“An ancient culture is an ecosystem, a complex web of relationship between human beings and the land they lived on, as in any ecosystem every element is intertwined with all the others, and as in an ecosystem sudden changes have unpredictable effects” (“Schooling the world,” 2010)
The above excerpt reflects the main theme of this documentary. The producers and director of the film laid out the consequence of acculturation. That is, the export of western education system to the developing world seen in part as development aid that works to alleviate poverty and facilitate the integration of indigenous locals to the global economy. Yet, the outcomes of such institutions have shown to destroy longstanding cultures, traditions, and languages. What might seem even more counterintuitive about the access of such education institutions is the erosion of domestic food security, and the displacement of youths away from their homelands in pursue of a ‘better’ future; a fantasy marketed to these soon-to-be educated future generations.
The erosion of Domestic Food Security
Although one might argue that education is one of the most impactful apparatus towards the alleviation of poverty, the film refutes that this misguide generations to sacrifice generations of learned knowledge; their traditions, languages, and their ability to produce food; a critical aspect of self sufficiency. Many find themselves pursuing a dream that is surreal rather than realistic. These ‘educated’ youths were sold to achieve aspirations and dreams of the western capitalism and consumerism. Yet, these educated rural youths found themselves discriminated within the cities they migrated after receiving education, many found themselves discriminated as urban dwellers viewed them as a lower social class, while others were simply denied appropriate and suitable jobs. These youths who traded generations of self-subsistence livelihoods for high school certificate found themselves living in urban slums of Mumbai, Calcutta, Beijing and other concrete jungles only to be minions of the corporate factories that place them marginally above the poverty line.
Education is key!
Education is a tool, it is an apparatus that facilitates communication and the exchange of ideas, thus providing education is not the root problem. Taking the entire western education and intentionally omitting educating locals of their own culture, traditions and knowledge is deemed paternalistic and intrusive. Donors and agencies often view short-term changes as positive impacts, whilst these institutions fail to understand their adverse impact on the community in the long run. The aspect of inclusivity should be incorporated, the education system introduced in such communities should be pedagogical such that it meets the needs of the communities, understanding mathematics and sciences fulfills spurs curiosity in the young minds of learners and provide the necessary basic foundation for further inquiry based learning. However, curriculum development within these communities should be bottom-up, listening and asking the locals what they ‘want’ and need. Incorporating knowledge from the elders is key to ensuring the continued proliferation of a community that is in the long run more sustainable than imposing and reinforcing a western education system. Schooling the World: The White Man’s Last Burden Trailer