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In this day and age, we’re lucky that most of us have access to education. In 2020, 90 per cent of the world's population had completed primary education, and 66 per cent had completed secondary education.
Education is an essential building block of our society because it provides knowledge, skills and an environment to help people grow — and in turn, they will help society grow.
But out of the billions of people who have completed primary education, how many get to experience quality education? And what does that even mean?
In this article, we’ll explore the definition of quality education, its importance, the dimensions of quality education, and how educators and institutions can get there.
What is quality education?
Quality education is defined as one that focuses on the learner to prepare them for life, not just for assessments. It demands a shift in focus from the learner’s gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and geographical location to their social, emotional, mental, physical and cognitive development.
This means that quality education doesn’t just refer to the course material, but to the approach and intention of the teaching.
In 2012, the United Nations listed quality education as one of their Sustainable Development Goals for the first time.
The importance of quality education
Quality education shouldn’t be a new concept because, shouldn’t all educational bodies be focused on the needs and development of learners rather than their profiles? Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case.
Now more than ever, there is a need for quality education to remove biases and offer fair opportunities to all learners.
Helping learners will also help communities and societies prosper. In such a racially and culturally diverse world we live in today, quality education needs to be commonplace, fast.
For schools and educators, quality education will allow you to better align and integrate with communities.
With technology changing the world of education, there are more opportunities for students, but not equal opportunities for all students. Quality education and its methods can help educators to bridge the gap between technology and student financing.
Quality education in poorer nations
Does this mean that underdeveloped or developing countries will have no use for quality education? No.
In fact, there’s reason to believe that poorer countries may benefit most from quality education.
With 57 million children out of school, there is a pressing need for governments and societies to prioritise quality education. This will push them to fulfil education funding commitments, help all children to meet school entry requirements and provide a safe learning environment for every learner.
Quality education: additional facts and figures
Globally, more boys than girls have access to primary education. While most countries have gender parity in primary education, gender bias against girls still exists in some parts of the world, particularly in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia.
In 2020, there were three per cent fewer girls than boys who enrolled in primary school. Although that may sound like a small percentage, it accounts for millions of young girls.
On a larger scale, 103 million youth worldwide are still illiterate, with women making up more than 60 per cent.
Aside from education, hundreds of millions of children worldwide rely on school meals and will have to look for an alternative source of food if they are unable to stay in school.
Quality education aims to even out the playing field and make primary education available to all.
Key pillars of quality education and how to implement them
There are three key pillars of quality education:
Ensuring access to quality teachers
By raising the standards for educators and doing regular training, educational institutions can upskill teachers and provide quality educators to all learners.
This may require more resources, so it is important to access and prioritise school funding to make sure students and teachers alike are getting what they need.
Providing use of quality learning tools and professional development
Quality education is learner-focused, but educators can’t monitor each and every student 24/7. This is where technology comes into play.
With the use of helpful tools such as free online libraries, online counselling and AI chat buddies, learners will be able to assess themselves, solve problems and find information in areas where they lack understanding.
Establishing safe and supportive quality learning environments
A supporting environment creates a safe space for all learners to listen, learn and ask for help.
This can mean being unbiased and receptive to all students, providing proper training for all learners and ensuring all students have access to the necessary tools
The world’s best quality education systems
Here are some of the world’s best education systems that demonstrate the aforementioned pillars. You can look to these leaders in the education sector to get inspired:
- Japan
- South Korea
- Australia
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- Switzerland
- Denmark
- Sweden
- Finland
- Canada
You should note that just because a country has a good education system does not mean it offers quality education that aligns with equal education for all.
The takeaway
Everyone can benefit from quality education. Access to education is often a given in developed countries, but quality education is something that should not be neglected. Poorer countries can shift their focus to quality education in order to provide education for the masses.
By exercising the key pillars in the examples above, you too can implement quality education in your classroom, courses and for your students.
If you need more information on quality education and want to implement AI in your education system, contact us or schedule a demo today.