scholarly journals English in public primary schools in Colombia: Achievements and challenges brought about by national language education policies

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
pp. 83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doris Correa ◽  
Adriana González
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Policy Design ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Global Market ◽  
National Language ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Education Policies ◽  
Work Related ◽  
The Government

In an effort to become more competitive in the global market, Colombia, as many other Latin American countries, has declared English the dominant foreign language to be taught in schools and universities across the country. To support this measure, in the last 16 years, the government, through its National Ministry of Education, has launched a series of programs such as National Program of Bilingualism 2004-2019; the Program for Strengthening the Development of Competences in Foreign Languages; The National English Program: Colombia Very Well 2015-2025; and most recently, Bilingual Colombia 2014-2018. Results from studies conducted by local researchers across the country suggest that the regulation has posed a series of challenges for public primary school teachers, which these programs have not been able to address. These challenges can be divided into two categories: professional and work related. The purpose of this article is twofold: First, the article intends to provide a critical overview of the four programs that the Colombian government has launched since 2004. Second, the article aims to present some conclusions and recommendations for language policy design and implementation in Colombia.

scholarly journals Student Enrollment and Teacher Statistics Forecasting Based on Time-Series Analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Stephanie Yang ◽  
Hsueh-Chih Chen ◽  
Wen-Ching Chen ◽  
Cheng-Hong Yang
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Percentage Error ◽  
Support Vector ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Education Policies ◽  
National Competitiveness ◽  
Whale Optimization ◽  
Low Birthrate

Education competitiveness is a key feature of national competitiveness. It is crucial for nations to develop and enhance student and teacher potential to increase national competitiveness. The decreasing population of children has caused a series of social problems in many developed countries, directly affecting education and com.petitiveness in an international environment. In Taiwan, a low birthrate has had a large impact on schools at every level because of a substantial decrease in enrollment and a surplus of teachers. Therefore, close attention must be paid to these trends. In this study, combining a whale optimization algorithm (WOA) and support vector regression (WOASVR) was proposed to determine trends of student and teacher numbers in Taiwan for higher accuracy in time-series forecasting analysis. To select the most suitable support vector kernel parameters, WOA was applied. Data collected from the Ministry of Education datasets of student and teacher numbers between 1991 and 2018 were used to examine the proposed method. Analysis revealed that the numbers of students and teachers decreased annually except in private primary schools. A comparison of the forecasting results obtained from WOASVR and other common models indicated that WOASVR provided the lowest mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) and root mean square error (RMSE) for all analyzed datasets. Forecasting performed using the WOASVR method can provide accurate data for use in developing education policies and responses.

scholarly journals Multilingualism as Curriculum Policy in Cameroon Education System

2020 ◽  
pp. 26-35
Author(s):  
Yaro Loveline
Keyword(s):  
Primary Schools ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Sustainable Growth ◽  
Indigenous Languages ◽  
National Language ◽  
Curriculum Policy ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
The Government

The concern on the effective inclusion of indigenous languages in the school curriculum has been central to educational discussions among scholars and stakeholders. It is true that language as a medium of communication is very vital for sustainable growth in any society. However, the level of implementation of the policy of multilingualism in classrooms in Cameroon poses so many pedagogical challenges. While the Government is collaborating with private agencies such as PROPELCA(Cameroon National Language Association) in introducing the teaching of national languages in primary schools,  and though the Government through the Ministry of Basic Education has also created an inspectorate in charge of the introduction of indigenous languages in Primary schools, there still exist some resistance from stakeholders to introduce the teaching of native languages in the curriculum of schools despite recommendations made in the 1995 education forum and the provision in article 4 section 5 of the 1998 Education Law. The study argues that, since the introduction of multilingualism as curriculum policy in Cameroon, its implementation is still at the pilot stage. Using the Historical analytic approach, data was collected from primary and secondary sources in establishing the level of use of the curriculum policy of multilingualism as a guide to teaching and learning in schools in Cameroon.

scholarly journals Teachers` level of support in the use of teaching and learning resources of learners who are physically challenged in regular primary Schools in Kisumu West Sub County, Kenya.

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 92-112
Author(s):  
Dorine Adhiambo Obara ◽  
Charles Michael Were
Keyword(s):  
Primary Schools ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Drop Out ◽  
Learning Resources ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Head Teachers ◽  
The Government ◽  
Physically Challenged ◽  
Out Of School

The Government of Kenya made inclusive education a policy requirement in the provision of education to all children. Research has shown that the support given by teachers plays a very important role in curriculum implementation that ensures success in a child`s career. Education Assessment records in Kisumu county indicate that between the year 2012 and 2016, 846 learners who are physically challenged had been assessed and placed in regular schools in Kisumu West, Kisumu Central and Kisumu East sub-counties, out of which 246 had dropped out of school. However, Learners who are physical challenged often drop out of school more as compared to their regular counterparts particularly in Kisumu West Sub-County. The number of learners who are physically challenged enrolled in regular primary schools has been decreasing due to dropouts despite the fact that officers in Kisumu EARC conducted sensitization programs and workshops yearly for teachers and stakeholders in education. This decrease is confirmed at 138 (31.9%), which is higher as compared to the dropout of neighboring sub-counties namely: Kisumu East 31 (21.8%) and Kisumu Central 77(28.4%). Reason for this high dropout has not been established. The purpose of this study was therefore to establish teachers’ level of support in the use of teaching and learning resources of learners who are physically challenged  in regular primary schools in Kisumu West Sub-County and objective of this study therefore was to establish teachers’ level of support in the use of teaching and learning resources of learners who are physically challenged. A conceptual framework was used to show the interaction of dependent and independent variables. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. Target population of the study consisted of 15 head teachers, 30 teachers, 6 EARC coordinators and 90 learners who are physically challenged. Saturated sampling technique was used to select 13 head teachers and 4 EARC coordinators, while purposive sampling was used to select 27 teachers and 81 learners who are physically challenged. Data was collected using questionnaires, interview schedules and observation checklist.  Face and content validity of instruments was established through expert judgment and revision. Reliability of instruments was established through test-retest method on 10% of study population using Pearson’s product correlation. Reliability coefficient for head teachers questionnaire was 0.8, teachers’ questionnaires was 0.9; Learners who are physically challenged questionnaires was 0.7. This was above the accepted value of 0.7. Correlation coefficient analysis was used to establish teachers’ level of support in the use of teaching and learning resources f learners  who are physically challenged. Quantitative data was analyzed using frequency counts, percentages and mean. Qualitative data from interview and observation schedules were collected, organized and categorized into themes and sub-themes, which were reported. Findings of the study indicated that most regular primary schools did not have adequate adapted teaching and learning resources required for learners who are physically challenged. The study recommended that Ministry of Education should ensure adequate supply of adapted teaching and learning resources, Findings of this study would be useful to teachers, EARC coordinators, and Ministry of Education.

scholarly journals Influence of teaching and learning materials availability on the development of pupils in upper primary schools in Karunga Zone, Gilgil Sub County

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 294-301
Author(s):  
Monicah Naisianoi ◽  
Peter Koome ◽  
Esther Marima
Keyword(s):  
Primary Schools ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Learning Materials ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
The Government ◽  
Education Science

It is through education where a foundation for growth, groundwork on which most of our social and economic well-being is developed. This study sought to establish the influence of teaching and learning materials available on the development of pupils in upper primary schools in Karunga Zone, Gilgil Sub County. Teaching and learning materials are devices and aids through which learning and teaching are done in schools. The study was anchored on the Theory of Instruction and adopted the descriptive research design. The target population was 587 teachers of primary schools in Karunga zone, Gilgil Sub County from which a sample of 100 teachers were selected using the stratified random sampling method. Data was collected using questionnaires and analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics. Results showed that teaching and learning materials availability (r= .652, p .000; β= .751, p .000) has a positive and statistically significant influence on the development of pupils in upper primary. Based on this finding, the study recommends that the government of Kenya through the Ministry of Education Science and Technology should improve the availability of teaching and learning resources in public primary schools in order to promote optimal development of pupils.

Japan’s Education Policies in Korea in the 1910s: “Thankful and Obedient”

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-145
Author(s):  
Andrew Hall
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Elementary Education ◽  
Private Schools ◽  
National Language ◽  
Japanese Education ◽  
Education Policies ◽  
Korean Education ◽  
Japanese Colonial ◽  
The Government ◽  
Gradual Approach

Abstract In the 1910s, Japanese colonial officials worked to legitimize their recently acquired rule of Korea by providing public elementary education, gradually expanding from an initially limited offering. Their public schools existed in tension with Korean-run private schools, which the Japanese barely tolerated. There was also a tension within the Japanese camp over the proper curriculum for the public elementary schools. The Korean Education Ordinance of August 1911 was a compromise between Japanese officials in Korea, who generally favored a gradual approach to colonial rule, and Japanese educators and officials in Japan, who generally were optimistic about Japan’s ability to assimilate the Koreans through education. This article expands our understanding of the process of drafting the ordinance. It examines the Japanese “national language” and “Korean and literary Sinitic” textbooks published during the 1910s, and finds that the compromise resulted in messages of thankfulness and obedience, stressing Japanese superiority and Korean backwardness. Finally, it reviews the Japanese attempts to control Korean-run private schools. This article explicates the creation and implementation of colonial education policy by examining internal and external documents published by the Government-General of Korea and its employees, the textbooks the government published, and Japanese education journals.

scholarly journals Community Perception on Public Primary Schools: Implications for Sustainable Fee Free Basic Education in Rorya District, Tanzania

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-47
Author(s):  
Eliada Werungu Bina Tieng’o
Keyword(s):  
Community Participation ◽  
Primary Education ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
School Management ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Community Perception ◽  
Management Committee ◽  
Economic Productivity ◽  
The Government

Despite the involvement of community participation in various development projects over the years in Tanzania, little is known of its implications on sustainability of fee free basic education in rural public primary schools. A mixed method exploratory approach, informed by ecological systems theory, employed questionnaires, FGD and interview schedules to selected parents and School Management Committee members of public primary schools in Rorya District, Tanzania. The study focused on the value of public primary school education, advantages of Fee Free primary education, perceptions of parents and School Management Committee members on community participation and relationship between parent’s perception on the value of public primary education and participation in project-based support to education. The respondents exhibited heterogeneous negative perceptions with a positive correlation between parent’s perception on the value of public primary education and participation in project-based support to education (r =.510, p=000<0.01). The larger majority 64.3% of parent respondents with grade 7 education was deemed a factor that influenced negative perception. The researcher recommends that the Government authorities need to impart community economic productivity skills; the District Authorities further need to conduct community awareness on the importance of participation. Finally, the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the other stakeholders should mobilize funds and sensitize communities on the value of primary education and the importance of their participation in community development programs to support education.

scholarly journals Non-Māori teachers teaching Māori language in English-medium primary schools: We are all in this together - He waka eke noa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Alice Patrick
Keyword(s):  
Primary School ◽  
Empirical Data ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Language Resources ◽  
Online Questionnaire

<p>This thesis reports the findings of original research examining the role that non-Māori teachers can play teaching te reo Māori in English-medium¹ primary schools, as per the expectation in the New Zealand Curriculum (Ministry of Education, 2007).  I undertook this research for personal and professional reasons, due to my personal exposure to te ao Māori and Māori education over 57 years. Although non-Māori, I have been fortunate to learn te reo Māori from very generous Māori whānau, language tutors and personal mentors. Professionally, I embarked on the study because of my longstanding work in Māori language education as a teacher, lecturer and adviser in schools.²  My research investigates non-Māori teachers’ beliefs and practices, while uncovering some of the factors that can influence the teaching of te reo Māori in English-medium primary schools. I also explore what Māori language materials the teachers use (or need) to help them implement their Māori language programmes – and their notions of what constitute ‘quality’ Māori language resources.  There are three empirical data sources – an online questionnaire (n=40), classroom observations (n=4), and teacher interviews (n=4). Because of my topic being important to Māori, and worthy of research, I chose to be guided by kaupapa Māori³ values as an ethical base for my research.  The findings show some consistency across four case study teachers – in terms of their stated beliefs and their classroom practices (e.g. ensuring the learning of te reo is enjoyable, incorporating aspects of tikanga⁴, demonstrating good pronunciation and positivity about te reo). However, there are also inconsistencies in terms of the teachers not following through on their beliefs about: the importance of facilitating group work/practice opportunities, using Māori language materials, and drawing on students’ prior knowledge/experiences. It is evident that there are contributing factors that influence teachers’ practice (e.g. lack of quality resources and associated professional development (PD), lack of support from school leaders and parents, and lack of time).  The teachers’ views on what constitute quality Māori language resources for English-medium primary schools (as indicated by the 40 online questionnaire participants) show that their top three priorities are real-life contexts, user-friendliness, and inclusion of tikanga – followed by audio support, English translations/glossaries, visual appeal, multimedia, teachers’ notes, and alignment to the Māori language curriculum guidelines.  In the future, teachers would like to see resources developed that incorporate information technology (e.g. Māori language games/multimedia), help them to use Māori language in the classroom, provide pronunciation support, facilitate shared reading experiences (e.g. big bilingual books), and provide information about their local area.  This research contributes to the literature, as few studies have examined the teaching and learning of Māori language in English-medium primary schools. Furthermore, it contributes to the wider kaupapa of Māori language revitalisation by validating whānau aspirations/expectations around their tamariki/ mokopuna⁵ receiving reo Māori tuition, supported by quality Māori language materials. In addition, the research highlights a relationship between Māori language provision and Māori student achievement. The study also provides an evidence base for the Ministry of Education (and resource developers) regarding the creation of resources for English-medium primary schools – and the need for teachers to receive quality PD.  There are theoretical implications, in that there is scope for other researchers to contribute to the discourse by undertaking culturally responsive studies associated with Māori language education and/or teacher cognition. There is also scope for research that provides empirical data about the relationship between Māori students having access to te reo Māori in their English-medium schooling and them achieving educational success.  There are practical implications for Te Mātāwai, the Māori Language Commission and the Ministry of Education as they implement initiatives that will contribute to government’s goal of making Māori language universally available in schools, with one million New Zealanders speaking basic reo by 2040. There are also implications for the practice of teachers, school leaders, and PD facilitators in English-medium primary school settings – as well as resource developers who work in this space. Likewise, there are implications for NZ primary school students – in terms of recognising the benefits that ensue from learning te reo. In particular, there is a focus on the benefits for Māori students in having their language and culture validated – so they can stand strong and be successful in both te ao Māori and te ao Pākehā. Ko tērā te moemoeā mō āku mokopuna hoki.  ¹ Instruction in these schools is delivered in English. ² The word ‘school(s)’ henceforth refers to English-medium educational settings, whereas the word ‘kura’ is reserved for Māori-medium settings. ³ Pertaining to Māori knowledge, skills, attitudes. ⁴ Culture/customs. ⁵ Children/grandchildren.</p>

A Canadian Perspective: French Language Learning

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 311-333
Author(s):  
Thomas G. Ryan ◽  
Erhan Sinay
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
School Boards ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Language Education ◽  
International Perspective ◽  
National Language ◽  
French Language ◽  
Entry Points ◽  
Core French ◽  
The Government

In Canada, language learning is viewed as an international, national and local need. Herein an international perspective is provided that guides the reader into a National language perspective which is uniquely Canadian. For instance, within Ontario there are concerns about French language education and the multiple entry points for students and inequities in most school boards in Ontario. The fact that School Boards across the province have identified the supply and demand for Ontario elementary and secondary teachers as variable especially in certain subjects such as French Language is unsettling. Future recruitment needs to cast a wide net and move deep into Faculties of Education in a proactive manner. Having the necessary French teachers and support staff is very important yet the need to retain students and educators in French programs is equally essential since retention and attrition rates impact program viability. Recent history in Ontario Core French (CF) programs demonstrate reduced enrollments over time therefore the government of Ontario has acknowledged a need to increase FSL student retention via improved access, training, relationships and special programs, to ensure students are enrolled and retained as long as possible.

Primary School and Urban Residential Neighborhood - A Study of Koteswor, Kathmandu

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Rijina Bajracharya ◽  
Sunaina Karmacharya ◽  
Mohan Moorti Pant
Keyword(s):  
Primary School ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
Neighborhood Environment ◽  
Walking Distance ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Residential Neighborhood ◽  
The Government

Primary school is an indispensable part of children’s daily lives and their parents as well. While educational environment within the school premise is important, the location of primary schools in any neighborhood is of equal importance, since it affects the daily journey of the children to school and the neighborhood environment in general. However, there are so far no such mandatory government policies in Nepal that link residential neighborhoods and location of primary schools, and no researches have been carried out in this respect either. This research explores one of the urban residential neighborhoods, Koteswor, of the Kathmandu Valley from the perspective of location of primary school and its service to the locality. The research makes a field study on the distribution pattern and service radius of primary schools, commuting distance and pedestrian safety of children. The study shows that more than three fourth of the children go to more distant schools than to schools within their residential area, and more than half go to other districts. Likewise, walking distance for half of the children exceeds the limit of Ministry of Education’s recommendation for urban areas. Children’s safety on their way to school through vehicular road is also a serious concern of the parents. Thus, while there is enough number of schools in the locality, it raises question on their quality, management and their distribution. Furthermore, only one school run by the Ministry of Education in an area of 40,000 population shows the irresponsibility of the government to meet the free basic education for all stated by the constitution.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document