Pros and Cons of Sending Teachers from Developed to Undeveloped Nations
Teachers being sent to developing countries from developed countries have to be dedicated. They have to take the positions not just because of the salary because in most cases; the pay is not enough to bring fulfillment. There has to be other reasons for going to an undeveloped nation other than money! To share some of the groups who have this in mind:
ActionAid is a nonprofit group of individual from poor and rich communities who are committed to help in the developing countries. Although their goal is to work together to end poverty; they are involved in many causes. Education is one of those. For example,
Haiti: They are working to obtain basic communication tools such as computer stations.
Uganda - They are working with the hearing-impaired students to provide them equal opportunities for education.
Rural China - There are 10% rural Chinese who cannot read or write, and most of them are women. ActionAid is setting up educational programs so their women will have opportunities.
Afghanistan - There is low-literacy, high mortality, and chronic nutritional deficiency. This organization is working to alleviate some of these problems.
Nigeria - There is violence against girls at school, which is an obstacle for their right to education. This group had a workshop that included many of the educators, community people, as well as students to examine the challenges. It was determined that there is no support system; most of the managers are male. ActionAid collected data and have started teacher training as well as incorporated codes for them to follow.
Actionaid is doing an excellent work, mainly in developing countries. In order for teachers in developed countries to assist those in developing nations; there has to be a reason for sharing other than the finances because most of those countries do not have resources. They cannot be compared to the United States where teacher training, seminars, workshops, and continuing education (in most cases) is either paid for or reimbursed.
The International Monetary Fund’s(IMF) policies limit what countries can spend on education, directly through teacher wage limits and indirectly by setting unnecessarily low inflation targets that make spending increase impossible. The IMF frames economic planning around a three-year cycle, which makes it difficult for any country to justify the investment in education since the returns are found over the longer term.
ActionAidis working on the impact of IMF policies on education across 25 countries in an attempt to advise activists to interview Ministries of Finance and Central Banks about the constraints on education spending and how they are linked to IMF policies.
Most of the undeveloped countries do have computers; but there are so many who are not privileged. Then there are those who have them but they are untrained. Many of the nations only teach students the basics: English (or Literacy), Math, and some Science. In remote areas, for example; parts of Africa, children cannot afford the $20 per month required to attend the State schools. Many children's parents are deceased; so some children have to find food for the younger children. Schooling is not a part of their lifestyle - survival is.
There are some teachers sent to undeveloped nations who, not only will teach subjects; but they will also spend time assisting children with those survival techniques. Many of those teachers will spend their own money to help those underprivileged children.
Teaching in undeveloped countries will not always be easy to get adjusted to, and teachers from developed areas should do their own research prior to committing to one of these countries. For example, there are countries who will have outdoor bathrooms (called "outhouses") and will have shortages of toilet tissue. (Nigeria for example). There will probably be a shortage of school supplies: for example; pencils, pens, notebook paper, textbooks, etc.; items most teachers take for granted in developed nations. Housing might be different than what teachers are used to in developed nations. Teachers might be inconvenienced because the modern conveniences might not be available; however; teachers should be sensitive so that natives do not feel embarrassed or uncomfortable.
Teachers from developed nations, in most cases; will receive knowledge of another culture, some of them will learn to communicate in another language; or at least be able to use colloquialism in order to communicate, and they will receive the love from their students as well as parents, administrators, and other teachers. Some of these will even lead to life-time relationships.
REFERENCE:
ACTIONAidUSA.org/what/education/overview/
