Cambridge IGCSE Development Studies
children are needed to do domestic work, work on the farm or bring in income cultural beliefs that a girl’s place is in the home some ethnic minorities are excluded from schools children often act as carers for sick relatives parents are ignorant of the value of schooling pregnancy and early marriage civil wars/natural disasters.
K
1. What are some of the domestic chores undertaken by children? 2. How could civil wars and natural disasters prevent children from attending school? 3. Reasons why children do not attend school may be economic, political, environmental or social. Use these four headings and list the above bullet points under the correct reason.
Measures to help to meet MDG 2 In order to get children to attend school and keep them there through at least the primary grades, governments can take the following actions: abolition of school fees provision of enough schools, classrooms, teaching materials, teachers provision of free school meals (World Food Programme) mobile schools such as ‘tent schools’ in Mongolia laws to make basic education compulsory laws that put an end to child marriages and child labour rewards for families who allow girls to complete primary education.
Top-down and bottom-up decision making Projects may be government-led or be inspired by community action. Government-led projects are sometimes referred to as ‘top-down’ as it is the highest authority in the land which makes the decisions and promotes the change. For example, communities cannot make laws to make education compulsory but governments can do this. Bottom-up decisions are often referred to as ‘grass root’ decision making as the idea comes from the community itself and the community takes a major role in making it happen. Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) and voluntary workers have a very important part to play as well. The community may be willing to build a school using their own skills and local materials but may not have the expertise or funding to provide the teachers and books needed for study.