Establishing A Technical College In Ivory Coast - Dissertation Example

?ESTABLISHING A TECHNICAL COLLEGE IN IVORY COAST Concept Paper Objective Vocational s are primary education, secondary education and university education. The primary school education took a period of six years with an issue of a certificate for primary studies (Middleton, Ziderman, & Van, 2011). The secondary school education consisted of two learning cycles totaling to seven years of learning. After the first cycle (the first four years of learning), the students were to sit for an exam and be issued with a certificate in lower secondary education- BEPC. With this qualification, a student would take on an entry-level job, join a teacher-training institution, or proceed to a college for three years. There were other alternative (complementary) courses for the students who did not make it to the colleges that combined both academic and practical training to equip the students with adequate skills that are essential in improving their productivity in the competitive labor market. The students received a certification that corresponds to one or two years of study at the university level in the US. This certification provided a qualification to pursue technical institutions and improve their professional and analytical skills. Education promotes political, social, and economic development in a given country. A good education can only be realized if an effective educational system is put in place. Nevertheless, the development of this effective educational system is in turn affected by the political, economic, and social factors prevailing in Cote d’Ivoire (King, and Martin, 2010). This paper seeks to establish a vocational learning institution in the republic of Ivory Coast. This following the fact that higher education in this West African state has highly been affected by political instability and socio-economic variables in the economy. The country’s youth population in need for higher education is very proportionate. Youths and the upcoming generation form the backbone to the economy of Ivory Coast. However, their ability and capacity to deliver is barred by inadequate access to learning institutions and facilities. Increasing access to these social amenities in the economy will therefore be essential in developing their technical and professional potentials, Motivation Ivory Coast was a French colony and attained her independence in 1960. After the independence, the country was under a system of one-party rule for three decades with President Felix Houphouet-Boigny. On 28 October 1990, the country had the first presidential election in which the incumbent won with over 80% of the votes. Coupled with the social crisis that rocked the country, the presidential elections led to political unrest since the electoral process was marred by allegations of rigging. Even though it was believed that democracy had been restored in country, the opposition parties and their leaders have not been treated fairly (Middleton, Ziderman, & Van, 2011). Therefore, there has been constant political unrest within the country. Last year, another presidential election was held in which his opponents according to the elections commission defeated the defending president. The president dismissed the results and refused to concede defeat leading to another political unrest. This situation lasted until the president was forcefully hoisted from power. Since then, the country is in the process of reconstructing its broken system and fixing the social and economic crises. As at 2005, Cote d’Ivoire had a large number of youthful populations with more than 42% of the entire population being below 15 years. A report by the IMF in 2006 approximated the population of Ivory Coast to be 18.9 million. This decline in population growth rate was attributed to the fall in fertility rate, poor health, and lower immigration rate. Out of this population, approximately 48.8% of Ivorian lives below the poverty line with less than USD2 to survive on per day. Social amenities such as health, education, and housing have deteriorated over time due to limited financial resources. According to UNDP report of 2005, literacy level in Ivory Coast stood at 48.7% (women-38.6%, and men-60.8%). In the neighborhood, Ghana, the level of literacy is relatively higher (57.9%) than Cote d’Ivoire’s. Since independence, government expenditure on education especially VET has been inadequate. The UNDP further reported that the net primary education enrolment slightly dropped from 56% from 58.3% in the early 2000s. Similarly, post primary enrolment also dropped to 20% from 22.6%. On the contrary, the dropout rate was on the rise. With this enrolment rate, the quality of education had deteriorated over time as the classrooms are overcrowded, resulting to lower performance. However, reconstruction plans in the education system has been hampered by civil conflicts and tensions in Cote d’Ivoire, especially the Northern parts. Background The global labor market is increasingly getting more and more competitive with firms preferring to hire a technically and professionally trained workforce if they are to compete fairly with rest of the firms in the industry. Similarly, the pace of globalization and technology leads to opening of domestic markets to foreign investors and human capital mobility. This implies that economies that invest limited resources in educating and training its workforce will remain undeveloped. Investing resources in higher education to strengthen and increase the quality of graduates especially in vocational education and training institutions is worth making because such investments are value adding. This would be a critical step in building knowledge-based human capital with the ability and potential to foster higher economic development. As noted by the UNESCO Revised Recommendation on Technical and Vocational Education and Training: ‘Given the immense scientific, technological and socio-economic development, either in progress or envisaged, which characterizes the present era, particularly globalization and the revolution in information and communication technology, technical and vocational education should be a vital aspect of the educational process in all countries’ (UNESCO, 2008). VET is very important since it enriches the learners with technical and modern skills that are essential in the democratic society that further increases their competence and productive capacities. The development and growth of the society heavily depends on the strength of higher education and the VET. The skills acquired from these institutions are helpful in bridging the gaps in the labor market. For low income groups and other marginalized persons in the community, VET serves as a critical tool for the betterment of their lives. The sheer share of VET institutions reflects the importance of VET education system in developing economies. Since VET account for almost three-quarters of students, it is worth for the Sub-Saharan governments to invest adequate resources in this sector. As indicated by educational guides, governments of the Sub-Saharan countries and West Africa ‘intended to address and counterbalance the threats posed by trade and investment agreements, not only to staff jobs and living standards, but to the quality of education and training students receive’ (Education International, 2007a). Focus of the study The intended research will contribute significantly towards the growth of business and industrial sector. This study aims at establishing the need for vocational education in Ivory Coast. Employers are in need of qualified graduates with the much needed technical and professional skills matching job specifications. The development of a good educational system will enable such individuals to be developed. As such, the needs of the employers will be met. Since the research aims at studying the factors affecting education as well as how education influence different aspects of economic development, it promotes these development aspects. Similarly, the establishment of these institutions enables students to improve on their professions as it involves both academic training and practical applications of the acquired concepts. The individuals are thus capable of developing their respective careers as they are allowed to choose what best fits them (Bennell, 2010). Effective educational planning involves an understanding of the causal relationship of different factors affecting the education system and making rational decisions. A strong education system that focuses on developing human capacity enables the government and other policy developers to understand better mechanisms for the establishment of sustainable and sound VET which capture the needs of the economy (Bennell, 2010). The study also promotes further research in this particular field. The findings of the research will be useful for other scholars researching in topics related to education enhancement in an area. Contribution to the literature Education has been considered a key to economic, political, and social growth in different countries all over the world. An effective system of education gives rise to learned members of the public that promote the growth and development of a particular nation in various dimensions. The learning institutions should provide graduates that have the required skills and expertise for business and professional or labor market requirements. The development of such an effective system of education requires a favorable political environment. Ivory Coast is in the process of recovering from political mayhem that has rocked the country for several years. The current government has struggled to restore peace in the country and wants to progress towards social, political, and economic development in the country. Three ministries are mainly concerned with the education system in the country. These are the Ministry of Education, The Ministry of Technical Education and Professional Training, and the Ministry of Higher Education and Research (Imboua-Niava, 2008). Other ministries also provide indirect support to education. A strong education system plays a significant role towards achieving these developmental objectives of increased labor productivity and technical skills. There should be technical colleges that absorb students that do not qualify directly for university entrance. This improves on one of the objectives of educational policies of ensuring improvement in educational outcomes. The colleges should integrate other academic and practical training to produce graduates that are useful to the country. This paper focuses on the establishment of a technical college in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire. These political factors also relate to other factors like the economic and social issues in the country. Thus, the response and opinions of different individuals will be sought on how best the institution can be established. Education and economy Education is as one of the strongest pillars that is essential in determining social and economic growth of a country. Especially for the developing economies, a part from political and social pillars, these countries’ economies heavily depends on their innovativeness and inventions. Notably, creativity, invention, and economic statistics are highly built on the strength of learning and training institution. To remain competition in the current global era that is characterized with increased technological advancements and globalization, an economy must improve on its productivity and innovations. Higher and basic education has the power, capacity, research, skills, and knowledge that are necessary in achieving these goals in a more competitive world. In the Sub-Saharan Africa, the level of economic performance is still below the estimated outputs more than half century after independence (Middleton, Ziderman, & Van, 2011). These countries economy heavily rely on donor funds and credits from Bretton financial institutions. Besides, significantly a large number of populations still live in abject poverty, with limited resources to meet their basic needs. Being one of the basic needs, education suffers a setback due to limited resources. The governments of the Sub-Saharan states overlook investments in education. This has hampered growth in the education sector of these countries. As outlined by the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, all children have the right to education and training: “technical and professional education shall be made generally available” (Education International, 2009b). As further expressed by the Education International EI, everyone has the fundamental right to educational access without any discrimination or financial inability irrespective of their age, race, religion, sex, or nationality. According to EI, increasing access to VET especially in the developing economies will crucial in providing equal opportunities to students from marginalized backgrounds. EI asserts that VET education systems in the emerging commercial global pressure are highly vulnerable. Economic globalization, information, and communication advancements, trade liberalization, and labor market deregulations have led to commercialization of VET at domestic and international levels. Collectively, these modern developments are threatening and undermining the quality, equity, accessibility, and status of the labor market. Definitions VET has no formal definition in the education sector and trying to advancing a generally accepted definition for VET poses a great challenge to experts. Viewed from academic field, VET is seen as an institution responsible building analytical skills, critical thinking, and knowledge among the learners. However, VET is mainly responsible for building and developing craftsmanship, practical problem-solving and practical experience (UIS, 2009). Methodology It has been observed that several factors will contribute to the success in the establishment of the institution. It is almost impossible to state categorically that a particular factor is the key and that its absence leads to automatic fail. This is analogous to the fuzzy (infinite-valued) logic in mathematics that challenges the traditional bi-valued logic of Yes or No (Kaushal, Mohan, & Sandhu, 2010, p.313). Different individuals will value these factors differently. Social and economic factors like the current crises are key concepts related to the success of the establishment of the institution. The recent political turmoil also has significant impacts here. Similarly, the plan for the administration of the institution is also significant. All these factors seem to have relationship with each other. They all converge towards political stability in the country as the root of all other developmental aspects that are essential in developing a sustainable VET system. Research questions: How many 13 to 20 year-olds in Cote d’Ivoire would like to receive vo-tech education? What vo-tech skills are needed for employment opportunities? What approaches can make vo-tech education more affordable? The identified variables It has been stated that different factors influence the success of the implementation of the project. These factors are considered in terms of the following variables. Kinds of programs offered There is a need to consider the kind of expertise that is in great demand in business and industries and develop a curriculum that suits these needs. It will not be appropriate to offer courses which are job-market effective and prepares college graduates with adequate skills which increases their competitiveness. The government policies and regulation An approval of the college by the relevant authorities will validate the certificate issued by the college. The available funds for the project The establishment of the college requires funds. It is important to focus on the promising sources from where the funds shall be obtained to facilitate the project. A thorough explanation on the necessity of the technical college will enhance obtaining financial support from the government, well-wishers, and donor agencies. The other colleges that offer the same courses The institution should be able to attract many students and provide valuable services. As such, the competing institutions should also be considered in planning for the establishment of the institution to ensure that technical and professional courses do not overlap. The location of the technical institution Lastly, the infrastructure of a given geographic location will also affect the successful establishment of an institution in the area. Accessibility of the area through roads, the water supply in the area, and availability of electricity are important factors that affect the success of the project. Given that Northern Province of Ivory Coast is the most affected following series of civil war thus having the least number of technical institutions, the technical college would be constructed in the Northern region. Measurements of these variables It has been pointed out that the study aims at establishing these and other factors that influence the successful establishment and future operations of a technical college through collecting the views of different people (OECD, 2009). The variables shall be measured by identifying individuals that consider each of these factors as essential towards the establishment of the technical institutions. After the views have been collected, they will be ranked and corded. This will also enhance the identification of other factors that are not hypothesized as affecting the establishment and successful operations of the college. Literature Review The fundamental objective in any country in the world is to enhance different aspects of development namely political, social, and economic development. One of the keys to achieving this objective is to improve the quality of education in a given country as well as an access to these learning opportunities. Growth of national income in a country often relates to education. Quality education entails the availability of the teaching and learning resources, their equitable distribution, meeting the educational standards, meeting the needs of the students, and meeting the societal needs through providing required expertise (Aziz, 2011). Various socio-economic factors can bar some potential members of the society from realizing their full potential to serve the country. This is a drawback not only to the individual but also to the entire nation and explains why the issue should be a national and global concern. The benefits of education to the society can be realized if there is an increases access of education and when education is made more affordable to the minorities (Murray, 2009). The established institutions of learning should provide adequate knowledge and skills to the learners that can easily be integrated into the different applications in the field. All these can be realized through an effective system of education in developing country. There is need to have an education system that ensures continued student progression to higher education institutions to equip them with the skills required in the society. This is thwarted, though, by the limited positions in these institutions of higher learning especially in the underdeveloped countries like Ivory Coast. Besides, not every individual in the primary schools qualify to proceed to secondary schools and neither can every student here qualify for university entrance (Clarke, & Winch, 2010). In this literature review, the writer focuses on the scholarly articles that discuss the theories on factors affecting education in a given country. Evidence is also short from other reports. The strategies that are appropriate in managing the arising social issues are also examined. The review is concerned with an identification of the central issues that affect the quality of education in a given country and an integration and generalization of these concepts. It will consider how these factors apply to the local context in Ivory Coast (Alam, et al, 2010). The literature review involves qualitative methods of research. However, the reliability of the outcome will depend on the degree of sincerity and honesty of the respondents. Cote D’Ivoire (or Ivory Coast) is one of the developing nations in the West African region that was a former French colony. The country enjoyed positive economic growth and political stability after independence under the leadership of her first autocratic president Felix Houphouet-Boigny. However, the political stability ended with the death of the founder. The country currently has a poor underdeveloped economy partly owing to the political unrest and violence that has hit the country in the past. In 2010, the country’s population was 19.7 million; a population growth rate of 2%, a GDP of $22.8 billion, GDP per capita of $1,154, and a GDP growth rate of 3.0% (World Bank, 2011). The country has experienced high political temperatures in the last decade with the most recent experienced after the 2010 presidential elections. The incumbent president refused to concede defeat after the electoral body declared his opponent the winner in the election, a stance that threw the country into a violent political mayhem. The violence left the country in worse state and various reforms have to be put in place with the coming in of the new government. After forceful removal of the president, life has continued to resume normal state. Nonetheless, some fundamental issues such as security, economy, national reconciliation, and humanitarian needs need to be addressed (Travel.State.Gov, 2011). Stakeholders have pointed out that investing in education can be a good move towards this direction as its outcome would be an increased economic performance. In this regard, there is need to consider the central issues and theories that have been used to explain quality of education in the institutions of higher learning and the input that the government can add in order to attain this high quality in vocational training and education. There is need to consider establishment of more institutions of higher learning not only by the government but also by the private organizations and individuals. The factors to be considered in the establishment of such institutions as well as the potential challenges to be encountered also need to be examined. In the article Education and Poverty, Oxaal links education to poverty and shows how other economic variables affect vocational education and training. Oxaal focuses on the importance of education in poverty eradication and asserts that higher education is positively correlated with economic development. It gives two fundamental relations between education and poverty. On one hand, education eradicates poverty through enhancing skills and productivity in the individuals in the community. On the other hand, poverty is a key obstacle to proper education at the micro and macro levels (Oxaal, 2009). Education then suffices to initiate other levels of development in the society as well. Nonetheless, it is also observed that there is still gender discrimination as far as education is concerned especially in some of the developing nations. The males have higher representation in the learning institutions as the level rises. Thus, one strategy of improving education system is to promote equal access to quality education for both genders. Further policies should also be developed in other areas like labor and finance to ensure females have equal returns on education investment (OECD, 2009). Oxaal touches on key issues on education in the contemporary society. Haddad et al. (2010) have also given similar views relating education to economic development in the article Education and Development: Evidence for new priorities. A 2008 report issued by the World Bank indicates the commitment that has been shown by the government of Cote D’Ivoire in conjunction with international agencies to promote education in the country. In the issue, Cote D’Ivoire: Improving Education in Cote D’Ivoire, the World Bank approved an equivalent of $53.3 million to be used for an Education and Training Support Project in Cote D’Ivoire. The project was aimed at improving quality of education, increasing access to education and managing the costs of education in the country (World Bank, 2010). This project was initiated in line with the government’s long-term objective and strategy of improving education and training in the country (Education International, 2009a). The major goal was to ensure universal education in the country by 2010. This would be indicated by increased enrollment rates in the technical schools and increased female representation in the elementary learning centers. The goal would be attained through identifying the impoverished and underserved regions in the country and improving access to education in these areas through establishment and expansion of the learning centers (World Bank, 2008). Therefore, the author asserts that the government has shown commitment to improving education in the country. It also indicates that the establishment of a learning institution requires identification of the underserved areas that has more need for these services. In another article Educational System in Cote D’ivoire, Imboua-Niava (2008) examines the system of education that has been applied in the former French colony since the 1990s. The learning institutions that were developed in the 1990s after the political upheavals are illustrated here. The accounts given in the article mainly consider the education in the country towards the end of the twentieth century. Imboua-Niava notes that a substantial proportion of the citizens of the country are not natives of Cote D’Ivoire. Imboua-Niava reports that three key ministries are in the government concerned with education at various capacities and levels. The Ministry of Education, Ministry of Technical Education and Professional Training, and the Ministry of Higher Education and Research are the key ministries directly concerned with education in the country (Imboua-Niava, 2008). Other ministries also have influence in education and provide professional training. These include the Ministry of Agriculture and Wild Resources, Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Family and Promotion of Women, and Ministry of Sports. As Imboua-Niava reports, the educational system involves primary school that lasts six years and pre-school education that is only common in the urban regions. An exam at the end of six years provides access to secondary education. The first cycle, Premier Cycle, takes four years yielding a diploma at the end (Imboua-Niava, 2008). This provides access to the Second Cycle that lasts 3 years with the students earning a diploma to access higher education. Depending on the qualifications of the students at this level, they can join various institutions including public universities, technical and professional training institutes, and private colleges. By the end of the twentieth century, the country had three independent public universities: the University of Cocodo, the University of Abobo-Adjame, and the University of Bouake. The country had two university colleges and four higher education institutions (Alam, et al, 2010). A number of private colleges had also been established in the country especially in the last decade of the century. The article also illustrates on the grading systems, the learning language, and the different types of certificates offered at different levels. The article is sufficient in providing the basis of government’s involvement in improving education in the country. The author is an educational advisor in the Public Affairs section of the US Embassy in the country. The political stability in the country is also essential in ensuring proper education systems in the country. In the article Education and Conflict in Cote D’Ivoire, Sany (2010) illustrates how the civil war that broke in the country in 2002 had negative impacts on the delicate public institutions like schools that had been established. The education sector was an obvious victim of the violence with individuals having unequal access to education as well as unequal distribution of educational resources across the country (Sany, 2010). The education system was damaged and education became among the bottom government priorities. Sany asserts that a proper intervention by the government to improve education system does only involve curriculum development, coordination of resources, or improving access to educational facilities. It also consists in addressing issues related to peace and conflict. This can be incorporated in the curriculum as well as the use of national institutions to improve national unity. In this article, Sany successfully touches on a key area of conflict resolution and national unity as a necessity in improving the quality of education. In the address “Improving Education Systems” given during the 2010 World Innovation Summit for Education, Qian Tiang, the Assistant Director-General for Education UNESCO, illustrates the measures that can be used to improve education especially in the developing nations. The article focuses on the efforts that governments can put in ensuring quality education to the citizens. It asserts that mere building of schools, training teachers and distributing learning materials to the schools may not suffice to ensure proper learning (Tiang, 2010). They have shown little or no progress in reforming the education standards. There is need for the government to plan and regulate school enrolment and identify areas that require more teachers and learning facilities. The government should ensure regular updates of the school curriculum and the learning materials used at different levels. There should be some consistency at different levels to ensure school transition and smooth student progress to higher levels (Tiang, 2010). Tiang, (2010) also observes that improving the educational system in a developing country like Cote D’Ivoire, which has been rocked by conflicts, requires collaboration with the developed countries and international organs on development e.g. UNESCO. It is noted that the country has problem in student progression from primary to secondary schools due to lack of learning facilities, a situation leading to increased youth unemployment. As such, a program by UNESCO has focused on establishment of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) centers in the Cote d’Ivoire. The success of such an initiative required cooperation and coordination among six ministries in the country, national education, TVET, higher education, Agriculture, Youth & Sports, and culture, women and social affairs (Tiang, 2010). The voucher education is also pointed out in another work by Gauri and Vawda (2003). In the article Vouchers for Basic Education in Developing Countries: A Principle-Agent Perspective, Gauri and Vawda advocate for the voucher system of education that allows parents to choose institutions providing quality services and creating incentives in schools so that more students can be absorbed. This follows the observed inefficient, insufficient, and inequitable spending by governments in education in the developing countries. The effects are poor quality education and unequal representation of different groups of people (gender, ethnic groups, or social class). Another important consideration to be made during the establishment of a technical college is its ability to improve the education system, especially the higher education. It has to be noted that the establishment of several institutions may also affect the quality of education and training negatively as has been witnessed in India. Prasad and Bhar (2010) observes that India has experienced growth in the number of technical institutions providing programs in various fields like engineering, technology, architecture, and management. Various government departments are concerned with the improvement of quality of education in the country. Nevertheless, the quality of education in these technical colleges has declined in the past due to huge enrollments in technical institutions. Accreditation involves a professional judgment as to whether an institution of higher learning and its program meets the required quality standards (Prasad & Bhar, 2010). This improves on the employability of graduates from the institution. In other words, the institution has to be recognized locally and internationally. On a similar note, Adedoyin and Shangodoyin (2010) focus on education based on outcome that is currently the concern of many countries. 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Retrieved from http://allafrica.com/stories/199805290193.html World Bank. (2011). Data and Statistics. Retrieved from http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/CDIVOIREEXTN/0,,menuPK:382633~pagePK:141132~piPK:141109~theSitePK:382607,00.html Concept Map Read More