| json_metadata | "{"appParentPermlink":"f3eunu8kw","musingAppId":"aU2p3C3a8N","appTags":["education","rural","area","teaching"],"appDepth":2,"appBody":"<p> <\/p>\n<p><strong>I agree with some other commentators about the universal disparity between rural and urban areas, not only regarding education. <\/strong>You add health, technology, transportation, employment, security and social services in general. This does not have to be always the case, although I am fully aware of the economic causes of the disparity. This is ironic to me. Many companies refuse to invest in rural areas because they assume there won\u2019t be a market or profitability for their investment, when in actuality the fact that the areas are pretty much pristine should guarantee companies great revenues once investment translate into increase of population, mobility, development in many areas and the promotion of the company\u2019s contribution to that development, which in turn should translate into more capital for the company, at least in PR and more development for the area.<\/p>\n<p><strong>All this is necessary if we want education in rural areas to be on a par with the rest of the country<\/strong>. There is in Latin America a pernicious tendency under some pseudo-philosophical banner according to which endogenous development is achieved by addressing the needs and potential of the regions. This may sound promising, but in a fishermen village the chances of the average kid to develop intellectually at the same level as any kid anywhere else will be null if school authorities assume that the village kids should only aspire to become fishermen because that is their area\u2019s main source of income.<\/p>\n<p><strong>If school curricula is designed attending to the so called local needs then what we have is a perpetuation of inequalities<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>In order for education in rural areas to be up to the national standards we would need all the factors involved committed to giving the rural kids the same learning opportunities the city kids get.<\/p>\n<p><strong>School infrastructure should be more than adequate<\/strong>. There is tendency to give the rural areas just enough, because they do not need much. A big school with all that can been needed, even if it serves a small populations an indication of faith and hope that the population will grow and everything will be ready when that happens. A rural school should also have labs, sports facilities and big libraries. That will make the rural kids feel that they have nothing to envy form the city kids. Self-esteem is an important factor in education. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Teachers should be up to the task<\/strong>. Preferably teachers should be from other areas. Speaking from experience local teachers tend to allow their own vices contribute to the perpetuation of rurality instead of the promotion of development and aspiration at all costs. Well trained teacher, with experience in other areas bring fresh ideas and impetus to the rural areas that can invigorate whatever initiative to promote fast development and educational quality.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Public infrastructure must be at the national standards<\/strong>. It will be impossible to improve rural education if teachers can get there because the roads are bad, because no buses or trains cover the route, because telephones or internet services are poor or non-existent, etc. etc. basic services such as electricity or water must be available in order for all educational activities to be carried out without the common rural excuses.<\/p>\n<p><strong>School authorities must be committed to development<\/strong>. Usually we have excited students, committed teachers and parents crashing against a wall of school bureaucracy and politics. If schools authorities are not willing to fight for the implementation of measures, plans, projects in benefit of rural development, there is little individual agents can do.<\/p>\n<p><strong>School curricula<\/strong>. If we can good teachers, knowledgeable and committed to giving their students all they got in their training, plus the inspiration to help them fly over the stigma of rurality, educational contents should not be an obstacle. Kids in rural areas should learn as much as city kids. From my experience there is a significant disparity between rural and urban schools in the kinds of courses and the contents of those courses. If that disparity is erased, then the sky is the limit for what those kids can do.<\/p>\n<p>It will be up to individual differences to do the rest. Teachers, parents and authorities will have fulfilled their duties and the quality of education will not be contingent to geography or any other demographic accident.<\/p>","appCategory":"education","app":"musing\/1.1","appParentAuthor":"emrethewriter","musingPostType":"answer","appTitle":"How to improve education in rural area?","musingAppVersion":"1.1"}" |
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