Access to Education Access to Education in the Americas by Michelle 1. What are the main issues for this topic? Differential access to education is an issue that plagues not only the Americas but also all countries of the world. Differential access refers to the notion that not everyone has the same opportunity to obtain an education. There are a number of factors that hinder one’s access to education, including: socioeconomic status (that is, power, wealth, and prestige), gender, culture, and which area of the country/city you live in. Schools in many countries have taken on responsibilities that were generally left to the family such as the provision of food and medical attention to students. From Canada to Colombia, schools offer lunch programs to ensure that their students are nourished both physically and intellectually. An education has implications for one’s future as well. An education will ideally lead to employment, helping liberate people from cycles of poverty. Another issue pertaining to access to education is access to quality education. The type of knowledge that is transmitted in a developed and developing country vary. Quite often people immigrate to Canada or to the United States from the developing countries of the more southern Americas. In their home countries they may have been professionals but find themselves in a new country where they are told that their level of skill/education is inadequate. The disparity in the quality of education and technology in the Americas is great. Most often it is the people from more affluent backgrounds that receive better quality education, perpetuating a hierarchical structure in society where the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor. 2. What are some regional examples of these issues? The history of Manitoba’s Aboriginal peoples and its education system is an extensive one. Many young Aboriginal children were forced into residential schools where their cultures was disrespected and an attempt was made to assimilate them into the mainstream culture. More recently, an attempt has been made to incorporate Aboriginal culture into school curriculums. Slowly, the history and culture of Canada’s founding nations is being added to the course content. The University of Winnipeg, which is situated in the core area of the city of Winnipeg, now offers courses on Native Studies, Languages, and Spirituality. These courses are inclusive to everyone regardless of cultural background. 3. How does this issue affect me (at the personal level)? 4. How does this issue affect youth in my community? There is a push towards multicultural education that has been taking place across Canada since the 1970s. This movement is intended to respect the diversity of Canadian society and the different ways in which we all learn. Bursary programs exist in Canada to assist students who would not normally be able to pursue post-secondary education independently. But these movements require funding to stay alive and the people who need them must be aware that they exist in order to take advantage of them. 5. How does this issue affect youth in the Americas? Women are most commonly denied access to education. In Peru, there is said to be 3.5 illiterate females for every 1 illiterate men. This phenomenon is not isolated to Peru but is somewhat universal. The issue of differential access to education has strong links to health, racism, and sexism. For more information: www.americas.org www.vcn.bc.ca/idea/kuehn.htm www.oie.es/efa2000sdominguezeng.htm www.vcn.bc.ca/idea/ramos.htm www.oneworld.org/ips2/oct98/19_07_074.htm www.ceq.qc.ca/nouvelle/mars99/zlea.htm cgi.web.miami.edu/nsc/summit/puryear.htm Sources used in the creation of this article: 1: www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos This site offers statistical information on all countries of the world, including stats pertaining to literacy rates. 2. www.obra.com.uy/ciid/monitoring.htm This site monitors the improvements being made in the domain of human rights in countries around the world.