2nd solution to evils of xenophobia is "Re-educating the public schools".

We are discussing solutions to evil of xenophobia.

There are 10 solutions. We start one by one in the order of importance.

1. RE-EDUCATING THE PARENTS (PROPER PARENTING)

Proper parenting is the most responsible act and involves complex issues. Therefore, we have to discuss proper parenting first and what it means.

Proper parenting is the process of raising and educating a child from birth, or before, until adulthood. Raising a child properly means giving the proper education to the child. As mentioned before, the earlier it starts the better it is for the child (the future adult). The first and foremost educators in child’s life are the parents. Therefore, it is of immense importance that parents have the proper education themselves first.

The goals of human parenting are usually to provide for children's emotional, intellectual and spiritual needs, protect them from harm, and impart in them skills and cultural values until they reach legal adulthood, usually after adolescence.

Therefore, one of the most important responsibility of parenting is to secure child’s development emotionally, intellectually and spiritually.

Emotional development refers to the conditions in which a child's mind can develop securely and peacefully. If the child's dignity is safe, i.e. nobody encroaches upon a child physically or verbally, he/she is able to develop with emotional security.

We discussed ten golden rules in child’s proper emotional development, ten golden rules in child's proper intellectual and ten golden rules in child's spiritual development; that parents have to bear in mind all the time.

We have already discussed the Fist Step of "Solution to Xenophobia" i.e. Re-educating the Parents. Details of proper parenting has been discussed in previous three blogs. Now we go on to the Second step i.e. Re-educating the Public Schools.

2. RE - EDUCATING THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS


Since large majority of children (70 – 95 %) go to public school, it is important to focus on public schools in order to create an educational system that eliminate emergence of xenophobia. Nevertheless, whatever is proposed in this context for public schools, equally applies to “private schools for children” as well.

Public school education is the most common and basic form of education in the world. It is provided mainly by local governments, with control and funding coming from three levels: federal, state, and local (city). Curricula, funding, teaching, and other policies are set through locally elected school boards by jurisdiction over school districts. The federal government funds aid to states and school districts that meet minimum federal standards.

Public school is normally split up into three stages: primary (elementary) school (kindergarten to 4th or 5th or 6th grade), junior high (also "intermediate", or "middle") school (5th or 6th or 7th to 8th or 9th) and high school (9th or 10th to 12th, somewhat archaically also called "secondary school"), with some less populated communities incorporating high school as 7th to 12th. Some Junior High Schools (Intermediate Schools) contain 7th to 9th grades or 7th and 8th, in which case the High School is 10th to 12th or 9th to 12th respectively.

There are wide variations in the delivery sysytem of the stages of primary and secondary levels of education in various part of the world. However, the similarities abound and what defines grades of educational levels in public schools all over the world; structures its aim at achieving the common goal of "basic education".

WHAT IS A BASIC EDUCATION?

Basic education refers to the whole range of educational activities taking place in various settings that aim to meet basic learning needs. According to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED), basic education comprises primary education (first stage of basic education) and secondary education (second stage of basic education). In countries (developing countries in particular), Basic Education often includes adult literacy programs. Tertiary education is college education which is not related to this thesis.

The Convention on the Rights of the Children (CRC), established by UNICEF in 1989, protects children's inalienable rights by setting standards for multiple aspects, one of which is basic education that includes both primary and secondary education.

Primary Education

The basic structure of primary education is to acquire the ability to read and write. This major goal is achieved through basic 'Literacy' (i.e. the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, compute and use printed and written materials), and numeracy (i.e. to obtain a proficiency which is developed mainly through mathematics), as well as establishing foundations in basics of science, geography, history and other social sciences.

Secondary education

The purpose of secondary education is to give common knowledge (i.e. the scientifically based knowledge in the areas of social sciences. It also involves the knowledge of and familiarity with the phenomena associated with astronomy, mathematics, physics, chemistry etc). Secondary education is also a tool to prepare for either higher education (tertiary education at university level) or vocational education, or to train directly to a profession.


Philisophically speaking primary education prepares one to read and write so that at secondary level of education one is able to "understand" an idea or a concept articulated by professionals in the academic field. Tertiary level of education (or higher education at university level) prepares one to acquire an ability to "create, form, articulate and deliver" an idea or concept of "one’s own".

Universal basic education (primary + secondary education) is regarded as a right of every individual in the world (specially in the thirld world countries where basic education is almost a scarecity). Literacy rate (at primary level education) in most of those countries ranges from 55% - 85%. At secondary level the figures are even more disappointing (i.e. 40 – 60%).

UNESCO has formed a universal agenda to reduce this appalling rate of illiteracy by advising countries to provide the basic education for everyone. The advantage of basic education are enormous, not just for the individual and the country but also for the whole world.

A extensive number of studies have proven its benefits on:

1. Public Health (lower spread of HIV/AIDS, better vaccination, prevention and medication of disease, better nutrition, lower maternal, infant and child mortality, lower teen age pregnancy and better motivations for family planning).

2. Demography (longer life expectancy, accelerated demographic transition through better birth control,...)

3. Economy (increase of purchase power, increased productivity in traditional sector, increased demand on service sectors,...).

4. Other benefits, although more difficult to measure, include impact on democracy, human rights, governance and political stability through increasing understanding of non-violent ways to solve problems and mutual understanding between groups in conflict.


In almost all developed countries basic education education in public schools is compulsory. Children are required to attend school until the age of sixteen to eighteen. Public school education is generally free of cost. In some countries, however, minimal tuition is required.

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Next we will continue with Re-education in public schools and address the problem of xenophobia in public schools.


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