De functie van het onderwijsstelsel in een ontwikkelingsland

Samenvatting

Convergence theories suggest that all countries are generally heading in the same developmental direction. However, the rift between developed and developing nations appears to be widening. One of the problems is that education in developing nations does not always fit the needs of the people. Often, schools in such countries originated from indigenous institutions or from missionary efforts, and do not teach appropriate material (eg, rural schools may teach skills which prepare children for urban occupations). Changing the educational system to fit local needs is a process that could require a whole new generation of teachers, and therefore might take as long as 50 years to implement. Educational systems in developing countries presently lend status and western values to recipients, especially since the occupations for which they prepare people are frequently nonexistent at that stage in the nation's growth. Education should not be seen as the greatest hope for less developed areas, but rather as part of an overall program. P. Tiersma.