Review of Education in Southeast Asia Through Short Stories, Quotes, and Charts

Posted by AsiaViews | Mar 19, 2018 | 0 |

First published in the Southeast Asia Globe and accessible at: http://sea-globe.com/review-of- education-in-southeast-asia-through-short-stories-quotes-and-charts/

The idea that education is a human right has remained a fantasy in many remote corners of the world. But with the use of digital devices spreading far faster than government services in many countries, the educational resource gap between urban and rural populations is diminishing. Lessons, tests, and even teachers can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection, and even some places without it. Social enterprise EDEMY is working to provide a quality English education to Cambodians regardless of their financial or environmental constraints. Their current model is able to operate in areas where there is no internet connection or qualified teachers, using a low-cost android tablet and a trained local facilitator. “I think technology cannot completely replace the role that teachers play, such as coaching, but technology is an effective tool to make learning and teaching more efficient,” says co-founder Sovan Srun. “It plays an important role in bridging the gap between rural and urban education as it enables students to attend world-class education at their fingertips.”

“Even if students become accountants of miners of whatever, art education is really important.”

*Aaron Seeto, director of Museum MACAN in Jakarta, on developing creative thinkers and leaders

ALMOST LIKE THE REAL THING

From the quill to the printing press and the personal computer, technology has been upending educational practices for centuries. If you’re keeping your eyes out for the next big thing, strap on a pair of ClassVR goggles and transport yourself to ancient temples, other planets or inside the human heart. Rupert Rawnsley, technical director at Avantis, which produces the teacher-friendly devices, said that his company looks at the curriculum first and then creates the user experience accordingly. “We aim to take the friction out of the experience for the teacher,” he told the tech website ZDNet. “We’ve produced 500 lesson plan notes to start with. The strategy is: adopt, adapt and innovate to bring your own content.” The headsets have a 5.5-inch high-resolution screen, a front-facing camera, microphone, stereo speakers and customized software. The cost for an eight-pack is currently more than $2,500 but, as with all technology, it will only get cheaper.

“If the Cambodian government wishes to integrate itself as a worthy competitor to the global educational system and eventual workforce, it needs to start with an innovative response not an imitative one.”

*Sothy Eng, professor of practice in comparative and international education at Leigh University’s college of education

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POINTS TO PONDER

EXTRICATING NDONESIAN CHILDREN FROM ISIS INFLUENCE ABROAD

Indonesia urgently needs to revisit the possibility of repatriating the neediest of its young citizens stranded abroad, whose families had earlier joined ISIS. Most of these children are in camps in northern Syria but there are also small numbers in the Philippines, Afghanistan and Iraq. “Extricating Indonesian Children from ISIS Influence Abroad”, the latest report from the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) argues that the government could begin by bringing back small groups of unaccompanied children under ten years of age, who pose minimal security risk and are most vulnerable to deteriorating conditions in the camps.“The problem is that health and security conditions are worsening by the day in the Syrian camps, and the children are growing older,” says Dyah Kartika, IPAC analyst. “They need access to schools, a nurturing environment, and medical attention. If the government waits too long, the children will be further exposed to ISIS ideology.” The new report examines a 2019 list of Indonesians in camps and prisons run by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The Indonesian government has been trying to verify their citizenship, but with pseudonyms, misspellings and bad transliterations, it is a daunting task. At the time the data was collected, between March and June 2019, there were 555 Indonesians in SDF camps and prisons, including 367 children. Among the children, approximately 277 were under the age of ten and 34 were unaccompanied. In June 2021, there are fewer than ten children who are both unaccompanied and under the age of ten that could be prioritized for return. Bringing back children of ISIS families is no easy task. The report analyses the main challenges faced by the Indonesian government. These include definitional issues, bureaucratic competition, the difficulty of verifying nationality, evaluating the toll of exposure to conflict, assessing security risk, and finding relatives or others willing to provide care once the children are returned. In addition, COVID has meant stringent restrictions on travel, placing further obstacles in the way of repatriation. There are several models for rehabilitation of children exposed to violent extremism in Indonesia that could be modified to accommodate the needs of children repatriated from abroad. The report examines these models and argues that the government does not need to have every detail of rehabilitation programs in place before it starts extricating children from ISIS influence. It can start by bringing back the most vulnerable children and then modify programs as needed.

“It’s important that the government see these children as victims” says Dyah. “They deserve a chance to be children again.”

Review of Education in Southeast Asia Through Short Stories, Quotes, and Charts