The Research Day Blog Publication Award Winner...

Winner of 2024 Research Day Blog Publication Award: Mahfida Tahniat!

Posted on August 2, 2024 by Blog Editor

We are happy to announce the winner of the 2024 Research Day Blog Publication Award… Mahfida Tahniat!

Mahfida is a PhD student in EDST— her Research Day Post below discusses “floating schools” in Bangladesh, highlighting their role in providing education to communities impacted by climate change.

Mahfida currently has an interactive photo and video exhibit, Beyond the Frame: Floating Schools in Bangladesh, happening at the Ponderosa Commons and Neville Scarfe buildings (July 15 – September 15). More information about this exhibit is shared below.

Floating Schools in Bangladesh: A Journey Towards Empowerment?

by Mahfida Tahniat

In remote areas of Bangladesh, children go to school on boat, called “floating school” which literally floats on water and comes to pick up its students for a regular school day. However, the idea of this floating school is neither a new one nor is it any fancy expensive water ride for the privileged children. Rather, this boat school is free and provides the much-needed education for the most marginalized community living in a country that has been struggling against the climate catastrophe.

Students return home after the end of the classes for the day. The floating boat school moves from one area to another and goes to the children for giving education as the children don’t go to the traditional school because of lack of communication during flooding, Billdohor, Natore.

While the most marginalised people living in villages have contributed little to climate change, not only do they find their villages eroding and becoming smaller and smaller islands, they also suffer the consequences of the increasingly violent storms and deadly cyclones that scientists have attributed to global warming. In fact, the concept of the floating school came as an initiative to climate change adaptation so that both children and adults can get access to the resources to educate themselves.

For a country like Bangladesh, climate justice is no longer a theoretical concept; rather it has become a biting reality and an existential issue since 56% Bangladeshis live in “high climate exposure areas”. Despite producing only 0.56% of global emissions, Bangladesh ranks 7^th on the list of countries most vulnerable to climate devastation.

Because of the sea-level rise in Bangladesh, climate crisis contributes to over 10 million Bangladeshis already being displaced as “climate refugees”, unable to farm or survive on their flooded land. The consequences complicate the situation further since “climate change in Bangladesh has started what may become the largest mass migration in human history”. To make the matter worse, it has been estimated that by 2050, one in every seven people in Bangladesh will be displaced by climate change.

My research responds to address these challenges and analyses the floating school’s impact on sustainable community development within climate justice framework while introducing education as a potential remedy against being displaced in the global climate migration context.

A teacher conducts class for grade one students on a boat school at Chatmohor, Pabna.

The impact of climate change on education cannot be taken lightly. Because of climate change’s rising tendency of severe floods and regular cyclones, the educational programs in Bangladesh become frequently disrupted. Education is free in Bangladesh, but children cannot reach school buildings regularly and access their educational needs for various reasons connected to climate change.

An estimated 3 million children needed education in emergencies assistance in Bangladesh in 2017 and in some areas, schools were used as temporary flood shelters, which had an impact on the learning ability of the students. There were instances of destroyed school infrastructure, damaged roads, disrupted transport facilities as well as higher risk of water-borne infections, malaria, and dengue fever. During the months-long school closure, poor parents can hardly afford to take care of their children, which has further serious consequences. The long-term consequences are factors in being a climate refugee, including school dropouts, child labour, early marriage leading to an increase in maternal mortality rate.

Against such a backdrop, the floating school might be seen as a creative solution since this boat school brings learning, books and solar-powered electricity to the community (where darkness prevails from a very literal sense to a metaphorical one) and provide education. The Floating School project was initiated by a local NGO in Bangladesh, Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha (SSS) in 2002, and later in 2011, it was adopted by Building Resources Across Communities (BRAC), the largest NGO in the world.

“For Bangladesh, boats are the future,” said Mohammad Rezwan, an architect who is also the founder of SSS. The floating school provides free all-year-round primary education for children up to grade 5, along with library services. Using solar panels as the main source of energy, and through technology-enabled, creative and customized solutions, this school also provides adult education that focuses on sustainable agriculture, healthcare and climate change adaptation. By providing the environmental education, the project has even helped to develop floating crop beds to ensure year-round food supply and income for families in flood-prone areas.

What is interesting about this project is this holistic approach through educational sustainability which has become a test case for community-based adaptation to climate change in Bangladesh. On the one hand, these boats are built, using the local materials and the traditional knowledge of the community and on the other, with the promotion of literacy and trainings, especially among girls and women, the increasing chances for girls’ education and women’s empowerment, can have positive impact in the community development. However:

to what extent do parents and community members feel empowered to actively support and contribute to their children’s education and the overall development of the community?
how does the floating school program contribute to the economic empowerment of individuals and communities through enhanced livelihood opportunities, entrepreneurship training, and income generation activities?
how does it address intersecting forms of oppression and marginalization based on factors such as gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, or socioeconomic status?
to what extent does the floating school contribute to building resilience and adaptive capacity among communities, both in terms of education and livelihoods?
can education via floating school play an important role in preventing climate refugee impacts?

Only the latest data coming from an in-depth research study can answer these questions—Till then, the journey of the floating school continues in the riverbank communities in Bangladesh!

All Photo Credits: Abir Abdullah/ Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha/ https://shidhulai.org/

BEYOND THE FRAME: FLOATING SCHOOLS IN BANGLADESH

This photo exhibition, Beyond the Frame, is about the floating schools program in Bangladesh which might be seen as a powerful way to address educational needs in the current Climate and Nature Emergency (CNE) context. Even though education is free in Bangladesh, there are significant implications for the delivery of education due to the increasing number of regular cyclones and floods, which the scientists directly attribute to the ongoing climate change.

Against such a backdrop, many children, particularly the marginalised ones, attend schools in boats, called “Floating School” (that literally floats on water), a project initiated by a local NGO, Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha. In 2002, Mohammad Rezwan founded the floating schools program through which both children and adults can get access to the resources to educate and empower themselves. It also provides critically needed adult education on community development through healthcare and sustainable agriculture as well as environmental education and women’s empowerment among the most marginalised communities in Bangladesh.

GLOBAL CLIMATE JUSTICE: BANGLADESH IN FOCUS

Climate justice is inherently laden with conceptions of injustice and inequality, as it disproportionately impacts the most vulnerable, living in countries in the global South. For a country like Bangladesh, climate justice is no longer a theoretical concept; rather it has become a biting reality and an existential issue since 56% Bangladeshis live in high climate exposure areas. Bangladesh ranks 7th in the most climate vulnerable countries despite producing only 0.56% of the global emissions. Much of the country remains below 10 meters above sea level and during heavy monsoon rains, 70% of the country ends up under water. For Bangladesh, climate change has started the largest mass migration in human history, and over 10 million Bangladeshis have already become displaced as “climate refugees.” Scientists further predict that Bangladesh will lose 17% of its land by 2050 due to flooding caused by climate change.

Climate Complicity: Responsibility & Relationality

Beyond the Frame is a critical and creative intervention to provide an opportunity for all to engage with the complexities of the Climate and Nature Emergency (CNE) and look beyond the conventional frame of the mainstream approaches of the climate conversation, while contextualizing the CNE from the global South lenses. In the context of climate justice, it is important to acknowledge the disproportionate contribution made by the Western nations like Canada, in causing the climate catastrophe, because of which countries like Bangladesh, are now experiencing the effects of climate reality with far more intensity.

This photo exhibition invites everyone to explore their connection to these climate crises, and specifically recognise their complicity in them; it also emphasizes our shared responsibility and relationality in improving the quality of life for all living beings on the planet Earth!

Please Feel Free to Fill out the Following Survey: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bqlCRyEtAvSOpYa?Q_CHL=qr

Feedback for the author? Please email: mahfida@student.ubc.ca

Click here to learn more about this exhibit

Click below to open full size photos:

: A group of children on the floating school

: The library facilities inside classroom

: Students return home from a boat school after the end of the classes for the day in Billdohor, Natore

: A teacher conducts class for grade one students on a boat school at Chatmohor, Pabna

: Youth training centre provides trainings on computer and internet literacy

: Sewing training course for the village women and girls at a boat in Kukragari, Chatmohor, Pabna

: Three students smile standing in front of the Boroda Nagar Uttor Para Boat School, Chatmohor, Pabna

: The journey of the floating school continues

Exploring Histories Confronting White Supremacy: Aneet Kahlon, Erin Villaronga Mulligan, and Mark McLean

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Blog Editor

This is the first post in a new series from the course “Topics in the History of Education: Histories Confronting White Supremacy,” led by Professor Mona Gleason.

This course delves into colonialization, racism, and systemic oppression, exploring how historical understanding shapes our world today. In this series, students collaborated to craft blog posts where they explore themes related to course topics and share their insights with the larger EDST audience.

Keep an eye out for more posts in this series!

Co-authored by Aneet Kahlon, Erin Villaronga Mulligan, and Mark McLean, this blog post discusses the complexities of historical narratives surrounding education and white supremacy. Drawing insights from the work of Michael Marker and other course readings, the authors reflect on topics like colonial borders, Indigenous experiences, and educational structures.

In this post, we centered our discussion on the work of Michael Marker, an Arapaho scholar, whose invaluable contributions have not only left an enduring impact on the EDST community but have also significantly influenced scholarship in higher education (Gill et al., 2023).

Within our conversations we weave together our understandings of his work with other readings that we have been offered throughout our course to answer the question:

ANEET: In other classes, we’ve talked about how borders are arbitrary concepts, but Michael Marker’s (2015) article, “Borders and Borderless Coast Salish: Decolonizing Historiographies of Indigenous Schooling,” made me think about this idea within the context of B.C.

It’s new for me to think about how Canadian residential schools and American boarding schools affected a single community differently depending on what side of the border they were on. It reminded me about the partition of India and Pakistan, where connected communities were forced to migrate to a specific side of a border randomly drawn up by a white man. I also think about my research because focusing on B.C. educational policies is a constraint that’s inherently colonizing. Indigenous communities don’t end at the border just because my analysis does.

MARK: I’m thinking about how many times Marker walks up to an idea and then shows that it’s too complex to follow in a short article, and instead notes another author in that space. These threads are worth pulling, and need to be pulled, and that makes the idea more complex.

ANEET: It’s been helpful to complicate ideas in this class!

MARK: When I read Marker’s work, I connected it back to a chapter of Thomas King’s (2012) book The Inconvenient Indian that we read; they both serve as a call to complicate things and acknowledge their complexity. As opposed to a flattened perspective, just on one side of the border. There is a quote in King’s work that says, “North America hates the Legal Indian. Savagely. The Legal Indian was one of those errors in judgment that North America made and has been trying to correct for the past 150 years” (King, 2012, p. 69). Each country wants to have a story to tell about what is going on with Indigenous peoples, Indigenous existence, and epistemologies, but all ignore complexity. In the U.S. it was public schools where Indigenous students experienced more racism, whereas Marker suggests that boarding schools were places where Indigenous students could also connect and define their own identity. This made me think about identity and what King (2012) called the “Dead Indian,” because as a nation, we’re not seeking out these complexities.

ERIN: Having done my undergraduate work at a U.S. institution, I guess I’ve never tried to fully articulate the experience of studying structural racism of public schools and educational inequality in an American context to learning about movements of indigenizing or decolonizing public schools in British Columbia. Because of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, I think many people are so focused on the historical aspect of residential schools, and not as much on the broader racist and colonial structures of modern public schooling systems. This is a complete flip in perspective for me; something that I’m processing as I talk through it now.

MARK: Yeah! Both articles speak to the idea of treating residential schools like they only existed in the past. And Canadians love a chance to forgive ourselves. We’re less concerned with the transition out of residential school systems, and how much racism and damage happened in that situation. Everything didn’t just end when the last residential school closed. Again, it’s just flattening a narrative.

When we talked about the Boldt Decision and how the judge decided on fishing rights for Indigenous peoples in America, it reminded me of the CBC article talking about the Mi’kmaq lobster disputes in Nova Scotia. Canadian media didn’t know how to approach what was basically terrorism by white fisherman. So much of this results from an educational system where we’ve been taught this flat story, flat story, flat story. How different would it be if there was an understanding of the complexity of all this, for the Mi’kmaq and for our case, the Coast Salish?

ERIN: I want to shout out a different article from one of Mona’s classes. It’s “‘The children show unmistakable signs of Indian blood’: Indigenous children attending public schools in British Columbia, 1872-1925” by Sean Carleton (2021). He writes about the history of Indigenous children that attended public schools in British Columbia. It was an interesting read for me not having known a lot about how public schools were established here. The stories of those children and the adults (Indigenous and settler) that facilitated their enrollment in those public schools added another dimension to that normally flat story you’re talking about, Mark. The histories of white supremacy and those fighting against it in the world of education don’t all follow the singular residential school narrative that gets told.

ANEET: Mark, you’ve made a good point! What we learn about through Canadian education systems must fit within the constraints of what Eurocentric values want us to learn. For example, social studies curriculum teaches “Canadian” or “B.C.’s” history. A bordered history. These constraints act as a mechanism of validating those imaginary borders.

MARK: Yeah! I keep thinking, Aneet, about your comment about the border in Punjab, and how people had to swap back and forth across the border. I just googled the Salish Sea because I never think about it as a unit in the same way that we think about the Mediterranean as a unit. It’s so hard to untangle… yeah, it’s just really hard to not see borders.

ERIN: And all our other units of geographical organization. Water borders have always been especially bizarre to me. Because water is water! You just can’t draw a border in water! And that really emphasizes another idea that I think Marker brings us face to face with within this article: about how settlers conceptualize not only land, but place.

Place-based education is big, especially in early childhood right now, with things like forest schools, but we need to be careful about what type of teaching is still reinscribing very particular understandings of place that don’t align with the original stewards of this land. I don’t know if it’s possible to reach the same understanding. But if we’re taking children out for nature walks and talking about street names and showing them “borders” of parks and such, it’s almost like, what’s the point?

MARK: Totally! This connects well to “Decolonization is not a metaphor” by Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Yang:

“These fantasies can mean the adoption of Indigenous practices and knowledge, but more, refer to those narratives in the settler colonial imagination in which the Native (understanding that he is becoming extinct) hands over his land, his claim to the land, his very Indian-ness to the settler for safe-keeping. This is a fantasy that is invested in a settler futurity and dependent on the foreclosure of an Indigenous futurity.”

Essentially, when settlers adopt watered-down practices of place-based learning, its main purpose is to reinforce a safe settler future.

We went for a walk in Musqueam territory for Pro-D day and they pointed out Iona Beach Regional Park across the river and showed us that it didn’t count as their territory. Musqueam has fishing rights, but they’re hampered by the actions of the logging industry across the river. I imagined these lines across the water and it’s an absurd, imposing, and abstract idea. It’s just a river.

I wanted to share this map with you. Musqueam collaborates with the Museum of Anthropology, and they have a map that shows how the delta formed over 10,000 years ago. It made me think… MAN! Richmond didn’t exist 10,000 years ago. Indigenous peoples were here before Richmond existed as a physical land. Not only are these lines arbitrary, they’re also shifting!

References:

Carleton, S. (2021). “The children show unmistakable signs of Indian blood’: Indigenous children attending public schools in British Columbia, 1872-1925,” History of Education, 50(3), 313-337.
Gill, H., Kelly, D. M., Martin, K. S., & Mazawi, A. E. (2023). “Editorial Introduction, Indigenous Historiographies, Place, and Memory in Decolonizing Educational Research, Policy, and Pedagogic Praxis: Special Issue in Honour and Memory of Professor Michael Marker (1951-2021),” Journal of Contemporary Issues in Education, 18(2), 1-7.
Grant, T. (October 14, 2020), “Vehicle torched, lobster pounds storing Mi’kmaw catches trashed during night of unrest in N.S.,” CBC News.
King, T. (2012). “Chapter 3: Too Heavy to Lift,” in, The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America (pp. 53-75). Random House.
Marker, M. (2015). Borders and the Borderless Coast Salish: Decolonising Historiographies of Indigenous Schooling. History of Education, 44(4), 480-502.
Museum of Anthropology. (n.d.) Musqueam Teaching Kit.
Tuck, E. and K. Wayne Yang. (2012). “Decolonization is not a metaphor,” Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education, and Society 1(1), 1-40.

Announcing: The Research Day Blog Publication Award

Posted on March 20, 2024 by Blog Editor

As we prepare for this year’s “Research Day” in EDST…

We’re eager to explore a range of topics in educational research under the theme of “Power Revisited: Practices Against Complacency in Education,” chosen in honor of our department’s 30th anniversary.

Research Day is a wonderful opportunity to bring your research interests and work to others in the department, and to engage in dialogue with EDST colleagues.

Presentations will take on many forms, including:

- Traditional paper presentations,
- Ignite presentations (20 slides in 5 minutes),
- art, film, and performance pieces,
- Poster presentations.

Additionally, the day will feature roundtable and panel sessions with formats like: panelist presentations, group discussions, book presentations, and informal Scholars’ Café sessions.

One exciting addition to this year’s Research Day is the introduction of the Research Day Blog Publication Award.

Current EDST students who present at Research Day and subsequently transform their presentations into blog posts will be eligible to win a $50 UBC Bookstore gift card prizes. Blog posts are typically 500-1,000 words and follow a public facing writing format. The winners of the awards will be selected by the Blog’s Editorial Board.

We are excited for this collaboration between the EDST Blog and Research Day, and to showcase some of the exciting work by EDST students!

(submissions are now closed).

The blog has several examples of past Research Day presentations transformed into blog posts, including:

To aid students in the process of transforming their Research Day presentations into blog posts, we’ve created a short template (below).

The template is intended as a resource to help students get started thinking about writing for a blog audience, and distilling the essential pieces of their presentation to include in a blog post.

Download the Template Here

Submissions due: May 17th. Click below to submit.

Stay tuned for more details about this award at EDST Research Day.

Students with questions are encouraged to reach out to blog editor, Jessica Lussier (edstblog.editor@ubc.ca), for questions or support.

Banner that reads: "EDST Student Representatives Interview Series"

Navigating Anti-Colonialism in Education: An Interview with Aneet Kahlon

Posted on February 15, 2024 by Blog Editor

This post is the second in a series of interviews with EDST student representatives.

The first post featured an interview with Silas Krabbe, GAA representative on GPACC.

Today I am thrilled to introduce Aneet Kahlon (she/her/hers), a MA student and student representative in EDST. Aneet graciously took the time to share insights into her academic journey, research interests, and experiences within EDST.

From Science to SCPE

Aneet’s background before coming to EDST was in science learning. Coming from Calgary, AB Aneet earned her Biological Sciences degree at the University of Calgary, as well as a Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta.

Originally wanting to come to UBC to study Marine Biology straight out high school, Aneet instead joined the Educational Studies department in fall 2022.

Finding Her Niche: SCPE and Anti-Racism

In her pursuit of a Masters degree, Aneet found EDST’s SCPE (Society, Culture and Politics in Education) a wonderful fit, focusing on anti-racism and educational policy. Much of her previous university experiences were large, lecture-format classes, so she has really enjoyed the switch to smaller classes and the ability to talk about and engage in coursework with others.

Getting Involved as a Student Representative

Aneet is currently the student representative on the Scholarships and Awards Committee. While she hasn’t had the chance to meet with the committee this year, she is no stranger to volunteering in the department. Last year she was a SCPE student representative, and found it was a great way to meet people in EDST and get to know more about the inner-workings of the program.

Aneet shared her motivation for joining committees as a student representative, in that she aims to expand her involvement beyond classroom learning, emphasizing the importance of understanding the program’s decision-making processes.

Life Beyond EDST

When asked about hobbies, Aneet shared that she is learning to draw. In addition to taking drawing lessons, Aneet also enjoys doing other arts and crafts like embroidery, creative writing, journaling and poetry.

Aneet is hoping to incorporate her newfound passion for drawing into her thesis through the inclusion of family photos she has been drawing. She described how the process of carefully studying the small details of family photos has been a moving process which has allowed her to feel more connected to her grandparents and family memories. She credits one of her supervisors, Hartej Gill, for encouraging her to integrate creative outlets into her thesis, as she had incorporated creative writing into her own dissertation.

Around Vancouver

When asked about her favorite spots around Vancouver, Aneet shared that one of her favorite peaceful getaways is New Brighton Beach near Powell Street.

Another favorite spot is Main Street, particularly Caffe Artigiano. She might often be spotted browsing at a nearby bookstore before settling in to study at Caffe Artigiano with one of their delicious oat milk chai lattes. Aneet also enjoys immersing herself in Vancouver’s live music scene and appreciates the diverse range of local artists and the vibrant energy of the music scene.

Aneet’s Research and Experience with EDST

Aneet’s primary focus is on education policy research, specifically delving into anti-racism policy through an anti-colonial lens. Her thesis, titled “Anti-Colonial Content Analysis of Surrey School District’s Racial Equity Strategic Plan,” will examine how policy production impacts students, teachers, and communities. Her research is driven by a desire to challenge the status quo and advocate for anti-colonialism in education, aiming to create inclusive spaces where diverse voices are valued and heard.

As Aneet reflects on her journey, she’s grateful for the supportive community and the diverse perspectives she’s encountered in her time with EDST.

Thanks to Aneet for sharing her story!

This blog post was the second in a series of interviews with EDST student representatives. Click here to learn more about EDST’s committees and opportunities to get involved.

Are you a student representative interested in being featured on the EDST blog? Click here to reach out to our blog editor, Jessica Lussier.

Navigating Education and Community: An interview with Silas Krabbe

Posted on January 4, 2024 by Blog Editor

This post is the first in a series of interviews with EDST student representatives.

Silas Krabbe (he/him/his) is a PhD student in UBC’S Educational Studies department. Silas was born and raised in Calgary, AB, but moved to Fraser Valley in 2007 for college. In 2013 he moved to Vancouver to begin his graduate studies, and in fall of 2019 he joined EDST to earn his MEd in SCPE (Society, Culture and Politics in Education).

In 2021 Silas rejoined EDST to begin his PhD in Educational Studies.

His research interests include violence, pedagogy, and philosophy of education. Some of his recent work includes:

“Responding to Fascist Thought in Education: Resources for Anti-Fascist Pedagogy from Paulo Freire,” a paper published in the journal Philosophy of Education.
- - - - “Imagining Relational Ontologies for Education amidst Ricocheting (non)Violence,” a book chapter in the edited volume “Educating for Peace through Countering Violence.”

In addition to these recent publications, Silas is currently co-editing a special issue on “antifacist education” for the journal Review of Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural Studies.

Silas currently serves as a GAA in the department, as well as the GAA research representative on the Graduate Programs Advisory and Curriculum Committee (GPACC). He chose to become an EDST representative to gain a better understanding of the department, and to learn more about where the department is heading.

Typically meeting once a month, the GPACC advises on all matters related to graduate education within EDST. Members review, advise, and assess the department’s educational philosophy, and curriculum development, as well as coordinate student enrolment, and organize student orientation and graduation activities.

For example, Silas shared that currently the GPACC is processing course approvals and reviewing syllabi for the summer terms. The other current discussion taking place in the committee is the topic of how many future courses ought to be offered in online, hybrid, and in-person modalities.

Starting his PhD program in the fall of 2021, Silas understands the importance of learning communities for EDST students, and shares:

Beyond academia, on winter weekends Silas can found downhill skiing, while in the summers his free time is spent sailing around the Salish sea. Around the city, Silas might be found taking a walk through Pacific Spirit Park or at a Vancouver bar called “The Narrow.”

Interested in learning more about Silas’ work?

Silas will be presenting at EDST’s Doctoral Colloquium series,

12-1:30pm, Thursday, January 11th.

Click below to RSVP for this catered event!

This blog post was the first in a series of interviews with EDST student representatives. Click here to learn more about EDST’s committees and opportunities to get involved.