Democracy as a Universal Value

                  This post is a summary of two articles. The first article was published with the title above in 1999 at   https://www.unicef.org/socialpolicy/files/Democracy_as_a_Universal_Value.pdf. The second was published at https://listontap.com/top-10-reasons-democracy-best-country/

                 In the summer of 1997, I was asked what I thought was the most important thing that happened in the 20th century. I found this to be an unusually thought-provoking question, since so many things have happened over the last hundred years. The european empires came to an end. We witnessed two world wars. We saw the rise and fall of fascism and nazism. The rise and fall of communism. We also saw a shift from the economic dominance of the West to a new economic balance more dominated by Japan and East Asia. Nevertheless, among the great variety of developments that have occurred in the 20th century, I did not have any difficult in choosing one as the preeminent development of the period: the rise of democracy. The idea of democracy originated in ancient Greece, more than two millennia ago. Thereafter, democracy as we know took a long time to emerge. Its gradual and ultimately triumphant emergence as a working system of governance was bolstered by many developments, from the signing of the Magna carta in 1215, to the france and American revolutions in the 18th century. It was in the 19th century, however, that the idea of democracy became established as the "normal" form of government to which any nation is entitled. The idea of democracy as a universal commitment is quite new, and it is quintessentially a product of the 20th century. Throughout the 19th century, theorists of democracy found it quite natural to discuss whether one country or another was "fit for democracy." This thinking changed only in the 20th century, with the recognition that the question itself was wrong: A country does not have to be deemed fit for democracy; rather, it has to become fit through democracy. It was also in this century that people finally accepted that "franchise for all adults" must mean all, not just men but also women. How well has demoracy worked? While no one really questions the role of democracy in the U.S. or Britain or France, it is still a matter of dispute for many of the poorer countries. I would argue that democracy has worked well enough. It is claimed that nondemocratic systems are better at bringing about economic development. This belief sometimes goes by the name of "the Lee hypothesis," due to its advocacy by Lee Yew, the former president of Singapore. He is certainly right that some authoritarian states (such as South Korea, Singapore and China) have had faster rates of economic growth. However, this hypothesis is based on sporadic empiricism, drawing on very selective and limited information, rather than on any general statistical testing over the wide-ranging data that are available. In fact, there is not convincing general evidence that the suppression of political and civil rights are beneficial to economic development. We must go beyond the narrow confines of economic growth and scrutinize the broader demands of economic development. In that context, we have to look at the connection between political and civil rights, on the one hand, and the prevention of major economic disasters, on the other. Political and civil rights give people the opportunity to draw attention to general needs and to demand appropriate public action. The response of a government to the acute suffering of its people often depends on the pressure that is put on it. The exercise of political rights can make a real difference to the political incentives that operate on a government. I have discussed the remarkable fact that, in the terrible history of famines in the world, no substantial famine has ever occurred in any democratic country. The same can be said about the world's two contemporary famines, occurring right now in North Korea and Sudan. The merits of democracy and its claim as a universal value can be related to certain distinct virtues that go with its unfettered practice. Indeed, we can distinguish three different ways in which democracy enriches the lives of the citizens. First, political freedom is a crucial part of good lives of individuals as social beings. Political and social participation has intrinsic value for human life and well-being. To be prevented from participation in the political life is a major deprivation. Second, democracy has an important instrumental value in enhancing the hearing that people get in expressing and supporting their claims to political attention (including claims of economic needs). Third, the practice of democracy gives citizens an opportunity to learn from one another, and helps society to form its values and priorities. 

                Democracy is a government bt the people, for the people and of the people. In other words democracy is a system which gives power to each and every citizen to actively participate in the government of the country. The importance of democracy lies in fact, that currently there are 123 democratic nations in a world of 192 countries. Gone are the days when kings and dictators used to curb and torture the citizens. When all the decisions relating to running a nation was made by one person and everyone else had no choice other than obeying him. Here a list of top 10 reasons why every country should adopt democracy, for the best of all.  1) Human rights - are the inherent rights that every person should have just because is a human. Democracy ensures that these basic rights are granted to each citizen. Furthermore, all these rights are protected by the constitution. Anyone who attempts to take away these rights shall be punished by the law.  2) People have the right to express their opinions about any topic out loud, without being censored by the government. Democracy promotes debates and group discussions which are crucial for the exponential growth of a nation. 3) Power to everyone - the word democracy itself means power to the people. In a democracy each citizen have the power to decide who runs the country. Furthermore, democracies protect against all-powerful governments, hence a fair distribution of power ensures participation of everyone in the functioning of the government.  4) Responsible government - The representatives are answerable to their voters. The government is obliged to fulfill their promises, otherwise they can be thrown out of power. Also the opposition plays an important role in keeping the government accountable.  5) Equality - A democracy does not discriminate anyone on the basis of gender, race, etc. It ensures equal political, social and economic rights to everyone.  6) Transparency in decision making - Before passing any law a formal session takes place in the parliament, in which the elected representatives consider the various aspects of the law. the law is passed only when it is consented by a majority. This procedure ensures transparency in decision making and prevents any unjust laws from being passed. 7) It is open for change - Citizens can always look forward to changes in the system if they are not happy with it.  8) Promote debate - Everyone gets a chance to speak up and make their words matter while others lesten to them. They should understand  each other and together contribute to the development of the country.

What Makes a Good Politician - Part III

                  This post is the third text with the same subject: the main characteristics of a good leader, a good politician. The two previously were published in September of 2016. I hope with this help you to make a good choice on who will deserve your vote next month. Like always this is a educative goal. This post is a summary of two articles. The first was published at https://www.ranker.com/list/qualities-of-good-politicians/ranker-news. The second was published at https://www.bustle.com/p/these-signs-mean-you-might-make-a-good-politician-according-to-science-35117. The third was published at https://www.brainscape.com/blog/2016/09/perfect-politician-psychology/. The fourth was published at  https://www.huffingtonpost.com/roya-r-rad-ma-psyd/characteristics-of-trustw_b_927982.html

                  The most important qualities in politicians are listed here for your viewing, ranking, and voting pleasure. When one thinks in character traits that make a good politician, one thinks in things like integrity and optimism. It takes an intelligent, loyal and likeable person to win any election, This is the list that outlines the best qualities in a politician. Whether you consider yourself a political person or a completely neutral person, politicians actions directly affect you and your everyday life. Upvote the political characteristics you think are the most important. 1º) Intelligence.  2º) Honesty.  3º) Integrity.  4º) Good Instincts.  5º) Diplomacy.  6º) Determined.  7º) Listening Skills.  8º) Morality.  9º) Open Mind. 10º) Loyalty.  11º) Passion.  12º) Patience.  13º) Bravery.  14º) Toughness.  15º) Empathy.  16º) Tirelessness.  17º) Thoughtfulness.  18º) Charisma.

                 If you are wondering how to tell if you would make a good politician, a recente study out of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) may be able to shed some light on personality traits that indicate whether you are truly meant to hold office. Graduate student Richard Hanania used the framework of the well-known Big Five personality inventory to learm more about "personality differences between politicians and the general public." For the study, published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, 278 American legislators and 2,586 respondents of approximately the same age completed a 50-item questionnaire online. The Five Factor Model, draws conclusions by measuring important dimensions of a person's personality and psyche such as conscientiousness, openness to experience, agreeableness, extraversion, and neuroticism. The study's results revealed that politicians differed from average American on every single factor. "Politicians are more extraverted, agreeable, emotionally stable, and conscientious than the general public," Hanania explains. "At the same time, they are slightly lower on imagination." Politicians scored lower in general on the traits of openness and neuroticism, meaning that as a group, they are generally less imaginative and emotional. Here are some signs based on this study's results that you might make an excellent politician. 1) You Enjoy Hard Work - Hanania found that politicians scored higher than the average public on the trait of contentiousness, so those planning to jump into the political circus need to be prepared for the battle. Successful politicians tend to be highly organized. Paying attention to detail is key, and it helps to be a good planner.  2) You Are Always Willing to Lend a Sympathetic Ear - The study reveals that it also helps to have an agreeable personality if you are going into politics. Being sympathetic and kind can aid representatives in responsibilities such as listening to the concerns of their constituents, conforting the grieving, and building a good rapport with the public during their campaigns.  3) You Are a People Person - The broad term extraversion refers to specific traits such as being "talkative, energetic, and assertive." And politicians generally scored highly on it. Because they have to deal with people all day, not to mention all that hand shaking. Those who go into politics tend to be outgoing and social. If you love chatting with friends and strangers alike, you were probably meant for public affairs.  4) you are not typically an Anxious Person - from the headlines and the setbacks to the in-fighting, we all know that a career in government is not the chillest of lives. Politicians tended to score lower on trait of neuroticism, meaning theyare less likely to become frequently anxious and are not particularly emotionally sensitive. If you can remain unflappable and maintain calm in the face of controversy, then go get yourself elected.  5) You Are Highly Focused and Don't Mind Being Bored - Those who are less artistically inclined may be better suited for politics according to the study.

              Despite their many differences, politicians share a lot of characteristics. So what does the psychology of politicians reveal about this truth? What traits should a politician have? While we may not like to admit it, successful politicians from every ideological background have a lot in common. They are usually personable and self-confident public speakers. "Are there certain psychological traits that make a perfect politician?" As it turns out, the psychology of politicians has revealed quite a few. The following are six of the most important and most universal traits of successful politicians.  1) Confident - Confidence breeds confidence, so often one of the most important things influencing our opinion of the candidates is how confident they appear. In fact, the level of confidence a person shows often overshadows the validity of what the person actually says.   2) Charming - Another important characteristic that any politician needs to have is charm. Perhaps this seems obvious, after all, we are much more likely to vote for a person we like than a person we simply agree with. We prefer our candidates to be funny and good story-tellers. A big part of what contributes to a candidate's charm is how much that candidate mirros us. Essentially, similarity creates liking, so we find a candiadte charming if they seem like us, at least while we are interacting.  3) Relatable - Linked to charm, retability is another factor that determines whether or not a person makes a good politician. An awareness of our own social status is deeply ingrained in our psyches.  4) Goal-Oriented - People like to feel like they are accomplishing something. That is a big part of the reason why successful politicians always have simple, straightforward plans for big changes. If we vote for a candidate with a big plan, we have contributed to the lofty goal.  5) Uncomplicated - According to Parkinson's Law of Triviality, people are willing to spend much more time and effort on something they understand than something complicated that they don't. While policy on a subject may be inherently complex, we are more willing to believe a nice, simple sound bite on a subject than a long, complicated explanation.  6) Fearless - Low levels of anxiety not only help get through the endless public scrutiny, speeches, and debates but also allows them to make snap decisions and stick with a course of action despite roadblocks they may face. 

              A good leader is a self actualized leader. Self actualization is the highest form of human growth, someone who is self actualized is a fully functioning human being. In the past, I have written about the characteristics of self actualized people which can be applied to this article as well. But the characteristics below are unwaveringly related to a good leader. It is worth to pay attention to these and take them into consideration when we are making a choice as to whom we chose as a leader. A good leader is: 1) Fair and Objective - A good political leader does not take what is similar to his view. he uses reliable information to make judgments and to come up with resolution. He stands above his own believes to observe events objectively.  2) Moving Above Himself and Serving the Society - A good leader stands above any specific religious or political views of his own and is independent of any attachment to a specific agenda. His personal beliefs becomes his private matters and he learns to leave them out the door once he steps into a leadership role. 3) Not Seeking Fame and Attention - A good leader has been able to move above and beyond any egoistic and primitive need for power, attention or establishing his own personal agenda and works with the intention of good-for-all.  4) Not Into Hiding the Truth For the Sake of Looking Good - A good leader says it as it is even if it feels uncomfortable for many to hear it. He is not a people please in a sense that he would say anything to please others even if that means manipulating or misguiding the public. It takes a lot of courage to do this and a good leader has that courage.  5) Focused on Specific, Achievable, and Measurable Goals and Demands Outcomes - A good leader is focused and does not get distracted. His goals, whether small or large, are reasonable and achievable and are directed towards the long term results not quick and temporary fixes that may backfire.  6) Encourages People to Be Accountable for Their Actions - A good leader helps people understand that they are  accountable for their society and its outcome and teaches them to make compromises and responsible choices. He does not support a sense of self-serving entitlement that has gove too far and is counter-productive for the society as a whole.  7) Does not Pay Attention to Being Politically Correct but Ethically So.  8) Does not Make Idealistic Promises but realistic Ones -  9) Honest even if it does not Get Approval.  10) Thinks Globally and Acts Locally.   11) Takes Personal responsibility.

International Day of Democracy - 2018

          Yesterday 15th of September, all over the world celebrated our right to speak up against bad public policies, corruption, injustice, censorship, governmental overreach, electoral fraud, abuse of power, violation of human rights, etc. It is a day to remember many citizens who died fighting for rights that only democracy can offer us. Many rights that in a democracy everybody take for granted, but sometimes without our fast perception could be lost, and once lost is very difficult to recovery. This post is a summary of three articles. The first was published at  http://www.un.org/en/events/democracyday/. The second was published at  http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-and-celebrations/celebrations/international-day-of-democracy/. The third was published at https://www.ibiidi.com/event/International-Day-Of-Democracy-Of-2018. The fourth was published at https://democracychronicles.org/international-day-of-democracy-15-september-2018/

          2018 theme is: Democracy under Strain: Solutions for a Changing World.  "Democracy is showing greater strain than at any time in decades. That is why this International Day should make us look for ways to invigorate democracy and seek answers for the systemic challenges it faces." Said the U.N. Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres. This year's International Day of Democracy is an opportunity to look for ways to invigorate democracy and seek answers to the systemic challenges it faces. This includes tackling economic and political inequalities, making democracies more inclusive by bringing the marginalized into the political system, and making democracies more innovative and responsive to emerging challenges such as migration and climate change. With this year's 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the International Day of Democracy is also an opportunity to highlight the values of freedom and respect for human rights as essential elements of democracy. The UDHR, which states that, "the will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government" (article 21), has inspired constitution-making around the world. Democracy, in turn, provides the natural environment for the protection and effective realization of human rights.

            Change is racing across the world, transforming societies everywhere. This is opening vast new opportunities for men and women to realise their human rights, to become empowered citizens and fulfil their aspirations to decent jobs, to participate fully in society, to advance dialogue and bolster the foundations for peace. With this come steep new challenges also. The challenges of enduring poverty and deepening inequalities. The challenges of conflict and violence. The challenges of rights denied and voices silenced through weak institutions, the rise of populism and exclusive rule. In this context, democracy is a compass setting. It is the path and the direction for moving forward. This message stands at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, calls on all States to "promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels." Democracy is about effective and accountable institutions, the rule of law and good governance, it is also a culture, a way of thinking, being and acting. This must be taught and shared, voices and expressed across all boundary lines, starting with individual men and women, especially those most at risk. Everyone must be represented. Every voice must be heard. Every action must be accountable to the benefit of all, in the spirit of dialogue and respect. Building a better future must start with defending the rights and dignity of everyone today.

              Democracy is an essential element in any community to foster the production and sustain development and prosperity. Meanwhile, many threats are chasing our global democracy. Hence, in 2007 the U.N. General Assembly endeavoured for fostering and promoting the concept and principles of democracy, and subsequently, the 15th of September has been officially announced to be the International Day of Democracy. This day served as an opportunity to "raise public awareness" in regard to the pivotality spreading democracy worldwide and uphold its principles. All the members states and global organizations, are celebrating the International Day of Democracy of 2018 under the theme of "Democracy under Strain: Solutions for a Changing World highlighting the necessity of tackling the political inequalities, and confronting the different challenges, The theme is also referring to values of freedom and respect for human rights within the scope of democracy. Therefore, the day witnessed plenty of initiatives, events, seminars, activities, aswell as press conferences discussing the trubles, which are current being confronted in order to prevail democracy worldwide. Additionally, such events and campaigns include public speakers, and leaders endorsing the engagement of youth in the political life. It is worthy to mention, also, that many leaflets, posters have been published so as to give the youth a chance to gain more information about Democracy, and the freedom of expression, cultural diversity and tolerance are inclined with the concept of democracy.

             The International Day of Democracy will mark its 10th anniversary on 15th September 2018. This day has been observed by U.N. member states since 15th September 2008. The thme for this year, captures the struggles in implementing democratic principles around the world. The U.N. invites both governmental and non-governmental organizations of member state countries to commemorate this day. This initiative seeks to address challenges faced by advocates of democracy, be it as dependent or independent bodies and intends to help nurture and encouragement of democratic principles in societies across the world. Democracy should be promoted relentlessly until power and decision making is in the hands of the citizen and when representatives work selflessly for its citizens and not the other way round.

          

Fraud Possible in Brazil's E-Voting System

            This post is a summary of a report published in 2010 and three articles. The report was published at  https://www.ifes.org/sites/default/files/rlp_electoral_fraud_white_paper_web.pdf. The second summary with the title above was published in 2014 at https://www.zdnet.com/article/fraud-possible-in-brazils-e-voting-system/.    The third summary was published in 2018 at                             https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-votingmachines/ahead-of-november-election-old-voting-machines-stir-concerns-among-us-officials-idUSKCN1IW16Z. The fourth was published at https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/08/how-electronic-voting-could-undermine-the-election/497885/

           The purpose of this paper is to offer an assessment of electoral fraud from an international comparative perspective with the aim of providing a better understanding of the current nature of electoral fraud around the world. This paper also seek to present a set of strategies and tools that may help the international community to address the problem. The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is producing this paper to address the rising concern throughout the democracies and governance community about the effects of electoral fraud on developing nations. To date, most work in this field has focused on after-the-fact fraud detection, generally through the reports of international and domestic election observer missions. However, election observation only address part of the fraud problem, which requires a more comprehensive approach of deterrence, detection, and mitigation. The time has come for democracies and governance practitioners to move beyond the generic guidelines provided by electoral observation groups and electoral management bodies (EMB) which cover only the most visible parts of the electoral process.  An EMB should institute directed anti-fraud measures that will serve three functions: deter participants from engaging in fraud; allow for the detection of undeterred fraud; and provide for mitigation of the harm by fraud that has escaped both deterrence and detection efforts. Establishing legitimacy and credibility is vital. The effects a electoral fraud can be especially devastating in new democracies since serious fraud is likely to result in instability and an immediate erosion of the new government's tenuous credibility. The term "new democracies"  describes both emerging and consolidating multiparty political systems at different stages of development. Clearly, electoral fraud has not become completely irrelevant in older and well-established democracies; but on theoretical and practical grounds, the focus of this paper will be those democracies where electoral fraud is more frequently alleged and darker in its implications. The global expansion of multiparty elections during the last thirty years has brought fraud to the forefront of democratic development. Electoral fraud is the gravest form of electoral malpractice, and should be combated overtly by all those with a satke in democratic development. The amount and severity of the fraud depends on the ability of government, the international community, political parties, media, civil rights advocates, etc. to effectively protect the freedoms and rights of voters and candidates.

                 Flaws found in the Brazilian eletronic voting system could open up the possibility of fraud as more than 140 million people go to the polls in the elections. E-voting was introduced in Brazil in 1996 as a means to ensure secrecy and accuracy of the elections process, as well as speed the system underpinned by about 530,000 voting machines currently in place enables results to be processed within a matter of minutes within closing of the ballots. However, a public test of the equipment conducted by security and encryption specialists from Unicamp and UNB, two of the top computer science universities in Brazil, suggest that it is possible to easily break the secrecy of the machine and unscramble the order of votes recorded by the device. "Brazilians unconditionally believe the security of the country's electoral authority and processes. The issue is that common citizens actually have no other option because of the lack of independent checks," says Unicamp professor Diego Aranha. Another issue is that the Brazilians machines model, do not produce a physical proof that the vote has been recorded. This means there is a constant danger of large-scale software fraud, as well as other non-technical tampering that could be perpetrated by electoral justice staff and go totally undetected, according to Aranha. The Brazilian Electoral Tribunal (TSE) did not allow new public tests since the faults were discovered by professor Aranha's team in 2012, since the system holes were found, the tribunal said it would not allow further independent tests. In an attempt to introduce more transparency to the voting process in Brazil, Aranha then created a mobile app, that captures information from images sent by users of printed statements from the voting machines with the total vote counts, which are displayed publicly upon closing of the ballots. The professor's medium to long-term goal is to develop a new eletronic voting machine that offers not only a printed proof that the vote has been processed, but also a more robust fraud detection system as well as auditing.

                 U.S. election officials responsible for managing more than a dozen political races this November share a fear: Outdated voting machines in their districts could undermine confidence in election results that will determine which party controls the U.S. Congress. In 14 of the 40 most competitive political races, Americans will cast ballots on voting machines that do not provide a paper trail to audit voters' intentions if a close election is questioned, according to a Reuters analysis of data from six states and the Verified Voting Founding, a non-political group concerned about verifiable elections. These include races in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Texas, Florida, Kansas and Kentucky. Most of these states and local election officials interviewed by Reuters said they worry about bad actors hacking the older eletronic voting machines to alter ballots, and then being unable to verify the results because there will be no paper trail. But the officials worry most about voters losing trust in elections, because officials would not be able to visibly demonstrate that the tally was indeed accurate. "Voter confidence is a really big thing, and it is the battle I worry about losing," said Pennsylvania's elections commissioner, Jonathan Marks. His state has four of the country's most contested elections, all of them in counties that use the older machines. Most election officials interviewed by Reuters said they neither have the time nor the money to install voting machines that have a verifiable paper backup in time for the 2018 election. Officials believe paper is the best way to verify disputed election results because it can be physically examined and counted. Voting machines are generally not connected to the internet and therefore are difficult to hack. Many states switched to eletronic voting machines after paper ballot disputes cast a pall over George W. Bush's victory over Al Gore in 2000. But with cybersecurity a nascent concern at the time, securing machines against potential hackers was largely an afterhought. Last fall, Virginia became the only state since the 2016 election to replace all of its touchscreen machines after its board of elections decertified them. The state acted after hackers at the annual Def Con hacking conference in Las Vegas demonstrated how they could quickly break into eletronic machines, including some of the models used in Virginia's elections. Other states ordered their counties to upgrade, but they were delayed by lack of money and the difficult logistic of procuring new equipment. For most part, the Def Con hackers discovered vulnerabilities by physically accessing voting machines. Earlier this year, Congress appropriated $380 million to upgrade election systems across the country, but state officials say the amount is both too little and comes too far for them to buy new machines for the 2018 election.

             It is 2016: What possible reason is there to vote on paper? When we use touchscreen to communicate, work, and shop, why can´t we use similar technology to vote? A handful of states, and many precincts in other states, have already made the switch to voting systems that are fully digital, leaving no paper trail at all. But this is despite the fact that computer-security experts think electronic voting is a very, very bad idea. For years, security researchers and academics have urged elections officials to hold off on adopting eletronic voting systems, worrying that they are not nearly secure enough to reliably carry out their vital role in American democracy. Their claims have been backed up by repeated demonstrations of the systems' fragility. When the District of Columbia tested an eletronic voting system in 2010, a professor from the University of Michigan took it over from more than 500 miles away to show its weaknesses; with actual physical access to a voting machine, the same professor showed that a hacker who has access to a machine before election day could modify  its programming, and he did so, without even leaving a mark on the machine's tamper-evident seals. Paper ballots are harder to fudge than votes stored in bits and bytes: A manual recount can help assuage fears of a rigged election. Even voting machines that spit out a voters' choices on a piece of paper before submitting them are verifiable. But machines that record votes without providing a physical receipt are not easy to audit if accusations of fraud begin to fly.

Secondary Education Reform Means Challenges and Opportunities for Brazil

              The high school reform approved by Congress in 2017 is the best option to improve the Brazilian education, in the short-term, the sixth class and the flexibilization will deep the students knowledge in their subjects chosen, and in the long-term the integral school will give time for students learn more their weakness.   This post is a summary of two articles. The first with the title above was published at   http://porvir.org/en/secondary-education-reform-means-challenges-opportunities-brazil/                                                                                  The second was published at   http://www.worldbank.org/en/results/2017/04/10/improving-flexibility-quality-equity-upper-secondary-education-mexico. The third was published at   http://www.thesunchronicle.com/vip/opinion/columns/guest-column-why-students-should-choose-their-own-classes/article_9b794965-5d99-55c0-9890-fa66d23ce407.html. The fourth was published at  https://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/78/61/7861.pdf

               Despite representing an opportunity to address the strucutural problems of this stage of education, new proposals must overcome obstacles to appeal to young people and not increase inequality. Approved by Congress in February 2017, the reform of secondary education requires that 60% of the curriculum is organized around common subjects while 40% should correspond to optional educational programs. In this model, students from public and private schools will be able to choose to extend their studies in the ares of languages, math, natural sciences, human and social sciences and technical and professional training, depending on the courses offered by their schools. Although the proposal still generates disagreement among administrators, teachers and students, everyone agrees on one point: the final stage of basic education in Brazil needs to change. During the Seminar "Curricular Challenges in Secondary Education: Implementation and Flexibilization," several professionals involved in the educational debate highlighted the challenges and opportunities of strucutural reform in this phase. According to data from the IBGE, in Brazil 1.3 million people aged 15 to 17 leave school before completing their studies. Cesar Callegari, a member of the National Education Council, says that in such scenario decisive steps are needed to set basic education on the path to what the country and the young require. "It is unacceptable that we still consider it normal that 90% of people finish basic education without the required knowledge in math and 78% without the minimum knowledge in Portuguese," he states. But what defines a good high school? For Elizabeth Fordham, the senior advisor for education of the OECD, a quality system must ensure that everyone masters key cognitive skills, as well as addressing the interests of young people and preparing students for the future. "The reform in Brazil is in line with what we consider a reference for a good high school," she says. While the advisor defends the possibility of students choosing their educational paths, she also warns that it will also be necessary to create mechanisms to support young people in such decision making, stating that almost 50% of students in OECD countries participate in vocational programs. In the opinion of Thayane santos, who has just finished high school in Rio, the reform should ensure that everyone's choices are considered. "All I hope for from any kind of educational reform is that the exception becomes the rule," says Thayane, mentioning the fact that only 14% of young Brazilians are in higher education. Thayane's concerns reveal another challenge faced by flexibilization, especially considering almost 3,000 Brazilian municipal regions have only one school. Neca Setubal President of the board of the Tide Setubal Foundation, warns that such regions will have to enter into partnership agreements and reorganize themselves within structures and systems of collaboration so that they can offer the five areas of graduation. "The student has to have a real chioce," she says, explaining that the system should offer young people options in their itineraries and prepare them to make such choices. At the same time, she says that the search for ways to offer all the itineraries is an opportunity for schools to learn to work in partnership. Despite the challenges faced, the high school reform brings the opportunity to tackle the old problems of education in Brazil, bringing changes in assessment, timetables, teacher training, and didactic materials. "Once the flexibilization being implemented becomes a reference for transformation, we can move into another structural reality." says Ricardo Henrique executive of Unibanco.

                  More than one-third of Mexico's students in upper secondary education are now enrolled in schools that share a competency-based curriculum for developing the skills. Despite large increments in enrollment (from 59% in 2008 to 72% in 2015), dropout rates have decreased considerably, from 16% to 12% in 2015. In addition, gaps in enrollment and graduation rates between poor and well-off students have narrowed. Between 2010 and 2016, reforms creating the institutional basis for the National Upper Secondary Education System and the development policy loan supported key policy actions to improve the quality, relevance and equity of upper secondary education in Mexico. Just-in-time technical assistance helped overcome some obstacles faced during reform implementation; for example, workshop recommendations on international best teaching practices led to critical design improvements in the teacher-training program introduced with the reform. The flexibility and efficiency of the upper secondary education system improved, allowing more than a third of students to adjust their schooling pathways, without the need to start over, thus completing their degrees. In addition, these students benefited from important gains in education quality, among them curriculum adjustments to subject area, and professional competencies and the development of minimum learning standards for secondary education. Before the reform, the curriculum had been content-based and focused on memorization; the new curriculum emphasizes meaningful learning and problem-solving skills. The reform strengthened the institutional capacity and contributed to developing the regulatory framework for the secondary education system.

             Many students feel that courses they are taking in high school are not relevant to the field of study they would eventualy major in at a higher level of education. Should a student who hopes to major in journalism be forced to take so many classes of chemistry, physics and calculus in order to graduate? Should a student who hopes to major in biochemistry be told he must take three years of Spanish in order to get his diploma? Instead of putting the focus on what really matters, preparing students for the real world and life after high school, students are required to take that take up their effort and time. The problem with our current education system is that students are spending too much time in classes that will get them nowhere and not enough time in classes that will actually help them in life and their careers. Students should be able to choose their own classes because it would prepare them better for the real world. Students would have more motivation to learn and come to school if they were given the opportunity to choose their own classes. When students have the ability to choose what they would like to learn about, it makes them more eager to engage with the material. Give high school students the same freedom as college students, and we will take education a step in the right direction. When students can apply their knowledge learned in high school classes to their real life, that is a successful outcome. Students have different minds with different interestts, and it is unfair to "universalize" the courses that every student at a school has to take. If a student does well in and has a passion for English but struggles in math, that student should have the freedom to take more Emglish and literature so he or she can thrive and learn about a subject that he or she loves.

             Nobody benefits when a student arrives in high school or college with deficiencies that could have been addressed previous to the student's promotion. Students who enter high school with poor reading skills are 20 times more likely to drop out than their highest achieving classmates. Optimally, no student would enter high school with below-grade-level skills, but many do. For those students it is critical that their low skills are accurately identified so that they can be provided with proper instruction while in high school. Without good data, such accurate identification is possible. Boredom brought on by the failure to see the curriculum's relevance is a major obstacle to learning for high school students. Reporting findings from high school survey of student engagement finds that: 1)Two-thirds of students are bored in class at least every day.  2) 17% of students are bored in every class.  3) Of students who have considered dropping out of school, 60% cite not seeing value in the work they were being asked to do as the reason they considered dropping out. Additionally, students who have failed behind are often overwhelmed by the need to repeat entire year in classes and simly quit. This mean that effective remediation policies also can serve as dropout prevention policies.