Download - Solomon Islands' Education
by Erica Kimby
Solomon Islands’
EDUCATIO N
Solomon Islands is one of the most underdeveloped countries in South Pacific. I found that the best intervention for an overall improvement to the country would be to start with their education.
by Erica Kimby
Solomon Islands’
EDUCATIO N
Understanding Solomon Islands
# of Islands: 922 islands Population: 581, 318
The Solomon IslandsSO
LOM
ON
ISLA
ND
S’ E
DUCA
TI
ON
POPU
LATI
ON
More than 75% of the Islands’labor force is engaged in
GDP growth rate: -2.3% (2009)
The bulk of the population depends on agriculture,fishing, and forestry for atleast part of its livelihood.
$1 USD = $7.34 SBD (2006)
$256 million per/yr
$237 million per/yr
GOVERNMENT ECONOMICS ENVIORNMENT PEOPLE(CHILD) PEOPLE (ADULT)
60,496 students2,514 teachers
24 / 1Primary School
60 %literate
40%illiterate
Adult Literacy
Causes of deathdiphtheria pertussis, whooping coughturberculosispoliomeasles
Under-5 mortality
rate
1990 2006
121/1000
73/1000
Total fertility rate:3.65 children born /woman (2008 est)
Birth rate:28.48 births/1,000 population
fishtimberpalm oilcocoa
foodplant equipmentmanufacturedfuelschemicals
Employment /population
65.7
65.8
1991
2006
Deforestation; soil erosion; coral reefs are dead or dying
2007 earthquake : 52 died, more than 900 homes destroyed thousands of people homeless
Arable land: 0.62%Permanent crops: 2.04%Other: 97.34%
Queen Eliziabeth IIMonarch of Solomon Islands
550/1000
130/1000
Maternal mortality ratio
1990
2006
Male dominent society, thoughwomen inherit lineage and land
Agriculture productscocoa beans coconuts palm kernelrice potatoes vegetablefruit timber cattle pigs fish
Exports
8.0earth- quake
2000 B.C.
1568
1886
1942
1945
1978
1998
2003
2006
First inhabitantof human
Explored by Alvarode Mendana(Spain)
Colonized by Great Briten & Germany
WWIIBattle of Guadalcanal
British control
Independencefrom Britian
Civil war of lawlessnessInt. peacekeeper from Australia restored orderSnyder Rini became prime minister
Total renewable water resources: 44.7 cu km
Population: 559,198 (2010 est.)
EDU
CAT
ION
LITE
RA
CY
MO
RTA
LITY
RAT
E
Growth rate: 2.27% (2010 est.)
Education expenditures:2.2% of GD
TIM
ELIN
E
Land is rich in lead, zinc, nickel, and gold.
IND
UST
RY
RESO
UR
CES
DIS
AST
ERS
TNE
MY
OLPME
YTINRETA
MRE
DNE
GN
OIGI LER
GLO
BA
L W
ARM
ING
CU
RREN
CY
GO
VER
NA
NC
E
Only 60% of school-age children have access to primary education
Healthy life expectancy at birth is at 60 years.
75%Agriculture
20%Service
5% Industry
95% Christian5% maintains traditional beliefs
Islands’ governments is characterized by weak political parties and unstableparliamentary coalitions.
Only 13% live in urban areas
70 different language groups
It is estimated that accessibletimber resources may beexhausted by about 2010 if present levels of logging continue.
YRTSU
DNI
Currently, logging is thethe main income stream
. 22.7% percent of populationliving below the national poverty line EM
PLO
YM
ENT
Some kids do not attend school due to lack of food for lunch.
Taro, the staple root cropis dying off due to the due to salinity of the swamps caused by erosion
70% of the population is under 24 years of age.
Limited opportunitiesfor young people result in substance abuse teenage pregnancy; criminal activitie; and sexual exploitation leading to exposure to HIV infection and sexually transmitted diseases.
Full-time employment is rareIt is common for one wagedperson to support upwards of15 extended family members
MIS
GU
IDEN
CE
The Islands have a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentgovernment. Queen ElizabethII is the Monarch of the SolomonIslands and the head of state; she is represented by the Governor-General.
The head of government is lead by the Prime Minister
Import:
Understanding Solomon IslandsSO
LOM
ON
ISLA
ND
S’ E
DUCA
TI
ON
d
s
2006
199
0
2006
199
0
65.7
65.8
20%Service
CURRENT PROBLEM: Environment“Actual logging rates are 700,000 cubic meter per year...The government, however, has issued logging licenses for 4,000,000 cubic meters per year...such an elevated logging rate (12 times the sustainable rate) could deplete the Solomon Island’s forests in only three years” Neal Lineback, Geography in the News
EDUCATION AS A SOLUTION: Educating the public and the policy makers about the long-term environmental impacts of logging, is the first step in saving the natural resource of which all Islanders’ lives depend on.
CURRENT PROBLEM: Health“Solomon Islands has reached a moment in history that it is experiencing a double burden of disease, with the huge increase of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) such as hypertension, heart disease, cancer and diabetes.” Jermey Inifiri, Solomon Star Daily Newspaper
EDUCATION AS A SOLUTION: There is a need for education on the various prevention methods for HIV/ AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis as well as non-contractile diseases such as hypertension, heart diseases, cancer and diabetes.
CURRENT PROBLEM: Farming and Erosion “We are trying to address food security, which can affect the growth and health of our people. Our people need to eat a balanced diet and nutritional food, but with effects of rising sea level, food crops like taro in Ontong Java are dying. The coastal people depending on swamp taro and local ferns are losing their source of food due to the salinity of the swamp,” - Casper Supa, Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (Pacc)
EDUCATION AS A SOLUTION: Educating farmers on different systems of irrigation can improve crop productivity. Educating farmers on where soil erosion will continue its pattern will give farmers more chances.
Problems: Education as a SolutionSO
LOM
ON
ISLA
ND
S’ E
DUCA
TI
ON
Education is the key resource in resolving the problems Solomon Islanders face today.
Patric Awauh was a TED speaker who started a liberal art college in Ghana where students are able to understand, analyze and problem solve the situations they and their country are surrounded with. Awauh believes the only way to save Africa from its current state of corruption, weak institution and misplaced leadership is through educating its youth. He calls for a renaissance in Africa by changing its current education of recitation to focusing on topics of ethics, critical thinking and installing a sense of entitlement in his students.
Solomon Island & Education
NeedProblems
My objectives
creative & fun
$ structuresystemstanderization
school educated teachers
facility
materials: teaching resource, text books transportation school supplies: paper, pen, chalk board, chalk, exercise books, books, maps, charts
teachers not showing up to class
short # of qualified teachersnon-proper learning environment: - over crowded classrooms 60:1 - students lose interest and drop outlack of teaching materials, guide, text books
sustainable education (not relying constantly for other country’s help)creating leaders: ability to think, independent, strong, creative
Basic education:-Math: #-English: language, communication-History: understanding the social change-Science: the logic and fact of nature
What does kids want?
play & learn
For schools to operate place for people to gather qualified instructor student materials
Lack of money, structure, and resources are all problems of Solomon Islands’ Education. Even though these long term problems are currently being worked out by the Board of Educations and global organization such as UNESCO, the immediate need of students still exists. Students will continue to go to school everyday unaware of their potential to improve their country from the curriculum they are being taught.
Inspired by Patric Awauh, I want to provide something for the children of today to fuel the leaders of tomorrow.
Brainstorming: Issues around Education
Inspiration: Sustainable leadership through Education
Brainstorming Sustainable EducationSO
LOM
ON
ISLA
ND
S’ E
DUCA
TI
ON
Thoughtses
Erica Korea
- Shy but wanted to play with other children.- wrote a a everyday.- studied the growth of plants.- participated in school bazaar, bought things on her own.- made many art posters.- historic museum visits.
Arthur America
- being quiet in hallway, going to class on time, doing homework, getting ready for next activity.- aware of other people in class: who’s funny, who is smart, categorize them- jumproaping- praying for no pop quiz- had class cook day
Shaais International School in India
- shy- show and tell circle- math- studied wild animals- made posters and hung it on the wall- did home country project: drew things of daily life of her home culture (food, money, custom, costume).- around the world project: memorized
Sanis Korea
- visiting museums in small group- posting report on the wall- collecting recycled papers - finding articles on a news paper- writing diary- camping
I’ve asked adults to recall on their elementary grade memory. As some doctors emphasize the importance of activelearning, these adults also remember the majority of their favorite activities in school being physical.
Research clearly shows a person must be engaged to learn. People learn by actively participating in observing, speaking, writing, listening, thinking, drawing, and doing. - Learning is enhanced when a person sees potential implications, applications, and benefits to others. - Learning builds on current understanding (including misconceptions!).©2005 On-line Course Design Tutorial developed by Dr. Barbara J. Tewksbury (Hamilton College) and Dr. R. Heather Macdonald (College of William and Mary) as part of the program On the Cutting Edge, funded by NSF grant.
Example Activities:Name Beneficial skillsPenPal Writing, communication, gaining cultural insightJournal Writing, reflecting, thinking and expressing News Scrapping Reading, awareness of current eventsShow & Tell Speaking, describing, reasoning, self expressionResearch/ Report Reading, writing, questioning, uncover information, teaching Discussion/Debate Critical thinking,
Learning from different environment:Museum Visit Seeing (object’s size, shape and color), touching, hearing, readingZoo Visit Seeing (animal’s size, shape and color skin texture), hearing their sound, recording their habitatCamping Understanding nature through the senses, learning to live with less, being in unfamiliar places
Thoughts
Many of these activities are notfeasible in an underdeveloped country. What can children in Solomon Island do to learn from their environment?
Types of Active Learning: Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking, Watching, Drawing, Making, Touching, Role Playing, Exploring, Researching, Interviewing, Teaching
I hear and I forgotI see and I rememberI do and I understand-Confucius
Importance of Active LearningSO
LOM
ON
ISLA
ND
S’ E
DUCA
TI
ON
As a result of foreign colonization, civil wars, weak political parties, and natural disasters, Solomon Islands’ history has been continually unstable. With the labeled as a “developing country”, the Islands have been receiving aid from the generosities of the world. It has become apparent that if Solomon Islanders want to save their culture, natural resources, and future, they will need to become their own leaders to change to current system.
I believe educating the children of Solomon Islands is the most important asset to bringing these changes. But it is upon how these children are educated that will decide the reality of the Islands’ future. Sixty percent of children don’t have access to a primary education while the majority of the population graduates into a life of farming and agriculture, leaving their school lessons unused. Reading and writing will always be essential, but education must be tailored to the lives of the people in order to serve them well. A more sustainable and pertinent education must implemented if the children of Solomon Islands are to succeed.
My concept is to provide an instructional guide to teach the children of Solomon Islands the different systems that exist on their land through actively engaging with the people and places in their community. They will then come back to the classroom to share and “Connect the dots” of their findings. This exercise in understanding the pieces and analyzing the bigger picture, is necessary in solving the problems of the reality that they will inherit.
By providing the instructions to becoming a researcher of a marketplace or logging facility, children will learn the importance to the relationships that exist in any given system. For example, students may enquire about the journey of a banana and how a farmer grows, harvests, and sells the crop. The guide will then lead them pursue this process in relation to larger ideas these crops are connected to, such as the environmental consequences , trade economy, politics in agriculture, or social concerns in the village. As a result, students will become familiar early on in thinking critically about the complex problems that surrounds their future and making connections about how their community operates. It has become increasingly important for the children of Solomon Island to understand these systems early on, as the average age of employment starts at age 15.
Concept: “Connecting the dots”SO
LOM
ON
ISLA
ND
S’ E
DUCA
TI
ON
Skills practiced:
Skills practiced:
Skills practiced:
For the main project to be most effective, students needs to have some experience in interviewing, documenting, presenting and making connections. The following are exercise projects where students would practice these skills . The projects also teach about the basic cycles in their environment, which is essential to know when making connections throughout the community.
ME
MOTHERFATHER
BROTHERSISTHER
GRANDFATHERG RANDFATHERGRANDMOTHER GRANDMOTHER
Connecting the Dots: Introductory ExercisesSO
LOM
ON
ISLA
ND
S’ E
DUCA
TI
ON
Learning the WATER CYCLEKnowledge about the fresh water cycle, how it naturally circulates, how it is stored and accessed, will allow students be aware of the importance, as well as the complexity of water as a resource.
Learning the PLANT CYCLEPlants provide the essentials for human survival: food, shelter, and clothes. It is important to know how plants are grown, harvested, used, and discarded. Knowing its life cycle brings an understanding to its ability and the limits of use.
Creating a FAMILY TREEAsking family members how they and their relatives are connected to each other will help children understand their own position and the connections that exist in their family. Creatinga family tree will visualize this larger view.
Using these essential skills, students are actively interacting with their assigned subjects, rather than relying on the availability of textbooks.
INTERVIEWING SKILLBe clear on what you are asking and listen carefully to question the answers. Always emphasis what your intent is.
DOCUMENTING SKILLRecord key ideas. Write quotes from the interviewee. Draw symbols and pictures as place holders to organize and expand your thoughts later.
UNDERSTANDING SKILLUnderstand how informations relates to each other. Start to form a hierarchy of importance.
PRESENTATION SKILLPresent the information clearly. Emphasis lessons learned, how you can further investigate, and why.
Market VisitLook around the marketto find a product that interests you.
Interview the Seller- Introduce yourself, your project, and what you are looking for.- Question the seller’s process with the product: when, why, and how the product is selling.
Ask about the product- Describe the product.- How is it made?- Where is it from?- # of hands it went through?- Who uses them, and how?- What’s its life period?- Does it produce waste?- Ask for suggestions on how to investigate further.
Poster making- Draw the object- Include the findings from the interview-Include locations visited-Make sure to tell the full story and highlight any connections you’ve found
Presenting- Share the finding to the class. -Suggest what connections this product has to the community, how important it is, and how it could be improved.
How is it made?Comes from a banana plantBanana plant takes 9 months to produce banana
How many hands did it go thought? (how did he/she got it?)None, the seller is the farmer
Describe the object (name, type, shape, size, color, smell, taste, tex-ture, parts)Banana (Musca Species): Fruit, long, slight curve, 12 cm, green yellow, tastes sweet, texture is slimy, sticky, fibrous, and it has two parts
What is excess of this product?Peel or none
After the preliminary exercises, students will put their practiced skills to the test. In this example project, a market place is used as the setting to understand the product a student picks to research. They begin by interviewing the seller’s knowledge of the product and all the processes that surround it. After recording the conversation students create a poster and present their findings to the class.
Example project: Research of Banana
In this example project, the life of a banana is defined in detail. From an understanding of its species, components, appearance, smell, taste, and texture, to where the banana came from, how it got to the market, who its used by, how it is used, its benefit and limits. A knowledge of the product’s full life cycle and all its effects will educate students to the larger system behind every product.
Connecting the Dots: Example ProjectSO
LOM
ON
ISLA
ND
S’ E
DUCA
TI
ON
Life period/limit/benefitLife period: 7-10days in room temperaturelimits: it turns brown quickly if it gets bumpedbenefit: high is nutrition (vitamin B6, vitamin C, and potassium)
Userpeople and animals-farmers-crafts persons-cooks
How is it used?cooking: bread, dish, pastries, snack
What is by-product of this? and how are they used?Flower- eatenTrunk- also can be eaten or turned into paper or yarn.Leaves- made into basket or containers.Peel- polishes shoes and leather, whittens teeth.
Where is it from? (Local/ imported, nature/man-made)Local: Makia Island, Solomon Islands
Connecting the Dots: Class Discussion
SOLO
MO
N IS
LAN
DS’
EDU
CAT
IO
N
CLASS DISCUSSION It is important for students to understand both their research and how it relates to a larger picture. After the students present, the class analyzes the information. The idea is to use the research and connect the product to all its stories--mapping its footprints starting from the market, to the village, its governing industry, the economy, and all the way to its ecology. In this section a teacher’s role is crucial in guiding the class to discuss the larger concepts and the problems that arise with every connection made.
CONCLUSIONThroughout this curriculum, students confront their reality and discover at an early age the problems of their islands. In this way, children have the necessary information to think critically and feel comfortable in solving the problems they will face as they get older. I believe this type of education is the necessary first step in improving the future of Solomon Islands for its people.
CONNECTING THE DOTSA good way to explain how every students’ project are interconnected, is to map out their findings according to location. In this way, students will be able to make educated conclusions as to the source of a product’s problem and where to best affect it. COCOA BEAN
PACKAGED
SHIPPED TOFOREIGNDISTRIBUTOR
BANANA HARVESTBANANA SHIPPED
COCOA BEAN SHIPPED TO FOREIGN PROCESSING
SOLD AT MARKET
COOKED IN HOMES
CANNING FISH