Social inequality has a major impact on the kind of schooling children receive and poses a significant challenge to providing equal learning opportunities, according to a new report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation

Only 27% of village schools in India have electricity compared to 76% of schools in towns and cities. Only about half of the rural schools surveyed have enough toilets for girls, and fewer than 4% have a telephone, according to a new global report by UNESCO on the impact of social inequality on the quality of education.

Entitled ‘A View Inside Primary Schools’, the report reveals major disparities in the infrastructure of village and city schools unearthed by a survey undertaken in 11 countries in Latin America, Asia and North Africa.

Over 7,600 schools in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, India, Malaysia, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Tunisia and Uruguay were surveyed; the report presents the results of the survey.

A UNESCO press statement says: ‘As part of the World Education Indicators (WEI) programme, the countries were involved in developing and conducting the survey to examine the factors shaping the quality and equality of primary education.’

Fourth-grade teachers and principals from the target schools responded to detailed questionnaires on how schools function, how teachers teach, learning conditions, and the support available to teachers and principals.

"This survey offers a wealth of data. On the one hand we see the extent to which schools lack the most basic elements -- running water or electricity -- that are taken for granted in the developed countries," says Hendrik van der Pol, director of the Institute for Statistics. "But the data also reveals how social inequality affects a child’s opportunity to learn. And clearly, no country -- rich or poor -- is immune to these disparities."

In Peru, fewer than half of rural schools are equipped with electricity, a library, or toilets for boys and girls. Yet, in urban areas, nearly all schools have electricity, 65% have enough lavatories and 74% have libraries.

In general, village schools are in greater need of repair, according to the survey. In Brazil, half the pupils in villages sit in run-down classrooms compared to fewer than 30% of pupils in urban establishments. And in Peru and the Philippines, principals in rural areas report that about 70% of their pupils are in schools that need major repairs or complete rebuilding.

The survey also found wide variations in how much parents were expected to contribute financially. In Tunisia, the parents of one-third of pupils were asked to pay for textbooks. This was the case for 24% of pupils in Argentina and almost 10% in India. Sri Lanka was the only country to provide free textbooks to virtually all students.

"It is disturbing to think that students get more or less resources based on where they live. But that is just part of the story," says Yanhong Zhang, one of the authors of the report. "The study shows that pupils in villages are more likely to come from disadvantaged homes. So the inequalities in school resources are linked to their socio-economic status. In effect, these children are subject to a double-jeopardy -- fewer resources at home and in school."

In the survey, teachers and school heads were asked to evaluate their pupils’ backgrounds based on a range of factors -- from family income and parents’ education levels to the frequency with which these children missed meals.

The information served as the basis for an index used to examine the links between socio-economic status and school conditions, including learning environment.

One of the most important factors shaping learning environment is the engagement of teachers and pupils. According to the study, teachers and principals in schools serving socially disadvantaged children tend to report lower levels of pupil motivation and more behavioural problems. In these schools, teachers were generally dissatisfied with salary, parental support, class size and access to classroom materials.

This finding was most striking in Latin American countries and in the comparison between private and public schools.

The WEI survey of primary schools sheds light on how this cycle of reduced expectations can shape the learning and teaching environment. It provides detailed information on a range of issues -- from the extent to which schools strive to ensure that all students realise their academic potential to parental involvement in their children’s schooling.

The survey also included a specific questionnaire on the extent to which students are given real opportunities to learn in reading. In most countries, teachers with motivated and privileged students tend to use more challenging materials and activities. They also engage in more creative teaching methods.

By contrast, teachers with disadvantaged students describe their teaching style as less demanding and more often based on rote learning. As the authors point out, there is an urgent need to direct more resources towards schools serving underprivileged communities.

Source: www.un.org/news, May 28, 2008
             www.afriqueenligne.com, May 28, 2008