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DETERMINANTS OF EDUCATION

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9 views2 pages

DETERMINANTS OF EDUCATION

Uploaded by

nabxnick
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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PART 2: EDUCATION SYSTEMS

DETERMINANTS OF EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS

National systems of education in different countries are influenced by specific causes and
factors. The factors may be similar or different depending on the context of each country e.g.
 Europe has a common Christian differentiation and a common contemporary shared
experience of the industrial labour society.
 Africa has a continental identity based on common needs associated with under
development and a shared history of European intervention and colonization.
 North America shares a common heritage of democratic principles.
 South America shares cohesion linked to common cultural origins and similar kinds of
socio-economic development.
 Asia has major cultural divisions related to religious affiliation and has diversity level of
economic developments i.e. has rich and poor countries.

Factors influencing systems of education

1. Economic development

 Levels of economic development which are pegged on the level of industrialization


determine decline and advancement of education development.
 An indication of advancement in education is the achievement of EFA (education for all)
goal seen through free compulsory Universal Primary Education (UPE) or elementary
education.
 In the high income industrialized societies e.g China, Japan, Australia USA,, Britain,
Germany etc UPE has been achieved and lower secondary education is free and
compulsory.
 In Middle level economies/newly industrialized countries like Thailand. Malaysia,
Indonesia, Taiwan, South Korea, UPE has nearly been achieved.
 In 3rd World countries: Africa, Pakistan and Latin America, UPE has not been achieved.
Even where the education is free and compulsory, the system is laden by non-enrolment,
drop-out and low completion rates the problems are compounded by high levels of
population growth, rural-urban migration and adult illiteracy.

2. Climatic and geographic conditions

 These affect architectural structures of schools: school entry age (access due to long
distances is delayed).
 The conditions determine existence of boarding and day schools.
 Also determine educational year calendar e.g. impact of summer and winter on learning.
3. Political factors

 Political outlook and belief has influenced the kind and amount of education given
throughout history.
 Political situation affects the curriculum, type of education systems, policies affecting the
curriculum, types of education systems for masses e.g. 8-4-4 stressed technical education.
 Political ideology determines the existence of democratic and undemocratic systems of
education. Examples of ideologies:
o Socialist/communist/Marxist/Leninist/authoritarian found in China and Cuba.
Centralized system of control and highly authoritarian where education is used by
government to achieve ideological mobilization.
o Parliamentary/capitalist/democratic regimes e.g. USA and Britain. Notable effort
made to ensure democratic participation and fairness in allocation of resources.
Decentralized control of education with control left to states.

4. Colonialism, racism and foreign domination

 Colonized states are subjected to foreign education systems and ideologies e.g French
assimilation policy during the colonial period.
 A racist education system is provided e.g. the British policy of segregation on education
according to race during the colonial period.
 Africa countries today mirror their training on the policies and ideologies of their
colonizers e.g. former Britain colonies us English as medium of instruction while former
French colonies use French; prestige in training has been accorded to humanities and pure
sciences at the expense of vocational and technical subjects; and there is dependence in
education with former colonies going abroad for further training.

5. Socio-cultural factors

 School systems reflect social patterns prevailing in any particular country.


 Education reforms reflect changing needs and aspirations of a dynamic society e.g. after
independence, most countries embarked on Africanization.
 Language diversity affects education systems in terms of medium of instruction; too
many languages have impact on cost of production of materials and national unity.

6. Historical factors

 Depending on the historical aspects of any country, education system is shaped e.g. war
(Sparta), food basket (Egypt), apartheid (South Africa), gender disparity (Islamic
countries) etc.
 A country comes up with an education system that can help them to address the historical
problems/needs.

7. Religious factors
 Religious traditions affect education system e.g in purely Islamic states like Pakistan,
Islamic orientation has been given great emphasis in education.
 Some countries allow for co-existence of different religious inclinations with separate
institutions while others adopt a secular outlook e.g. USA does not teach religion in
government institutions.

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