Sixty-one years ago, UN leaders declared education a human right. This assertion permeated the veins of academia worldwide. But this theory, bold and sensational, was interrupted by a few blood clots known as war, disease, colonization, famine, corruption, and discrimination. What’s left are 113 million children who presently have no access to primary education and 880 million illiterate adults worldwide. This 880 million is about 2.5 times the population of the U.S. alone. What do we do now, six decades later, when theories on education need a little vitamin boost to make the practice of attaining a quality education real?

The opportunity for a child’s education is linked to his/her country’s overall quality of life. While there’s no international definition of “good quality” and “bad quality” countries, the UN lists 38 high income countries and 155 emerging market countries. Of these emerging markets, the path one navigates for any type of education can be fraught with several barriers like those social “blot clots” mentioned above.

Families need kids to contribute to household income; commuting to school might be a 2 hour trek (by foot) down the nearest main road; the nearest main road is in a war zone, children lack concentration due to hunger; school houses may be ill-equipped, perhaps non-existent; teachers are underpaid and under-resourced; the list continues.

Cambodia is in the middle of this experience. While there is a long history of formal Buddhist education (prior and concurrent to French colonization), the country has battled against a waning educational system through various government administrations. French – some semblance of Western educational structure. Khmer Rouge – physical labor in, all academics out. Current Parliament – commitment to universal education, challenged ability to carry this out. In an article from last week’s The Phnom Penh Post (“Challenges Crippling Cambodia Education”), the author discusses Cambodia’s issues, many of which take place in dozens of other countries.

“Cambodia’s education system is plagued by a range of detrimental factors including an absence of suitably qualified or trained staff, rampant corruption and a lack of morale among low-paid teaching staff coupled with the high cost of schooling…Efforts by the Cambodian government to improve education in the country should be recognised, but the work has been inconsistent and greeted with mixed results.”

While the government pledges that “education is the key to sustainable development of a nation,” there have been many challenges to make a universal education, well, universal. Many NGOs are working alongside the country’s leaders to advance the efforts more rapidly and agree that we need a conduit to make the human right of education a reality – today! There are remarkable non-profit leaders spearheading supplemental educational programs. Contending, often times, with limited resources, they too are in a precarious situation to significantly boost enrolment and retention numbers in the face of pervasive poverty.

Looking at our 113 million children worldwide, the question still remains, what do we do now? The possibilities are infinite. Some of us have the talent for political action and others for philanthropic action. So, what do we do? We do what we can because we can.

 

 

References:
Dakar Framework for Action, World Education Forum 2000

New Trend and Present Situation of Adult Learning and Education, Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport