Blog 10: The Need To Be Educated.

    This article is talking about Child Labor and unequal rights for so many children throughout the world. The biggest issue is that fact that they do not have education. Their lack of education is the reason that they are so easily walked all over. Most of these children are not allowed even one day of school. They are forced to get married and have children before their little body are able to handle it. This causes health issues. They are trying really hard to get out of this oppressive state. Education is the most important thing that they need. They are joining up with national and international groups in order to truly tell and who people how big of a deal this is. The number of children being affected by this are rising every day. It is vital that we stop it soon and start education quickly.
    This shows what a big deal education is for everyone all over the world. It is impossible to thing that we will ever move forward if we do not educate everyone. I personally think that is the reason why they will not educate these women. They think that if they keep them uneducated that these women will stay oppressed forever. It is very important for people in control to understand the importance of fair education for everyone. If you do not allow women to be educated and to use their education to help their country them that country will just fall farther and farther behind. It is sad to think of all the women that are constantly taken advantage of and used to things that are just despicable. By letting women be education we can help them keep themselves out of situations such as this.

Ashley Burkhart
1:12 PM
4/19/2013

The resistance of child slaves themselves will force the end of slavery
http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/poverty-matters/2013/apr/19/resistance-child-slaves-end-slavery?INTCMP=SRCH

Blog 9: Education Caps

    Italy has officially cut the Indian in-take at 12%. This is the first year this has ever happened. They claim that it is so they can keep a general order. They don’t want the Indian students to over populate the Italian student. They are different. The Italians make up 27% of the University so by cutting of the in-take at 12% they keep a pretty large gap. Even though they have put a cap on the intake there are still a lot of Indians still attempting to get into the country for education. This year was the largest increase that they have had in years, application wise. They are emphasizing the importance of diversity on their campus. Indian and Chinese are usually the largest chucks of people that study internationally. This school is just really trying to make sure that their school stays very well represented. Many school attempt to do the same thing but they do not but cap on the amount of people they take in.
    I’m not sure how I feel about this. I think it is good to try to make your school diverse, but can you really promote diversity if you cap the amount of people that can come? There are places everywhere that are very diverse but they do not cap any people out. I get it. But I also don’t think it is the best idea. It does not give your university the best look, if you are tell people that you can’t come. Education is a huge issue in the world. Everyone deserve to have and education. If they are going to pay for it, they should be able to decide where they get it from. It is not fair to tell only a few of them that they cant go there.


Italian B-school SDA Bocconi School of Management caps intake of Indians at 12%
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/services/education/italian-b-school-sda-bocconi-school-of-management-caps-intake-of-indians-at-12/articleshow/19501102.cms

Ashley Burkhart
10:25 PM
4/11/2013

Blog 8: The Price of Women's Education

    There was a young girl named Malala Yousafzai. She is from Pakistan. In Pakistan women are not allowed to do anything, especially not school. There are people around that try their hardest to make sure this happens. The Taliban are one of these sets of people. Malala is a young, women’s rights activist. She speaks out on the importance of equal education for everyone, women included. The Taliban shot her in the head. They came up and shot her point black in the head. She was really hurt for a long time, she was not able to attend school. Word began to spread about what had happened and people began to get involved. Now, they are launching the new grant. 40 girls are now going to be able to go to school because this girl stood for something. She had gained the attention of people like Angilina Jolie. She is speaking with the girl and is also helping in raising money.
    There is an issue everywhere around the world with women not getting what they deserve. Women’s rights is a very big issue now and everyone is getting involved. Everyone is seeing what a big deal it is to let everyone be equal. The issue is that there are still plenty of people all over the world that still think that women should be lower. They are willing to go to whatever means necessary in order to keep women “where they belong”. It is sad to think that we are still so far behind. This girl got shot because she was standing up for what she believed in. What she believed in just so happened to be standing up for women’s rights. It is dangerous to stand up for women, especially if you are a woman. There are people, like the Taliban, that will stop at nothing to see you fall.

Malala’s first grant will educate 40 girls
http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/05/us/us-pakistan-malala-fund/index.html?iref=allsearch

Ashley Burkhart
4/5/2013
3:18PM


Blog 7: "Free" Education

    In Swaziland, education is free. It is something that every child gets a chance to do without fear of not being able to afford it. There are though people that do not agree with this. It has been a sheer reach to keep all of the school free. Some place like to charge fees without the governments knowledge. Money is a very large issue here. About 63% of the people here live on two dollars a day. They are well below the poverty line. Most people in this country can not afford to send their children to school. Money became such an issue in these parts that the government is paying for children education. Since the government is paying a lot of extra prices are tacked on. That is a problem. That is where all the corruption comes in.
    I think this is sad. I think it is a great idea that the government pay. It is sad to think that people can’t afford to send their children to school, even though is happens here all the time. College is very expensive and families every where have to make sacrifices in order for their child to get an education. It is sickening to think of school praying on parents who really just don’t know any better, or don’t have a chose. Most people are really just trying to make sure that their children don’t end up like them. Many people are very uneducated. They can’t do very much and they don’t understand that they are being taken advantage of. Money runs things all over the world. The issue is that more and more people and places are falling below that poverty line but the prices are not changing. Eventually the prices will have to. Not just in places like Swazi but everywhere.

Ashley Burkhart
3/22/13
4:43 PM

http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/2013/feb/19/swaziland-primary-schools-free-struggle
The Struggle to Keep Swaziland Schools Free

Blog 6: Sexual Favors For Education

    At the University of Liberia, it is not uncommon for women to be expected to pay their male professors with sexual favors in order to receive high grades and to get their degree. They call it transactional sex. This also happens a lot through Sub-Saharan Africa. In a 2011 showed that 85% of females in three Liberian Universities had be sexually harassed or had been involved in transactional sex. Many of these women were made to continue taking the same class until they slept with the professor. People are now starting to take action against this. They are raising awareness and putting more pressure on the student affairs office to make the perpetrators have more consequences. They are trying to get women a places to speak out and feel safe. Many people feel as though all of the professors have to greater hand. However, there have not been many changes and so people are not going to stop until they see results.
    It is sad to me that this happens. All over the world many women are being taken advantage of. We live in a patriarchal society and some places, such as Liberia, are worse than others. If a woman can not get her degree in college with having to give all of her professors sexual favors. That is not fair. Men don’t have to put up with the same things that women do. I think it is a wonderful thing that women are banding together to fix a problem that is so world wide. Women all over the world are treated like they are property, no matter where they are from. It is a good thing to start in Universities, with educated people that might as least try to see the better and fairer side of things.

Liberian women battle against 'sex for grades' at universities

 http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/2013/mar/04/liberian-women-battle-sex-grades-universities

Ashley Burkhart

3:07 PM

3/8/2013 

Blog 5: Fixing Japan's Population

    The original education minister of Japan was Makiko Tanaka. She refused to give permission for three new schools in Japan to be built. She was later fired. She decided this on the basis that Japan’s youth is declining drastically. If there are no youth then why do they need new universities? Over the past twenty years the number of 18 year olds in Japan has been cut by half, yet the universities have grown over 200. The lack of youth in Japan is causing the universities that are there to have issues of their own. A lot of them have many empty and spaces and most are operating in the red. They have started making their universities more internationally attractive. They feel as if they make internationals want to come in and go to school there that it will offset the number that they are already missing. Many high school counselors are having problems learning how to deal with the new system.
    This education might be an issue but I think the bigger issue is going to be the fact that their population is decreasing. You have to have youth in order for your country to prosper. It is impossible for them not to. Today’s youth are the leaders of tomorrow, if you don’t have any youth you won’t have anyone to lead. Once the older generation has died, then what? If your younger generation is smaller than your current generation then, your populations is going to decrease drastically. If your population is not large enough your economy is not going to thrive. If your economy does not thrive then your entire population is going to be in trouble. You have to make sure that everyone is going to be fine.

 http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/25/world/asia/25iht-educlede25.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&ref=internationaleducation&adxnnlx=1362201318-SAVCPWUKnBJqRQIoVJlMzA
Japan's Hope: If You Build It, They Will Come

Ashley Burkhart
12:16AM
2/2/2013

Blog 4: The Effect of Childs Rights and Education

   There is a school in Bhutan called Dechen Phodrag. It is a monastery school in the capital, Thimphu. This is an predominantly Buddhist area. The Buddhist that swear their life to live only in the ways of the religion are called Monks. Monasteries such as these help children that belong to families that do not have the resources to take care of them. Over 4,000 children live in this area. There are so many of them that the living conditions are not that great. Health issues such as lice, respiratory infections, and scabies are a part of everyday life in these areas. Basic sanitation is a struggle. It’s all about spiritual knowledge. This new plan is giving the children ways to reach out. It gives them ways to report neglect and abuse. This is actually a really big change, they are used to very hard disciplines. When the older monks were younger they all came through that way. They are having many test sites just to see how they will work out. They are scared that it will be much harder to make this work on a national level. To ensure that the transitions goes smoothly all of the teachers, senior monks, and pupils must go to workshops. An officer is also made to live in the area.
    There are issues like this all over the world. Many children and families do not have enough money to make sure that all the people in their are healthy and feed. That in itself is an issue. It is a social problem that people cannot afford to take care of their families. So much to the point that they have to their own family healthy and they have to send them away. No one should be pushed to the point of sending their children away. These children need to be safe. They interviewed a boy from the school and he talked about how he originally did not feel safe but after they implemented these new rules it was better. A child is not really going to learn if they are not comfortable, especially if they don’t feel safe. Child safety and health is definetly a social issue. Children need to be healthy. They say that there a millions of children that die from poverty and hunger every year. That is sad.

Bhutan brings children's rights to monastic schools

 http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/2013/feb/20/bhutan-children-rights-monastic-schools

Ashley Burkhart

2/22/13

4:07 PM  

Blog 4: Higher Education for Refugees

    In Kenya, there is a town called Dadaab. Refugees from Somalia have learned to   call this place home, at least for the time being. A few countries have came together in order to make the first higher education school called Dadaab Campus of Kenyatta University. It will be the first higher education for refugees ever. It will offer diploma, undergraduate, and masters. The courses include public policy, peace and conflict, commerce, and education. There are over 448,000 refugees that fled to Dadaab because of Somolia’s famines. War surrounds them which makes the people that want to help scarce. There is land mines, and people ready to shoot all over the place. They are even offering a study abroad program. It is expensive, 100,000 shillings, but it is something that a lot of them want to do. They do have help from outside countries. Canada has teamed up with Kenya to start BHER, Borderless Higher Education for Refugees. It is a partnership for improving education opportunities and for refugees and marginalized local communities. Education is very important if you want people to be self-reliant. It also keeps people involved, there will be far less “anti-social” activity. This is not like food, something you have for today but tomorrow it is gone. This will get people ready for the future and all the things it has to offer.
    Education is of the upmost importance. These refugees have been through so much. They say multiple times in this article that education is a right. Everyone should have the right to be properly educated. It is a global issue that is not true. It is not fair that some people do not have to resources or the people necessary to give everyone a proper education. If we all ban together to try to help everyone get educated the world would be a much better place. The fact that this is the very first higher education place for any refugees ever, says a lot in itself. It is imperative that we help everyone. What they said at the end of the article is completely true. Education is something that they can keep with them forever. It is not something that just leaves the next day. They can use all the things that they have learned later in life, even when and if they return to their own country. It will also help their children. If they are educated, then they will also educate their children.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/2013/jan/31/kenya-dadaab-innovative-educate-refugees
Kenya’s Dadaab Finds Innovative Ways To Educate Knowledge-hungry Refugees

Ashley Burkhart
2/15/2013
2:41 PM

Blog 3: How Environment And School Can Be Together

    There is a primary school in Bhutan called Jigme Losel. They are trying to change the country by making it an eco-friendly school. When you walk into the school the first thing you see, everywhere, is flowers and vines. Afterwards you see a sign that has hand prints all over it and says, ‘Let nature be your teacher.’ That is the whole point here. Learning and changing by nature. They have began to circle their curriculum around the environment. It is part of Green Schools for Green Bhutan, in this they initiate their Gross National Happiness (GNH). Instead of being like the rest of the world and measuring they advancement by their Gross Domestic Product, they have decided to use this instead. It has four pillars by which they live; equitable social development, cultural preservation, conservation of environment, and promotion of good governance. In 2009, they decided to converge the conservation of the environment with the education is school. They think that the student that are going to graduate in a few years may really help the rest of the country in the long run.
    I agree. An issue with the world today is that we think that it is all just one big renewable resource that we may use as we please. They truth is we can’t. Eventually some of the things that we use are going to run out. When they do, the countries that were smart enough to come up with smarter, greener ways of living are going to be the ones that prosper. They have been getting a lot of criticism for the way that they run things. I think it makes a lot of people uncomfortable. They also realize the importance of education and how much you can bring. Bhutan’s minister of Education, Thakur Singh Powdyel says, “It's a values-led approach to education that stems from the belief that education should be more than academic attainment, it should be about expanding children's minds and teaching what it is to be human – and at the forefront of this is the conservation of the natural environment." I completely agree with this. Teaching is so much more, and could be so much more than what we make it. We may be ahead for the time being but eventually, I believe it is places like Bhutan that will take the lead.

'Let nature be your teacher': Bhutan takes conservation into the classroom
http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/2013/jan/02/nature-teacher-bhutan-conservation-classroom

Ashley Burkhart
2/7/2013
8:52 PM

Blog 2: How being on top can effect our morals.

    Clarence Mumford Sr, last year, was indicted for cheating and helping teachers cheat on very important test such as the Praxis. In all he was indicted on 63 counts of fraud, including mail, wire, and social security.  The government originally offered him a nine to eleven year sentence, he however thought that was an unfair offer. Mr. Mumford thought that he deserved something less saying, “I have not killed anybody; I started this whole thing out trying to help someone. It evolved, well, let’s face it, into a moonlighting opportunity to make a little supplemental income.” He even tried to bring his age and health into the situation. He is 59 years old and has diabetes and high blood pressure. Everyone was surprised that he didn’t take the deal. Mr. Mumford and his attorney’s strategy is to make the court prove everything that has been said and charged.
    I realize that this, by itself, is not a social issue. But, it is related to something that is. The issue is that have the highest grade average is so important that we will go to any means necessary to see that we are on top. Even if it means going against everything that we were ever taught in school. Yes, education is important. It will always be. But, it’s the education itself that is important, not the being smarter then everyone else. If you are going to cheat to help someone else be the “best”, then they are not really the best. Education is important and should be treated as such. I believe that he should be in a lot of trouble. If students today see that someone of his stature and upmostness is cheating and help TEACHERS cheat, what does that tell them? They need to know that they only good education is the one that they did all by themselves. Hard work does by off, and they need to know that if you break the rules then you have to pay for those mistakes.

 http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/26/education/in-surprise-educator-rejects-plea-deal-over-test-cheating-ring.html?ref=education
In Surprise, Educator Tied to Cheating Rejects Deal

Ashley Burkhart
1/31/13
9:04 PM

Blog 1: People Striving To Change Graduation Rates

    College in America is supposed to be considered a big deal. The only issue is that it is so expensive. In the beginning of the article there is a quote taken from the President of Ohio State University, “This is the first time in the history of modern higher education in which all the communities have come together-community colleges, research small liberal arts college-and-reached agreement that completion needs to be our most important priority.” This shows that some people are starting to understand that college is very important to everyone. This also will give some student extra credit. They will be able to take classes that they have taken and use those to their advantage. They can use “previous learning, through exams like the College Board’s College-Level Examination Program, portfolio assessments or other college equivalency evaluation.” They make a big deal about making the financial aid process simpler. A lot of people that do have issues getting into college have issues it is because they have issues paying. But, like the article says it is not enough to just pay for it anymore. It affects everyone.
    I thought that the article was very true. It is very hard to pay for college. It is very expensive. I also think that you should be able to add class that you have already taken like in high school or from abroad. College is ridiculous. If education is important, WHICH IT IS!, they should treat it as such. There is no need in making it as expensive as it is. I don’t understand it. Everyone preaches about how imperative education is and fails to act like it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/24/education/stagnant-college-graduation-rate-is-focus-of-2-new-reports.html?ref=education&_r=0
To Raise Graduation Rate, Colleges Are Urged to Help a Changing Student Body

Education

I decided to pick education because it is something very dear to my heart. I am going to be an elementary education teacher once I graduate. I think education is a fascinating thing that is not to be taken lightly. It is very important for me to be the best at it that I can, so I figured that finding current and important event about it would be a good start.

Ashley Burkhart
1/18/2013
11:21 AM