Difference between revisions of "Educational NGOs"
From NGO Handbook
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===Brief History of NGOs=== | ===Brief History of NGOs=== | ||
| − | NGOs first appeared on the international scene in the nineteenth century (excluding the religious and academic networks from the middle ages) due to a rise in the middle class and their ability to devote time, education, and resources to joining associations. In 1978, The NGO Committee became a permanent committee in the United Nations (Willetts 1996). However, it was only in the 1980s that there was a real rise in international non-governmental organizations (Schafer 1999). The World Development Report 2007 highlights the need for attention in the education sphere. The theme of this report is youth, ages 12 to 24. Along with the struggle with basic needs that many countries face, the global economy also demands from them more technical and behavioral skills, especially those formed during the ages of 15–24. The report highlights the need for education, as young people need to acquire the right knowledge and skills to become productive workers, good parents, and responsible citizens | + | NGOs first appeared on the international scene in the nineteenth century (excluding the religious and academic networks from the middle ages) due to a rise in the middle class and their ability to devote time, education, and resources to joining associations. In 1978, The NGO Committee became a permanent committee in the United Nations (Willetts 1996). However, it was only in the 1980s that there was a real rise in international non-governmental organizations (Schafer 1999). The World Development Report in 2007 highlights the need for attention in the education sphere. The theme of this report is youth, ages 12 to 24. Along with the struggle with basic needs that many countries face, the global economy also demands from them more technical and behavioral skills, especially those formed during the ages of 15–24. The report highlights the need for education, as young people need to acquire the right knowledge and skills to become productive workers, good parents, and responsible citizens (World Development Report 2007). Furthermore, overall improvement in education not only leads to economic and social progress, but to a more healthy civil society and democratic processes on all level of societies. In general, the aim of education is not only to acquire practical skills, but to change societal behaviors for a better quality of life, as well as to increase citizens’ participation to community life (CONGAD 2000). |
Educational NGOs have played key roles in economic and social development worldwide, from contributing to primary education in Angola to providing secondary school students in Eastern Europe with the necessary computer skills to succeed in today’s increasingly competitive labor landscape. The strengths of NGOs lie in a number of areas. NGOs | Educational NGOs have played key roles in economic and social development worldwide, from contributing to primary education in Angola to providing secondary school students in Eastern Europe with the necessary computer skills to succeed in today’s increasingly competitive labor landscape. The strengths of NGOs lie in a number of areas. NGOs | ||
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*consider promotional activities of the educational sector as a natural prolongation of educational practices (CONGAD 2000). | *consider promotional activities of the educational sector as a natural prolongation of educational practices (CONGAD 2000). | ||
| − | This article will outline some of the activities carried out by NGOs in education, including involvement in civic education, gender issues in education, and peace and human rights education. It will then outline the diversity in educational NGO collaborations, specifically partnerships with governments, the private sector, and multiple stakeholders will be examined. | + | This article will outline some of the activities carried out by NGOs in education, including involvement in civic education, gender issues in education, and peace and human rights education. It will then outline the diversity in educational NGO collaborations, specifically partnerships with governments, the private sector, and multiple stakeholders will be examined. |
===Civic Education=== | ===Civic Education=== | ||
Revision as of 10:14, 4 August 2008
Contents
Overview of Educational NGOs
NGOs are civil society actors. They have a specific agenda for the improvement of society, and act on the desire to advance and improve the human condition (Gallin 2000). In 1990, the decade of “Education for All” (EFA) was launched in Jomtien, Thailand. There were six goals set in Jomtien and in 2000 in Dakar, Senegal, these goals were reaffirmed for another 15 years until 2015 (Torres). They are:
- Expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children.
- Ensuring that by 2015 all children, particularly girls, children in difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities, have access to, and complete, free and compulsory primary education of good quality.
- Ensuring that the learning needs of all young people and adults are met through equitable access to appropriate learning and life-skills programs.
- Achieving a 50 percent improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015, especially for women, and equitable access to basic and continuing education for all adults.
- Eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005, and achieving gender equality in education by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls’ full and equal access to and achievement in basic education of good quality.
- Improving all aspects of the quality of education and ensuring excellence of all so that recognized and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all, especially in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills (UNESCO 2000).
Since the Dakar conference, the coordination group has been set up to ensure, in collaboration with UNESCO, that there are follow-up of activities as well as programs and mechanisms for NGOs under the area of “Education For All”. The Coordination Group is composed of eight representatives of civil society organizations, comprised of five regional organizations, two international organizations, and one representative of the UNESCO/NGO Liaison Committee (CCNGO 2001).
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