It grew by approximately 6.6% in 2021 according to the World Bank. In 2019, Benin’s poverty rate was 38.5%, an 11% drop from 2015.

Beninese women meet obstacles including poverty, familial expectations and forced marriages early in their life stopping them from progressing educationally. Kidjo’s Batonga Foundation highlights that uneducated young women end up married before turning 18. Although the literacy rate among Beninese youth has risen in recent years, in 2018 among individuals ages 15 to 24, males had a 69.76% literacy rate and females had a 51.94% rate. Additionally, young women have often been pushed away from education due to long, inflexible hours unrelenting to girls expected to do housework often. Teachers are mainly male and perpetuate gender stereotypes in their classrooms.

Batonga Foundation

Kidjo founded the Batonga Foundation in 2006, alongside Mary Louise Cohen and John Philips, with the aim of empowering young African women. The foundation is named after her 1991 song, “Batonga.” Kidjo has always been an avid gender equality advocate and recognized the potential of her continent. Growing up, she saw her peers not pursue higher education and work low-income jobs, which is one of several factors that inspired Kidjo to found the project.

Kidjo’s Batonga Foundation primarily supports and invests in secondary and higher education for girls in Benin in multiple ways. Some examples are granting scholarships, building secondary schools and providing mentoring programs.

Among the Batonga Foundation’s goals is empowering young women economically. Young Women Business Circles connect female entrepreneurs ages 18 to 30 with access to a trained business expert, a mentor and 20 to 25 peers. The women receive business and financial literacy help and small business seed funding.

Additionally, the Batonga Foundation hosts 126 Leadership Clubs. The clubs are safe spaces for adolescent girls to meet with peers and gain access to an older female mentor. Mentors at these clubs teach the girls about reproductive health, financial literacy, economic independence and leadership.

Batonga Foundation Accomplishments

In the 16 years and counting that the Batonga Foundation has been in action, it has achieved a significant amount.

Kidjo’s foundation has supported more than 3,000 young women and girls, reaching 15 rural communities. There are 50 Young Women Leadership Clubs, 55 Batonga mentors and 126 Leadership Clubs. Through her hard work in activism and frequent trips to Africa, Kidjo has supported thousands of young women on the path to independence and success.

– Sophie Buibas
Photo: Flickr

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Higher Education in Zimbabwe

Higher Education in Zimbabwe
In 2020, the population in Zimbabwe numbered 14.9 million people. According to education statistics from 2018, 50,699 female students and 43,432 male students enrolled in higher education in Zimbabwe. More female students enroll overall, particularly in universities specializing in the arts, education and social studies. However, male students do outnumber female students in universities that offer exceptional training in science and technology.

Building National Education Reform

Higher education in Zimbabwe plays a significant role in the social, economic and political context of the country. Citizens have long since demanded public-private cooperation from their government in providing higher education. In 1980, Zimbabwe’s new self-government declared national education reform. Since then, the government’s focus has been to provide free and equal education and educational resources. As a result, the number of students in secondary education increases exponentially each following year. The increased number of students attending higher education in Zimbabwe also heightened the need for more teachers. Now, Zimbabwe is home to numerous universities. Of these, the top two are the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) and the National University of Science and Technology (NUST).

Top Universities

The University of Zimbabwe is the oldest university in the country, offering diplomas and certificates in various studies. Located in Harare, it has awarded degrees to more than 75,000 graduates since 1955. Since the foundation stone was first laid on Mount Pleasant and donated land launched the building of the college farm, UZ ranked as an independent institution of higher education and research. Many industries seek out UZ graduates including commerce, government, engineering, veterinary science and more.

The National University of Science and Technology is the second oldest and largest university in Zimbabwe, following UZ. In 1991, the higher education school was a nonprofit public school located in Bulawayo with an enrollment of 270 full-time students. Now sporting some 9,000 students, it offers programs that lead to recognized higher degrees such as bachelor’s, master and doctorate degrees in many areas of study. Specifically, NUST offers specialization in the tools for teaching, research and navigating the industries of sciences and technology.

COVID-19, Education and WhatsApp

Although higher education in Zimbabwe has advanced tremendously over the years, COVID-19 slowed the process down. To save the school year, teachers at a university in Zimbabwe had to come up with a solution to be still able to teach their students. That solution was through WhatsApp. Students use WhatsApp to communicate with their teachers effectively and see lectures during these unexpected times. WhatsApp is a simple solution that was easy to connect the students with and did not hurt anyone financially. WhatsApp has now been an adaption to the postgraduate program.

A Shining Example

Though it has not been easy, Zimbabwe’s path to higher education serves as an inspirational example for nations worldwide. From working towards universal primary education in the 1980s to turning out top university graduates in the 2020s, Zimbabwe serves its population well by offering clear paths to higher education.

– Alexis King
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Kenya Connect Aims to Improve Education in Kenya

Education in Kenya
Volunteers in the U.S. state of Maryland and people in Kenya, both from the nonprofit called Kenya Connect, are creating change in rural education systems in Kenya. Kenya Connect works to provide enriching, sustainable education in Kenya to promote economic advancement and systemic improvement.

Poverty and Education in Kenya

About 35% of the population of Kenya lives under the international poverty line of  $1.90 a day, according to World Bank data from 2019. Conditions have worsened for many during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although Kenya notes progress in lessening poverty in the nation, droughts, foreign conflict and overpopulation hinder the lives and livelihoods of many, with disproportionate impacts on women and children. These issues have caused the displacement of an increasing number of families, pushing them to move to informal settlements where quality health care and education are often scarce.

About 45% of children face deprivation in “more than three basic rights,” according to a 2017 report. Furthermore, according to an Out-of-School Children Initiative study that occurred in Kenya in 2020, more than 1 million primary school-age Kenyan children do not attend school. In 2015, girls made up about 55% of the more than 1.2 million Kenyan children out of school.

Kenya Connect

Kenya Connect began as a Pen Pal program that Tim Gregory, from Maryland, and James Musyoka, from Kenya, started. Since its founding in 2002, the organization has expanded to include multiple programs and structures with a mission to help create an independent, sustainable education system in rural Kenya.

Kenya Connect focuses on working with local Kenyan leaders and community members to break down barriers to education in Kenya and reinforce systemic improvements. The goal is to help rural communities become economically independent and able to expand their own change. This includes limiting the purchases of program services and goods to local businesses.

Health and Education Programs

Kenya Connect provides multiple different programs and resources for “17,000 students and 500 teachers at 44 primary and 11 secondary schools in the Mwala subcounty of Machakos.”

In 2012, the organization built a Learning Resource Center (LRC) that runs on solar power and includes an internet connection and a lending library. Community members built the LRC using locally sourced supplies.

In terms of improving health, Kenya Connect has installed water tanks and handwashing stations while conducting workshops to improve the health and hygiene knowledge of locals. The organization also implemented a deworming initiative and a “reusable sanitary pad pilot program” to combat period poverty in Kenya and keep menstruating girls in school. Kenya Connect believes that good health is essential to quality education. The healthier children are, the more likely they are to consistently attend school and continue to stay in school.

In 2017, Kenya Connect purchased its “Magic School Bus,” which the program uses as a bookmobile and a way for children in more remote areas to travel to school. The program’s resources provide children in rural areas with education programs that they otherwise cannot access.

Kenya Connect’s Other Actions and Initiatives

  • Adding 30 computers in the LRC.
  • A liquid soap-making program to bolster hygiene.
  • Upper-level STEAM courses (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math).
  • A library card program to improve literacy.
  • Workshops for teachers to learn how to utilize technology and practice effective teaching methods.
  • A Pen Pal program to connect Kenyan students with other students around the world.
  • Leadership programs in secondary schools.
  • Workshops for parents to learn “how to support children for educational success.”

Kenya Connect has made significant advancements in education for people in rural Kenya. The organization plans to continue its efforts to improve the quality of education and connect rural Kenyans with their surrounding communities and the world.

– Melissa Hood
Photo: Wikipedia Commons

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5 Facts About Japan’s Foster Care System

Japan’s Foster Care System
In Japan, about 45,000 children cannot be raised by their biological parents because of varying reasons including abuse, illness and economic hardship. According to the U.N.’s Convention on the Rights of the Child, children “should grow up in a family environment, in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding.” In many ways, Japan falls behind other countries in their efforts to support its children that are removed from their birth parents. Here are five facts about Japan’s foster care system.

5 Facts About Japan’s Foster Care System

  1. Foster Families Adopt Only 12% of Children: An overwhelming number of Japanese children not living with their biological parents are in orphanages. The U.N.’s Convention states that if biological parents cannot raise their child, the most desirable placement would be with a blood relative or very close individual to the family. After that, the next best would be with a family through adoption. Foster care is a temporary solution for children to live in a family home while a permanent solution is unavailable. Japan only places approximately 500 children with families per year through adoption. For comparison, the United States places more than 50,000 children and the U.K. places more than 4,500 children. Alongside low adoption rates, the number of foster families is also too low. At 12% of children in foster care, Japan trails far behind other countries. For example, Australia is at 93.5% and the United States at 77%.
  2. Orphanages are Too Large: Ideally, orphanages can remain small to emulate a family home situation. Japan’s large orphanages, on the other hand, have triggered  U.N. warnings. Even with enough staff on rotating shifts to provide one-to-one interaction, the care would not allow the children to develop appropriate attachments. Furthermore, Japan ranks the lowest among developed countries for their staff-to-child ratio in orphanages. This should be about 1 to 1.3, according to Japan Children Support Association. Japan hopes to solve this problem by increasing the use of its foster care system.
  3. Reports of Child Abuse Have Increased: Child abuse reports have been on an upward trend in Japan. According to Japan Children Support Association, reports exceeded 130,000 in 2017. By 2020, this number grew to 205,029. The number of psychological abuse cases was 121,325 and the number of physical abuse cases was 50,033. Some experts may say that the effects of COVID-19 may have increased this number, but there is no doubt that the number continues to rise.
  4. There is Abuse Within Foster Families: A 2014 Human Rights Watch report about Japan’s alternative care for children signifies the abuse that lies within Japan’s foster care system and other places within Japan’s alternative care. In 2011, there were 193 cases of child abuse in alternative care institutions. Of those that the government found valid, 13% were in foster care or foster families.
  5. There are People Trying to Help: The Nippon Foundation is a private, nonprofit that Ryoichi Sasakawa established in 1962 to increase social innovation and reduce the number of social burdens that Japan faces. One of their projects is the Happy Yurikago Project. It aims to promote awareness of the programs and institutions that surround children in alternative care and to promote such programs as far as they help children grow up in healthy environments. To do so, the project declared April 4 as Adopted Children’s Day. Its goal is to increase awareness of adoption options.

Concluding Thoughts

All children deserve to grow up in families that love and support them. Japan clearly has ways to go to provide such environments for children that cannot live with their biological parents. Despite a lack of ability to care for such children, there are solutions that Japan is working toward. Continuing to support Japan’s foster care system will ease the burden on orphanages and provide better care for the children.

– Rachael So
Photo: Unsplash

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Higher Education in Thailand

Higher Education in Thailand
In 1916, Thai monarch King Vajiravudh established the first formal university in the nation. Named Chulalongkorn University after the king’s father, the institution’s founding, along with the royal family’s surrounding emphasis on higher education in Thailand, represented the high value that the Thai monarchy has historically placed on higher education.

Overview of the Higher Education System

Throughout the next century, higher education in Thailand expanded, and as of 2016, the country had 170 institutions of higher education in the form of universities. Admittance to universities largely hinges upon a standardized entrance exam that Thailand has used since 1962.

Unfortunately, the widespread use of this “meritocratic system” of the entrance to universities “favors those of higher socioeconomic background from the best secondary schools” over students from more rural and impoverished backgrounds as rural students are not as likely to take or pass the exam.

Just as unfortunate, in recent decades, enrollment in Thai universities has declined as the demand for university education has dropped off due to reasons “such as the decline of the Thai birth rate and international competition.” Decreased enrollment is now a critical issue that higher education in Thailand faces. For example, in 2015, the number of students who participated in entrance exams stood at around 105,000 while the entrance system had the capacity to annually admit 156,000 students.

The Reason This Matters

On the surface, this may not seem like a pressing problem. However, unfortunately, the declining enrollment is an indication of something far more serious: the rapid aging of the Thai population.

In the year 1970, the Thai government introduced the National Family Planning Program, which, combined with the rising education levels in Thailand, caused a decrease in fertility rates. By 2014, Thailand’s declining fertility rate was falling the fastest out of all the world’s developing nations.

The number of college-age citizens is decreasing and will continue to do so. According to the World Bank Group, “By 2040, it is projected that 17 million Thais will be 65 years or older – more than a quarter of the population.”

The consequences are that higher education in Thailand is now at risk. Universities might have to start downsizing programs or even close their doors permanently. Additionally, this is a challenge for Thai education as the nation is struggling to improve the quality of its colleges. Thailand does not have any highly ranked universities in the international world of higher education and this may be causing the best and brightest students to seek their diplomas elsewhere.

Taking Action

There is a concern that Thailand will not be able to cope with its changing labor market. Recent economic trends show that Thailand is in need of workers with technical or vocational training, and in light of the aging population, this area requires attention.

Fortunately, efforts are underway to reallocate resources, ensuring that the nation prioritizes the most practical programs. Some universities are becoming vocational training institutes and others are simply putting a larger emphasis on technical education.

In September 2021, the Association of Private Higher Education Institutions of Thailand (APHEIT) and Oracle Thailand partnered to increase access to computer science training for students in Thailand. The initiative will involve 39 universities from APHEIT and will help students “succeed in the new digital era” through hands-on practical training. These skills will open up more job opportunities relevant to today.

Higher education in Thailand has a unique challenge ahead of it, but fortunately, there are always innovative ways to increase the future efficiency of a workforce and the education system provides an opportune starting point.

– Mia Sharpe
Photo: Flickr