Initiatives Resistances or Reproduction

Resistances and Reproductions

Anthonio Gramsci (1891-1937). Cultural MarxistResistances… but always defined against/by the

dominant.Resistances try to do differently, but always bear

the trace of the dominant

THEREFOREAlways a possibility of reproducing the

inequalities, even as we move against them

Solomon Islands ‘Kastom’ (Custom)

‘Shortly after installing me in the house they had built for me at ngarinasuru, a thousand feet up the mountain wall rising above Sinalagu Harbour, the Kwaio commenced construction of a large ‘Committee House’ adjacent to mine - in what I foolishly thought then was an adjunct to my project. In the subsequent eighteen months what Kwaio called the ‘sub-district committee’ met at ngarinasuru every Tuesday entailing a gathering of scores or sometimes hundreds of people. The kwaio leaders of devoted themselves to straightening out Kastom, ‘custom’ through endless discussions, debates and sessions of litigation. Kastom - centrally comprising genealogies, lists of lands, and lists of ancestral taboos - was to be written down and I was cast as primary agent in this process. ….

Although initially I had thought that the ‘Committee House’ was constructed as an adjunct to my ethnographic project I eventually realised that I had been incorporated into their project.’

(Keesing, 1994: 42)

CASE 1: Operation New Hope

SECMOL (Ladakhi NGO)Ladakhi dept of Education

Village Education Committees (VECs)In 1996-98, 95% of Ladakhi students failed

the state 10th class exams every year

Objectives

Mobilised parents as political agent through formation of VECs

VEC training – accounting, problem solving

New textbooks

English Medium

Training of Teachers

BUT

Generated ‘buy in’ to an education system…

SO… discourse of a ‘good education’ become dominant..

SO.. People send to private school/out of village

AND.. Loss of social cohesion/school closure etc

Can’t say this is a worse situation.. But not the intended consequences

CASE 2: Tibetan Nomadic Education in Ladakh

Schools for Tibetan Diaspora In Ladakh these are Nomads on Tibetan Plateau Schools run by an NGO – Tibetan Children’s

Village Tibetan Government in Exile promotes an early

years Montessori curriculum for three years pre-school – as a more child centred approach.

BUT

For Tibetan Nomads in Ladakh. Parents still Nomad in Tibetan Plateau.

So leave children in school for 8 months each year

Remote school for preschool to Year 3

Children from age three - eight are therefore left with 1 or 2 teachers. 70 children sleep in one room. No running water at the school.

From TCV website Child in Changtang TCV school 2008

Was having three year olds lodging with few carers the intention of this initiative?

(Should say that they said they enjoy it at the school)

Issues?

Who funds? Who are the main actors What are the role of the different actors? What is success here? What is the core problem understood to be? What are the risks? What are the possible unintended consequences

Criteria for Successful Projects

TimePurpose – does it fit? is it correct?Acceptance by all actorsPracticalHas clear benefitsFits the values of the schoolIs holisticAffordableContains evaluation/reflectionGood planning/managementAcknowledges relaityClear identification of problemAcknowledgement of historical contextConsider side effectsDoes no harm for minorities

Learning Lessons

What do these stories tell us about.. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.6.Each group discuss one of these dimensions.. What

lessons can we learn for success? Come up with three key recommendations

Your own initiatives

Learn lessons from this to design an initiative in your own case study area… what features will it have?

Formative pieces

A personal piece on your engagement with the topic of quality Education

A review of an academic paper An analysis of the educational legacies in your case

study context A model of quality education applicable in your

case study context A critique of an existing initiative implemented in

your case study context A biographical narrative of a person from your

case study target group A literature review of an area relevant for your case

study. A group class presentation of what quality

education would mean in a specific context in a low –income country.

Session 9/10

today

Drafted last week

Anytime

Will discuss now

DONE

Literature review Process

Each person chooses a topic develops a list of references for the topic Creates a short commentary that places these articles

in context.

This is a mapping exercise

Start with the Blackboard folder

Remaining Sessions

Session 8 – Monday 16th March 2-4pm

Research into Practice – knowledge production for educational change

Session 9/10 Wed 18th March – 1-5pm

Presentations/Review/Assignments