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Quality education : Oxfam Novib's position


Document type: report
Download file(s): 199351 (730 KB)
Abstract: This paper sets out Oxfam Novib’s position on the importance of the quality of education – why we and all agencies should be attending to the content of curricula, the teaching methods used, the stakeholders involved, and the overall purpose of education. We argue that the current focus of governments and donors on improving enrolment levels without improving quality is not acceptable, and we hold states accountable to their commitments to provide quality basic education to all. Whilst we concur with UNESCO’s and UNICEF’s definitions of a quality education, we believe additionally that for education to transform societies it is essential that the process is permeated with an overriding purpose of pursuing greater equity and justice. To focus our minds on the need for education to create individual and collective empowerment to further equity and justice, we propose three principles which should guide our work aimed at achieving quality education. These are that the work should: be gender-just; promote active citizenship; be contextualized to local needs. This paper also outlines practical strategies based on the three principles, which are relevant both for advocacy and for work within educational systems and communities.
Corporate author(s): Oxfam Novib
Category: Policy
Keywords: children , communities , education , empowerment , gender , human rights , participation , youth
Language: eng
Organization: Oxfam Novib
PAGE: 36
Place: [Den Haag]
Publisher: Oxfam Novib
Year: 2008
Right: © 2008 Oxfam Novib
Subject: Social and Political Change
Title: Quality education : Oxfam Novib's position