Problems in Madagascar with Education and Poverty
Problem # 1:
In Education It is likely that the standard of living in Madagascar will never improve in a lasting way without a well-educated and inquiring population. Fortunately, some of the indicators on this are positive.
According to the MSN Encarta entry on Madagascar, "Education is compulsory for five years in Madagascar. In 2000 the adult literacy rate had reached 66.5 percent, one of the highest rates in Africa. Virtually all elementary school-aged children were enrolled in school in 2000–2001, and 14 percent of those between the ages of 12 and 17 were enrolled in secondary school."
But there is still a very long way to go. For all intents and purposes public education does not exist in many parts of the country, particularly those poorer areas in the west and south that governments have traditionally neglected. In these regions schools, where they occur, are often run privately. They are doing what they can, but they need help.
Causes:
I think that the causes of this problem are a few things. One in particular is the fact that there are not very many people in Madagascar. Since there are not very many people, there is not a very big need for public schools. Another reason there is not very high education is because there are not many jobs in Madagascar, so many of the parents don't see why they need to send their kids to school.
Possible Solution:
A possible solution could be to make more jobs available for the students in school right now so that they will be able to make use of their education and be able to make more money to support their families. Another solution could be to make the students more excited about learning. If they understand that education gives us so much more than a good job and that it helps us gain a better perspective of the world, they would maybe want to go to school and stay in it longer.
Problem # 2:
The very low income of many households is one reason why the health of children is often extremely poor. Madagascar has one of thehighest rates of stunting in the world, with half of all children suffering from stunted growth because of an inadequate diet.
It is common for families to rely on rice and cassava for the bulk of their meals – see Food & Daily Life. Often households are too poor to have meat or fish regularly, or to buy fresh fruit and vegetables. This means that many children are not eating the kinds of foods they need for proper growth.
Causes:
To main reason I think stunted growth in children is such a big problem is because they are just not getting enough food that is beneficial to their health. One of the things that is bad for our health could be consuming too much of the same things.
Possible Solution:
A possible solution to this problem could be to introduce them to different things for them to eat. The parents need to be able to have access that will give their children the best nutrition for them to grow healthy. Us as a stronger nation, could help them by sending some of our food to them.
This problem also links to the lack of education. Parents aren't able to afford food because of their lack of education to get them better jobs.
Conclusion:
Obviously these problems have been around for a very long time and can't be solved over night. However, I think it is important that we are aware of the problems going on in other countries. I believe that theses problems could be solved in the future with the help of other nations and their influences. We can do what we can by helping with the small things such as getting people aware. I believe in a better future for Madagascar!
Sources:
http://mada.moreorless.net.au/problems/education.html
http://www.our-africa.org/madagascar/poverty-healthcare
In Education It is likely that the standard of living in Madagascar will never improve in a lasting way without a well-educated and inquiring population. Fortunately, some of the indicators on this are positive.
According to the MSN Encarta entry on Madagascar, "Education is compulsory for five years in Madagascar. In 2000 the adult literacy rate had reached 66.5 percent, one of the highest rates in Africa. Virtually all elementary school-aged children were enrolled in school in 2000–2001, and 14 percent of those between the ages of 12 and 17 were enrolled in secondary school."
But there is still a very long way to go. For all intents and purposes public education does not exist in many parts of the country, particularly those poorer areas in the west and south that governments have traditionally neglected. In these regions schools, where they occur, are often run privately. They are doing what they can, but they need help.
Causes:
I think that the causes of this problem are a few things. One in particular is the fact that there are not very many people in Madagascar. Since there are not very many people, there is not a very big need for public schools. Another reason there is not very high education is because there are not many jobs in Madagascar, so many of the parents don't see why they need to send their kids to school.
Possible Solution:
A possible solution could be to make more jobs available for the students in school right now so that they will be able to make use of their education and be able to make more money to support their families. Another solution could be to make the students more excited about learning. If they understand that education gives us so much more than a good job and that it helps us gain a better perspective of the world, they would maybe want to go to school and stay in it longer.
Problem # 2:
The very low income of many households is one reason why the health of children is often extremely poor. Madagascar has one of thehighest rates of stunting in the world, with half of all children suffering from stunted growth because of an inadequate diet.
It is common for families to rely on rice and cassava for the bulk of their meals – see Food & Daily Life. Often households are too poor to have meat or fish regularly, or to buy fresh fruit and vegetables. This means that many children are not eating the kinds of foods they need for proper growth.
Causes:
To main reason I think stunted growth in children is such a big problem is because they are just not getting enough food that is beneficial to their health. One of the things that is bad for our health could be consuming too much of the same things.
Possible Solution:
A possible solution to this problem could be to introduce them to different things for them to eat. The parents need to be able to have access that will give their children the best nutrition for them to grow healthy. Us as a stronger nation, could help them by sending some of our food to them.
This problem also links to the lack of education. Parents aren't able to afford food because of their lack of education to get them better jobs.
Conclusion:
Obviously these problems have been around for a very long time and can't be solved over night. However, I think it is important that we are aware of the problems going on in other countries. I believe that theses problems could be solved in the future with the help of other nations and their influences. We can do what we can by helping with the small things such as getting people aware. I believe in a better future for Madagascar!
Sources:
http://mada.moreorless.net.au/problems/education.html
http://www.our-africa.org/madagascar/poverty-healthcare