Developing countries are investing more today in education than industrialized countries did when they faced similar levels of income. Rapid expansion is generally perceived as coming at the expense of quality, and it can lead to increased social, gender and ethnic inequality [1]. In countries where there are problems with the quality of schooling and the relevance of the knowledge and skills it promotes, further expansion of school enrolment may not be seen as a priority, at least not until employment prospects for school graduates improve and effective reforms have taken place [2].
Resource mobilization and financial sustainability remain challenges for the provision of quality education in different part of the world. A number of countries have shifted emphasis towards a longer basic education cycle by including the low level education. In countries that have been unable to deliver affordable, good-quality basic education to large sections of the population, this shift in emphasis raises important questions for equity in public finance. A recent assessment of financial sustainability focusing on low-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa concludes that the development of quality education would require sizable amounts of external aid to fill funding gaps and the cost of service delivery and the potential for resource mobilization policies would need to be tailored to local contexts [3].
Demands to develop education represent significant challenges, particularly where human and financial resources are tightly constrained. In particular, countries will increasingly need to consider policies targeting highly qualified teachers. According to Mulkeen [4], a successful policy for teachers should effectively address the following four interconnected challenges can be categorized under three sections, supply, distribution and the quality of teachers. The challenges are training a sufficient number of teachers, ensuring quality of the teachers and placing them in the underdeveloped districts. Additionally, challenges in the context of budget constraints and other competing educational priorities. These challenges brings up the questions such as: how has the number of school teachers will grow to meet the increasing demands. What types of qualifications do these teachers need to have and what level of salary is adequate to attract and retain qualified teachers? What kinds of workloads do teachers have in terms of instructional hours, and how is the teaching of subjects distributed to ensure secondary school pupils are getting a balanced education? Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent by governments and donors. There have been countless hours of meetings at the global, regional and local levels on education. And new policies, strategies and plans have been worked and reworked. There are over 20 current education-relevant global initiatives, campaigns, processes or opportunities organized by multilateral institutions, bilateral donor agencies, civil society and country actors. Different international organizations have been allocating resources to tackle with education problem in the developing countries. World Bank, UNESCO and similar organization have done extensive research to provide sustainable solution. There is no question on the fact that, providing education in the most needed sections of the world is urgently needed to prepare much needed peaceful venue. Will the international community commit the necessary economic, human, and political resources? The main challenge is not financially oriented but rather on the leadership side. The challenge is to have people to dedicate themselves on this cause which is inspiring and formidable and far more likely to enrich and improve life on earth. And, this is what Gülen inspired schools achieved so far.
Notes
[1] World Bank (2005). Expanding Opportunities and Building Competencies for Young People: A New Agenda for Secondary Education. Washington, D.C.: The World Bank.
[2] Lewin, Keith and Caillods, Françoise (2001). Financing secondary education in developing countries: Strategies for sustainable growth. Paris: UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning.
[3] World Bank (2010). Developing Post-Primary Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: Assessing the Financial Sustainability of Alternative Pathways. Washington, D.C.: The World Bank.
[4] Mulkeen, Aidan (2010). Teachers in Anglophone Africa: Issues in Teacher Supply, Training and Management.Washington, D.C.: The World Bank.
Published on fethullah-gulen.net, 07 February 2013, Thursday
