The Improvement of Education System as a Result of Globalisation - Essay Example

Introduction In the modern society, children across the world, face different challenges as a result of the ever changing world. The dilemmas that children in the third world country face include, lack of state resources such as medical care and education, malnutrition, crime, regional conflicts and wars, and ecological catastrophe. On the other hand, children in the developed countries are affected by dilemmas such as relative poverty, inequality, alienation, competition, and consumerism. Each of these countries, have their way in which they handle the challenges they face. However, the free global economy has resulted in exchange of not only ideas, but also values and ideas. Globalisation has brought new opportunities and solutions to the modern society. Thus, the essay explains the meaning of globalisation and why it is important for those who work with and for young children to understand childhood from a global perspective. What is globalisation? Globalisation is a process of integration and interaction among people of different cultures and countries aided by the information technology. Globalisation results in faster exchange of ideas and goods. The process has its effects on the culture, environment, economic system, political systems and human well-being (Gregory 1997, p. 23). Globalisation leads to the opening up of the nationalistic and local perspective in a broader outlook. Through globalisation, societies become more connected to one another. For instance, people can buy goods and services from other countries faster and easily. Former Secretary of the United Nations Kofi Annan once said that “being against globalisation it’s like denying the force of gravity.” He says that globalisation is a force that lifts people in all parts of the world from misery and hardship (Montgomery, Burr, & Woodhead 2003, p. 56). Ignoring it would be harmful. Globalisation drives the economy of the world to high status. The country develops, and new ways of living come up as a result of globalisation. Political, economic and social development occurs as a result of globalisation. In the political sectors, countries exchange political ideologies leading to the overall development of the country. Ideally, the current wave of globalisation is driven by the formulation of policies in different countries. Some of the policies that several countries have come up with are the opening up of boundaries for free trade. Individuals exchange goods and services without the imposition of tariffs. States have also established international agreements which promote trade in different countries. A well-defined trade system had an international financial business structure and international industrial set-up (Penn 2005, p. 21). Additionally, technological advancement has also speeded up the process of globalisation. People can travel easily as a result of the well-developed modes of transport. The two major sectors that have greatly enhanced the advancement of the telecommunication sector is the growth of the internet and the infrastructure (Dahlberg, Moss & Pence 2013, p. 63). Globalisation has resulted in an increase in opportunities in all parts of the world. It has made production process more easy and efficient. It has also resulted in the formation of the different organization such as the World Trade Organization and the World Economic Forum. Consequently, the organizations were formed for different reasons. The World Trade Organization was formed to formulate capital flow and the global trade. Currently, the organization has 159 members who work together under rules that govern capital flows and global trade (Farrell 2005, p. 78). Every member of the organization is answerable to the organization in all areas involving trade. The International Monetary Fund is in 2000, identified the basic aspects of globalisation, which include dissemination of knowledge, capital and investment, transaction and trade, and migration and the movement of people. Their aim was to ensure, there was development in all the parts of the country. Subsequently, events such as overfishing, air pollution, negative moral values, and climate change are linked to globalisation. Globalisation has adverse changes in the natural environment, socio-cultural resources and change in culture(Jones 2005, p.337). In the modern society, people mainly focus on westernization and coming up with new ways of life. The cultures of the people have also been eroded as a result of globalisation. For instance, some of the communities have abandoned their culture, such as female circumcision and wife inheritance as a result of globalisation. The climate has also been affected as a result of globalisation as pollution is increasing every day. Young people are also adopting western civilization. Why globalisation Globalisation and childhood culture In the contemporary world, globalisation has affected the behaviour of children. The exchange of ideas is fast with the modern technology. Children create relationship and easily maintain them with the modern forms of communication. The modern forms of communication have facilitated faster exchange of ideas among people of different cultures. Modern forms of communication such as Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, Instagram, and Google+ are some of the modern forms of communication that children use to exchange information (Held & McGrew 2003, p. 12). They are fast and convenient. Thus, when dealing with the children, it is important for one to understand the contemporary world for you to relate well with them. Globalisation has resulted in different changes which should be considered when dealing with the children. Globalisation has resulted to change in family structures. Parents spend fewer hours with their children because of the increase in the number of the working hours. The families have also changed from extended families to nuclear then to single parent families. The rate of divorce is high (Rodd 2013, p. 89). Communalism has been replaced by capitalism as people focus on the pursuit for individual gratification. People are less rooted to their culture because of the increase in mobility. Ideally, children’s lifestyles have also changed as a result of globalisation. There is a decrease in the amount of exercises as children, mostly prefer the indoor activities such as computer games. The rate of physical socialization has also reduced as children have a pursuit for virtual socialization through the modern form of socialization such as Facebook and Twitter(Jameson & Miyoshi 1998, p.63). The education system in some of the countries has changed as people prefer online learning and abandon the traditional class way of learning. Some children prefer staying indoors and learning through the computers than going to a class(SCF 2002, p.63). Consequently, the education system has also changed. Modern education is rooted in various forms such as online registration for courses, socially oriented worksheets, and continuous assessment. Thus, the educators should always learn to adopt the modern forms of communication and ensure that they have the knowledge required in this field (Tomlinson 2013, p.32). Technology determines the way things are done today, even in the school’s curriculum (Hopper 2007, p. 92). That is why in most of the schools, technological subjects are included in the curriculum. The commercialization of goods and services is also done in line with the modern community. Eating habits have also changed for children as they prefer sugary and fast foods. Their health has been affected adversely. Educators should come up with a way to ensure that they help children in their consumption habits (Johansson 2009, p. 81). Children rights and family life With globalisation, children have been made to believe that happiness comes up as a result of having materials. Materialism has taken root in the modern culture. Children no longer have time to spend with their parents. Parents concentrate on looking for ways of getting property. The rights of children have taken another angle as children only focus on the good things that they can get from their parents. The rights of children have changed not the basic needs that children required long time ago such as food, shelter and clothing (OECD 2006, p.63). Nowadays, the rights of children have changed with the incorporation of education and health care. Apart from the basic needs required, the world has brought up a new way in which people view children’s basic needs (Cornia 2005, p. 41). Children are pressurized by their parents to buy for them some goods. Children do not care about the status of their parents, what they need they believe that they are supposed to acquire it. Parents have to work hard to ensure that they meet the demands of their children. That is why parents spent less time with their children as they try to fulfil the basic need of their children. As a result of globalisation, children are made to believe that it is their right to own a certain good(Bae 2010, p. 215). The time that children are supposed to spend with their parents has been replaced by material things. Additionally, there are campaigns that have come up to fight for the children’s rights. The campaigns try to get the government to outlaw the physical punishment of children. In the learning institutions canning a child is not allowed. Children are entitled to their opinion. Child abuse is one of the vices that different societies are fighting against (Jenks 2005, p. 85). Children are not supposed to be exploited in any way. Children deserve respect and should be modelled in positive ways. Although, globalisation, which emphasizes on individual development hinders interaction among different parties, parents should ensure that does not affect grow the way a child grows(Fleer 2010, p.56). The United Nation Convention also focused on the rights of children from a different perspective. Their aim was to focus on the rights of children in basis of culture, identity and most importantly, learning to ensure there is sustainable development (Yelland 2005, p.52). Children's rights are supposed to be geared towards developing the modern economy. Children are supposed to be taught to come up with innovations in the development of the future generation. Globalisation mainly focuses on coming up with better ways of living and ensuring that the economy produces the required goods and services(James &Prout 2003, p.47). Thus, children are not supposed to go through a certain curriculum for the sake of just gaining education. Innovations should be promoted and the acquisition of skills that will help in the development of the nation. Educators and parents are supposed to be at the forefront as they encourage children to come up with innovations. Subsequently, the teachers and parents should have an understanding of the models of child development. As a result, they will understand how children behave at different stages in their life. For instance, the traditional Indians think that life is a cycle. Children develop in different stages which are crucial in their lives. In those stages, they have specific tasks that they are supposed to carry out (Christiansen & James 2008, p.26). There hold different ceremonies and rituals for the child to be transformed from one stage to another. Here, emphasizes is learning the social values of the community. Adults are the role models as children look up to them for guidance. Emergence of new world order The ongoing process of deregulation, commercialization, and privatization characterized the globalisation period. It has opened up an avenue for solving the problems of injustice, health care, education, and poverty(Yelland 2005, p.91). There are some values shared among nations that ensure that there is justice in the World. The exchange of ideologies has facilitated exchange of ideas in different nations. The cultural boundaries have broken as a result of globalisation. Some of the societies still hold on to their cultural values. However, they have experienced continuous pressure to change their way of living. Additionally, the mass media, and other forms of exchange of information have greatly impacted on globalisation. The access to digital services has increasingly led to cultural, economic, and political development. Children have greatly been affected by the mass media. They adopt their culture from the mass media(Mayall 2002, p.31). They want to do what they see on the mass media this has led to the erosion of the cultures. Children no longer depend on their parents for advice, but they only want to focus on what they see in the mass media. With globalisation, there is a need for well-trained and knowledgeable workforce to develop early care and education program. The policy makers in the education sector should have knowledge for the modern technology. The educators should fill in the gaps in the education sector. Bridging the gaps means integrating the new forms of technology in the education system. They should also come up with approaches that will help the teachers enhance children’s self-regulation and early learning(Yelland 2005, p.92). Additionally, the parents should be involved in decision making because they are key holders in the education system. Parents should know that they play a great role in the development of a child. Thus, they should be involved in every stage of their children. Through globalisation, the education sector has undergone constant changes. The effects of globalisation in the world have brought changes in the learning systems across the world. The country has moved from industrialisation to an information-based society. Thus, there is a change in roles between the parents and teachers. Parents focus on the income they get. There is a rise in Gross Domestic Product due to the industrious parents(Brownlee, Nailon, & Tickle 2010, p.99). Most parents in the modern society focus on maintaining a high standard of living. As a result of this, the Gross Domestic Product increases, but there is a gap between the parents and their children. Teachers, in turn, take up the parental role when they are educating the children. Additionally, globalisation has brought in a new form of cultural imperialism in shaping children in the modern society. The children are supposed to grow up into global citizens. That is intelligent people with a broad range of knowledge and skills to apply in the information-based and competitive society(Hoyles 1989, p.52). There is a great turnover in the labour market, and there is a call for skilled and knowledgeable workers. The culture has changed as female gender is being adopted in various working sectors. Education has become more invaluable as people learn only to acquire good jobs, thus better lifestyle, status and power in the society. However, there is a call for innovationists children are encouraged to not only focus on education for the purposes of getting better jobs but also ensure that they contribute to the development of the nation. In the 21st century, the education system faces the challenge of equipping students with knowledge, values, and skills and at the same time and producing students who are competitive in the global market(Pugh & Duffy, 2014, 52). Due to the quest for innovations there was development of copyright, patent, and trademark to protect individual’s intellectual property. It ensures that individuals come up with original intellectual property enhancing innovations among children. Apart from getting good jobs, different sectors encourage children to come up with original work to promote globalisation in the modern society. The society respects people on the basis of what they can give to the society. Children are supposed to focus on not only good grades but their contribution to the society. In conclusion, as discussed in the essay globalisation has brought about to advance changes in the technology today. The education system has improved as a result of globalisation. Educators are challenged to come up with new programs in the curriculum to ensure that children become innovators. The early childhood practitioners should understand the process of globalisation to ensure that they lead children on the right path. Parents should also take up their role and educate children on the modern lifestyles and spent adequate time with them. Most of the children do not speak or understand their vernacular languages, especially in the third world country due to western civilization. Parents should take up their role teach their children about the positive aspects of their culture. As a result, children will have a better place in the modern society. Bibliography Bae, B. 2010, ‘Realising children’s rights to participation in early childhood settings: some critical issues in a Norwegian context’, Early Years, 30(3), pp.205-218. Brownlee, J., Nailon, D., and Tickle, E. 2010, Constructing leadership in child care: epistemological beliefs and transformational leadership. Journal of Early Childhood, 35(3), pp.95-104. Christiansen, P. and James, A. (eds.) 2008, Research with children: perspectives and practices. 2ndedn. Abingdon: Routledge. Cornia, G.A. (ed.) 2005, Harnessing globalisation for children. 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