Volun. Teac. VIII - Family Planning

       In this post I would like to inform a little about family planning around the world, a very important issue, mainly in the poorest areas of the world. In order to accelerate development and to assure a living standard with all the bare necessities guaranteed to poorest citizens, many countries concern a lot about its populational growth, the informations following are taken from wikipedia and some sites about this issue.
       In China, approximately 36% of the population is currently subject to one-child policy. This restriction was introduced in 1978 to alluviate social, economic and environmental problems. The policy is controversial, nonetheless a 2008 survey, reported that 76% of the population supports the policy. In 2008, the government said that will remain for at least another decade.
        In Philippines, despite catholic church opposition, the government provide contraceptive to poor couples. Birth control debate should be a economic and humanitarian issue not a religious one.
        India has had some success through sterilization programs, large scale education and awareness about family planning. Recently a major step to control birth rates was initiated that will not only provide education to newlyweds but also give cash incentives to them to maintain a family planning.
        Iran birth rate has plummeted since 2001, its success provides a model for others developing countries, mainly require couples to take classes on contraception before receiving a marriage license.
        If you want to konw about family planning in Brazil or if you are interested in family planning, access the .portal.saude.gov.br  and you will can obtain information on:
        How to acquire contraceptive at lower costs.
        Sterilization operation for female in the SUS, with more of two children.
        For further information call  0800611997.

XII - Demographic Boom and Birth Control.

      This was published at www.news.softpedia.com at January 4th,2008 and was written by Stefan Anitei. This is a summary and the title is above.

      The peak of the recent demographic boom is experienced by the poor countries, exactly those less prepared for facing overpopulation. In the next 50 years, demographic growth will exist only in developing countries.

     Rapid population growth impedes economic development, due to the high cost of a large number of children that do not contribuite to the economy. Some developing countries oppose to birth control, considering it a type of western neo-colonialism. This is the case of catholic Latin America, where abortion and birth control are rejected for religious reasons, while many muslims prefer large families and many African cultures see in high natality a survival of the ancestors` spirits.

      The experience of the developed countries shows that once parents realize their children has higher survival chances, they opt for fewer children, allowing a better care, education and higher life standards. Education makes women see kids raising just a stage in their lives, not the main purpose of their lives. Thus, birth control is connected to economic factor, social protection and woman`s emancipation.

XI - Asia`s Latest Miracle.

         This report was published in Time.com at Nov.15,2010 and was written by Michael Schuman. This is a summary.

         Thirty years ago, Korea was poorer than Malaysia and Mexico. Since then, its GDP per capita has surged by a factor of 10 to $17,000, more than double the levels in those countries. GDP growth was 0.2% in 2009, and is estimated to be 6% this year. Yet when I left Korea in 2000, it was an open question whether its success could continue.

       Over the past decade, however, Korea has reinvented itself- it is a Asia miracle again. Korea has become a innovator, an economy that does not just make stuff, but designs and develops products, infuses them with the latest technology. Samsung and LG, not the Japanese eletronics giants, are dominating the hot new LCD TV business. In 4G phone technology, Samsumg is poised to become a leading force, while Hyundai Motor, a joke a decade ago, is a top-five automaker.

        Part of Korea`s success is simple commitment. Koreans spend some 3.5% of their GDP on R&D, compared with 1.5% in China and less than 1% in Malaysia and India. Innovation, however, is not something that can be conjured up in government offices or corporate boardrooms. You can tell people to work harder or build a more modern factory, but you can not order them to think better or be more creative. That change has to take place inside people heads. In Korea, it has. Koreans are breaking down the barriers that held the nation back, a process fostered by political freedom and a passionate embrace of the forces of globalization.

       Globalization has always been the engine behind Korea`s economic miracle. Beginning in the 1960s, a destitute Korea capitalized on its cheap labor to competitively export toys, shoes and other low-tech goods to comsume in the west. That jump-started income growth, as costs rose, Korea shifted into ships, microchips and other advanced products.

       The country was largely ruled by dictators for 26 years, until massive street protests forced free elections in 1987, and even after that, the government still intervened heavily in the economy. But, Korea has become a much more democratic society over the past decade, and the market-oriented economic reform made necessary by the 1997 financial crisis. Now the government is smaller and intervenes less. The economy of a country is very reflectiveof the politics of the country

      Above all, Korea offers a counterpoint to those political leaders, like China, who believe¨state capitalism¨ is superior to free enterprises, or that they can create an innovative economy without civil liberties. Of course, that does not mean the Korea system is perfect. The outdated education system is so rigid that parents flee the country in droves to put their kids into high schools in the U.S. and elsewhere.

      However, Korea I know is a country that confronts its challenges.

X - Education For All Report.

                         HIGHLIGHTS OF THE EFA REPORT 2010. ( This is a summary)

       Developed by an independent team and published by UNESCO, the EFA is an authoritative reference that aims to inform, influence and sustain genuine commitment toward EFA.

       The advisory board is composed of representatives from UN multilateral and bilateral agencias, NGOs, civil society groups, networks and directors of UNESCO institutes.

      Ten years have passed since the international community adopted the six Education for All goals in Dakar in 2000. There has been progress: The number of children out of school has dropped by 33 million world wide since 1999. South and West Asia more than halved the number of children out of school, a reduction of 21 million. But much remains to be done: There were 72 million children out of school in 2007, business as usual would leave 56 million children out of scholl in 2015. Millions of children are leaving school without having acquired basic skills. Some 1.9 million new teacher post will be required to meet universal primary education by 2015. The need to create inclusive education systems: Improve the learning environment by deploying skilled teachers equitably, targeting financial and learning support to disadvantaged schools, and providing intercultural and bilingual education.

     Poverty is one of the most pervasive sources of disadvantages in education. Parents inability to afford education is one of the major reasons why children are not in school, even in countries that have abolished school fees, since the cost of uniforms, books and pencils creates barriers to school entry.

     Child labour is another corollary of poverty that is detrimental to education. While many children try to combine school with work, evidence from Latin America shows this has negative effects on learning achievement.  Children living in slums, remote rural areas or conflicted-affected areas are typically among the poorest and most vulnerable. Potentially they have the most to gain from education.

     Education Development Index (EDI) and its components are: Primary school enrollment rate, adult literacy rate, gender specific index, survival rate to grade 5.

     The countries are divided in four categories:  Far from EFA, Intermediate position, Close to EFA and EFA achieved. 36 countries, mostly in Latin America and Caribbean, Sub-saharan africa and Arab region, are in the medium category, most of this countries have a mixed progress. Adult literacy is below 80% in some countries  including Algeria, Guatemala, Kenia and Zambia. While school retention is particularly poor in Brazil, El Salvador, Phillipines and Suriname.

     In the knowledge-based global economy, learning and skills play an increasingly important role in shaping prospects for economic growth, shared prosperity and poverty reduction.

     To effectively combat marginalization, technical and vocational education programmes must look beyond schools and formal education. They must also offer a ¨second chance¨ to millions of youths. Comprehensive approaches that provide training and support are more likely to succeed.

   

    RANKING ACCORDING TO LEVEL OF EDI. (2007).       Latin  America  countries:

           1º Norway.                                                                           38º Argentina.

           2º Japan.                                                                               39º Uruguay.

           3º Germany.                                                                          51º Chile.

           4º Kazahstan.                                                                        55º Mexico.

           5º Italy.                                                                                 57º Trinidad.

           6º New Zealand.                                                                   59º Venezuela.

           7º France.                                                                             66º Panama.

           8º Netherlands.                                                                     68º Peru.

           9º U. K.                                                                                72º Paraguai. 

         10º Croatia.                                                                            75º Colombia.

         11º  Luxembourg.                                                                   79º Bolivia.

         12º Slovenia                                                                           81º Ecuador.

         13º Cyprus.                                                                            88º Brazil.

Volun. Teacher - VII - This Blog

       As I felt that this blog has been accessed and has repercussive much more than I thought. I would like to clarify that this blog is totally apolitical, as you can see obviously, that this blog support any good educational policy based on meritocracy that target a fairer country, a  more competitive economy with more opportunities, in short a better quality of life for all brazilians, because we deserve and this giant country blessed with good weather and so many natural resources has the potential to provide us.

       I think is important to have many persons supporting a propitious environment for higher education, full democracy, transparency and justice. And to create this environment, information and good education is the first step.  Nowadays with the popularization of internet, all Brazilians have the opportunity on line to share their ideas and to contribute for a better country, in a way to rise the awareness of the improvements which good education and true information provide, after all, this is the country where we are going to spend the rest of our lives, so what sort of country do you would like to live?

      This kind of amateur writing in blogs is called ¨journalism citizen¨, and only multiple and spread all over the world, in many moments of recent history, together with twitter and other social nets have contributed to citizens all over the world to fight for their demands and rights.

     Some blogs and NGOs, saved the due proportions, has contributed to relief suffering, try to improve the education and also the quality of information, watch for the due respect to the citizens`s right, among many other targets, but one thing all of them, NGO, some blogs, some institutuional websites, philanthropy and volunteering, have in common:  the pursuit of victory of the human beings over their adversities and consequently a happy, peaceful, productive and enjoyable existence. That is why, all these civil organizations and activities should have government support, to do a better country depend on all of us, not only the government, but recognition by the population is rewarding and inspiring.