Differences in education between nations and factors that could explain these differences

The UNICEF table of education looks at the gross and net ration of male and female between 2000 to 2006 in primary and secondary school enrolment and attendance for different countries. It also illustrates the literacy rate of female and male (2000-2006) while also comparing Number of phone and internet users per 100 of the population of the year 2005.This table of education can be use to compare the following
-literacy rate of youth (14-24 year) from 2000-2006 of different countries
-number of phone and internet users per 100 of a population of different countries
-both net attendance ratio for both male and female for primary school and secondary school.(with this you actually get the number of children that actually attended primary school from 2000 to 2006 to those who attended secondary school in those same years) of each country
-we can also compare male and female primary school enrolment ration (both gross and net) for primary and secondary school levels.
-From the table it is also easy to compare level of drop out at both primary and secondary school (both male and female) to those who actually attended at both levels
-also the table is able to provide us with information of % of primary school entrants reaching grade 5 from both administrative and survey data

From these tables one is able to see the gender differences between female and male in their level of enrolment and attendance at both primary schools and secondary school levels. These gender differences is seen clearly between countries of the developed and less developed. The gender disparities between male and female in developed countries are more or insignificant, but whereas in developing countries the disparity rate is significant. The following examples clearly show this disperities.Belgium has and gross enrolment ratio of 104 for both male and female and a 99 net enrolment ratio for both male and female for primary schools. It has a gross secondary school enrolment ratio of 112 for male and 108 for female and a net enrolment ratio of 97 and 98 for both male and female respectively. Same goes for Austria with a gross enrolment ration of 104 for both male and female, with a net enrolment ratio of 96/97 for male and female respectively. The gross enrolment ration for secondary school for male is 152 and 145 for female and a net enrolment ratio of 86 and 87 respectively for male and female.norway ,Finland and Denmark have equal net and gross enrolment ratio for both male and female at both secondary and primary school. If you compare these rations with that of less developed countries like Benin which has a gross primary enrolment ratio of 107 and 85 for male and female net ratio of 70 and 60.with a gross secondary school enrolment ratio of 41 and 23 and a net ratio of 23 and 11 for both male and female another example is Nigeria with a gross ratio of 111 and 95 and a net ratio of 72 and 64 for primary school enrolment for male and female respectively, while gross and net enrolment ratio for secondary school is 37 and 31 and 29 and 25 for male and female the same goes for Burkina faso,Niger etc.
From the above examples cited we can see a gender inequality gab, these can be seen between less developed countries and those of the developed world. Religious and cultural belief are some of the factors that affect these inequality among gender in education in some of these areas, take the examples of Pakistan and Afghanistan religion plays a very important rule in the inequality that is found in the primary and secondary school attendance and enrolments. Also in some areas cultural norms this disparities eg where I come from people did not normally send girl children to school because they were considered as other “people properties” ,and so investing on their education was more or less unprofitable since normally she is expected to leave and go get married in another family. This therefore created a situation where the female child was left at home to take care of the home and the other children. This is a practice condemn the girl child to continue poverty and she could not be empowered and this greatly affected her health. These cultural and religious beliefs create the marginalization of the female child thus depriving her of opportunities later on in life. When that is compared to countries of the developed world one can observe that both female like male attend school on equal bases. In some cases the ratio of female to male is greater unlike in less developing whole where these ratio are smaller and as you get to the secondary school level it reduces further illustrated the type of society .The fact that developed countries are more democratic and secular permit and facilitate gender equality. Countries with higher primary schooling and a smaller gap between rates of boys’ and girls’ schooling tend to enjoy greater democracy (http://web.worldbank.org/)

If you also look at countries that are in continues conflict situation, war, natural disaster such as Democratic republic of Congo, Afaganistan etc sending children to school is difficult this is because of lack of stability and security. In this cases education and quality education is a distant dream, those a cycle is being observe that leaves these people in a continue state of poverty and lack of peace.

Poverty is one of the factors that also cause these differences in school enrolment and school attendance at both primary and secondary school levels. Poverty has negative implications and keeps children out of school. In developing countries, it is one child out of two who is poor (Minujin et al. 1999; UNICEF, 2000). Poverty that starts with childhood and carries the seed of its own reproduction (Heidel K., 2004). Poverty mortgages the future of the children that undergoes it and condemns them to relive it in adulthood. Making it impossible for them to go to school or to attend school. That is why a difference can be seen at the level of enrolment and attendance, Children are enrol in both primary and secondary school but yet cannot afford to actually attend as such the difference in attendance ratio.Striking difference in gross and net ratio is the fact that at in most developing countries the number of children that actually do attend after enrolment always falls. Reasons that can be advanced for this is the fact that schools may be located very far from where this children leave or lack of resources to buy school stationeries like books and pens and also the fact that some children have to help out at home or have to provide for their families financially and as such they are unable to attend school even after enrolment. Another reason that could be advance is the presence of structural violence, thus structures have continued to create a cycle of inequality which affects gender, race and ethnicity etc.

Another sticking thing is the number of phone users and internet uses .It can be seen that countries with high primary school and secondary school enrolment ratio have higher number of phone and internet users. Which proves that the more expose people are the more there interact with other people from different parts of the world and the more knowledge is gain. These countries are knowledge base societies
To summaries statistics show that the children account for a large proportion of the poor in the world (nearly half). Poverty starts with childhood; it is at this level that we should begin the fight and the best way to do this is to educate children. Education is essential in fighting poverty from the root since it provide skills for lifelong learning and professional success. The society has the obligation to correct the inequalities undergone by children who cannot be held responsible for the poverty situation they inherit (Cerc Association, 2004) and inorder to empower and strengthen the nation there is a need to educate children so that both the nation and the individual can be lifted from poverty. Education of the girl child is vital to the development of the society and as perfectly put educating a girl is educating a nation. Thus the need for gender sensitive education



References
- Cerc Association (2004). «Les enfants pauvres de France». Rapport de travail du Cerc Association.
- Heidel, K. (2004). «Reduction strategy papers: blind to the rights of the (working) child?». Kinderno- thilfe and Werkstatt Ökonomie, Heidelberg.
- Minujin, A. (1999). «Putting children into poverty statistics». Paper presented at the Third Meeting of the Expert Group on Poverty Statistics, INE, Lisbon.
- UNICEF (2000). «Poverty reduction begins with children». UNICEF, New York.
-http://web.worldbank.org/