EDUCATION

A Global Human Rights Issue

Teacher Quality

"Every year, millions of parents trust that the professionals who teach their children know something about the brain and processes of learning. But most schools of education offer psychology, not neurology, courses. At best, these psychology courses provide indirect information about the brain and how children actually learn. (Teaching With The Brain In Mind, Eric Jensen, 1998) "Recent studies show that student achievement in mathematics is strongly linked to the teacher's expertise in mathematics. Students of an expert teacher perform up to 40 percent better on achievement tests compared to students of a teacher with limited training in mathematics. The average K-8 teacher has taken only three or fewer mathematics education classes in college." (USDE, 1998) (How the Special Needs Brain Learns, David A. Sousa, 2001, p.140)

From the book; �Teacher Quality�, Lance T. Izumi & Williamson M. Evers, 2002:

"The cumulative and residual effects of teachers on the academic progress of students are huge. (p.18) Students unfortunate enough to encounter two or more ineffective teachers in sequence show measurably retarded growth. (p.22)
In the extreme, fifth-grade students experiencing highly ineffective teachers in grades three through five scored about 50 percentile points below their peers of comparable previous achievement who were fortunate enough to experience highly effective teachers for those same grades.(6) (Jordan, Mendro, and Weerasinghe, �Teacher Effects�; William L. Sanders and June C. Rivers, �Cumulative and Residual Effects of Teachers on Future Student Academic Achievement: Research Progress Report: (Knoxville: University of Tennessee Value-Added Research and Assessment Center, 1996))
A teacher�s effect on student achievement is measurable at least four years after students have left the tutelage of that teacher.(7) (June C. Rivers-Sanders, �The Impact of Teacher Effect on Student math Competency Achievement� (Ed.D. diss., University of Tennessee, 1999); Sanders and Rivers, Cumulative and Residual Effects of Teachers.)
When a student has experienced an ineffective teacher or a series of ineffective teachers there is little evidence of a compensatory effect provided by experiencing more effective ones in later years.( (Sanders and Rivers, Cumulative and Residual Effects of Teachers)
Regardless of ethnicity, children of similar previous achievement levels tend to respond similarly to an individual teacher.(9) (Sanders and Rivers, Cumulative and Residual Effects of Teachers) "

��effective accountability in education necessitates, first, that the education system provide consumers with full information to make decisions; second, that consumers have the power to influence the balance of priorities across the multiple goals of educational provision; third, that the consumers have the means to choose alternative providers in a competitive or quasi-competitive environment and, fourth, that any incentives that operate on education providers do not act to distort their incentives regarding their provision in ways that are counter to the wishes of the consumers. [�] At the heart of effective public service provision is the possibility of competition among providers. Unless there are alternative schools for parents to send their children to, there is no incentive mechanism for each school to compete in the quasi market.� (Yolanda k. Kodrzycki, Education in the Twenty-first Century: Meeting the Challenges of a Changing World, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, 47th Economic Conference, June 2002, p.228)

Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 29 1. States Parties agree that the education of the child shall be directed to: (a) The development of the child's personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential; (http://www.unicef.org/crc/crc.htm)

Our Social Systems Prevent Genius

"A normative system is built for repetition - doing the same things the same way, under the same conditions, day after day. To do this, it discards the system's specific originating purpose, the reason it exists in the first place. Whether the system's originating purpose was open or closed, it now becomes closed. People in the system lose sight of its original purpose, or, more likely, the people who understood the purpose leave the system. [...] Normative systems, intent on perpetuating the status quo, actively persecute everything required for "genius'. [...] By the time most students become adults, they have been thoroughly conditioned out of their ability to think integratively. Geniuses and other holistic thinkers are the ones who have "escaped" our educational system." (The Basis of Genius, http://www.meaning.ca/articles/basis_of_genius.htm)

Genius

Developing Talent & A Work Ethic in Young Students

In Canada: �As of December 1999, the high school dropout rate for 20-year-olds stood at 12%. 41% Does not like school and unsatisfied with programs, 41% Find no interest in classes, 75% Miss days of school, 45% Does not participate in school activities, 36% Has repeated one year in primary school�� (HRDC, 2002, http://www.osde.ca/english/stats_canada.htm) �Quebec and Prince Edward Island have the highest drop out rates at 16 per cent. And some schools in Montreal's poorer neighborhoods have drop out rates well over 50 percent.� (CBC 2002 http://cbc.ca/cgi-bin/view?/news/2002/01/24/dropouts020124) 30% of high achievers leave school without a diploma (Statistics Canada 1991) In the United States: �Each weekday morning, more than 13 million teenagers report to public high school classrooms across the United States (National Center for Education Statistics, 2002 � www.edweek.org) "Writing in August 2003, Washington times columnist, John McCaslin noted that, "every school day, 3,000 secondary students drop out in the United States. Once the 2003-2004 school year gets underway, nearly 540,000 young people will walk away from the classroom without earning a high school diploma..." (http://michnews.com/artman/publish/article_3272.shtml)

"Hagood believes one reason the drop-out rate has risen is because graduating is more difficult than it was five or 10 years ago. [...] Hagood said few students drop out because of social problems. Most of the problems are academic. She said when students begin failing courses, they don't see a way out in the time frame they want to get out of school. When they know they can't graduate with their class, they get discouraged and quit. [...] The major problem, she says, is a lack of a work ethic among students. "You've got to work to get out of high school these days," she said. [...] She said if students come to the high school with the same study habits they had in the earlier grades, they can expect their grades to fall by one letter grade...� (http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm? BRD=2235&dept_id=439676&newsid=11270427&PAG=461&rfi=9)

The Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 28 (b) Encourage the development of different forms of secondary education, including [but does not mean limited to] general and vocational education [or correspondence/on-line courses], make them available and accessible to every child and take appropriate measures such as the introduction of free education and offering financial assistance in case of need; (http://www.unicef.org/crc/crc.htm)

�There are many students with high native abilities that remain uncrystallized because of a lack of opportunity, practice, and motivation. It is the responsibility of families, schools, and society to create a more favorable atmosphere for the full development of all students -- including those with outstanding talents. [�] The topic of civil rights has shaped many educational discussions and decisions during the past three decades. In the context of education, civil rights means the guarantee of equal opportunity and justice for all and the actions taken against those barriers that stand in the way of such equality. (Education of Gifted Students; A Civil Rights Issue, Journal article by James J. Gallagher; Phi Delta Kappan, Vol. 76, 1995) For gifted students, "Lack of challenge leads to frustration, underachievement, and even failure. Some gifted students become severely depressed." (Genius Denied: How to Stop Wasting Our Brightest Young Minds, Davidson & Vanderkam, 2004) �The only satisfactory situation for the gifted child who has been neglected in the regular classroom is to find �learning mates.�� (The Academic Acceleration of Gifted Children, Borland 1991) Although all provisions for gifted children are attacked on the grounds that they may impede socialization, the research indicates that these provisions enhance both socialization and social development (Robinson & Noble 1991; Silverman 1992/93)� (Serving Gifted and Talented Students: A Resource for School Personnel, edited by Genshaft, Birely, Hollinger, 1995)

Gifted & Talented Students

Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 28 (c) Make higher education accessible to all on the basis of capacity by every appropriate means; (http://www.unicef.org/crc/crc.htm)

Toxic Substances

There has been a great increase in use of psychotropic drugs. �With the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under federal investigation for suppressing evidence that antidepressants can lead to child suicide, alarmed parents across the U.S. are asking members of the U.S. Senate for Federal safeguards against coerced child drugging in schools.� (http://www.fightforkids.org/press/040510.htm) �Between 1995 and 1999, the use of antidepressants for 7 to 12 year olds increased 151% and 580% for children under six, with some as young as 5 committing suicide. Two million children are prescribed SSRIs; another 6 million take cocaine-like stimulants. Sales of these drugs are more than $13 billion a year�� (Citizens Commission on Human Rights, 1-800-869-2247, http://www.fightforkids.org/press/040503.htm) "About 11 million school children and adolescents took prescription drugs for mental health in 2002, and the number is rising." (The Boston Globe, Jessica E. Vascellaro, July 2, 2004, http://www.boston.com/ news/nation/washington/articles/2004/07/02/kennedy_ties_up_drug_bill)

We must also consider the impact of toxic chemicals in our environment, and on our foods, and how these may effect our health. We must require stringent new legislation with regards to reduction of pesticides and industrial pollution, in our own countries and around the globe. �The impact of toxic chemicals on human health and the environment is becoming an increasingly pressing issue [...] today. Estimates vary, but it is commonly believed that there are up to 100 000 chemicals in commercial use throughout the world, with about 1000 new ones entering the market every year." (http://www.ec.gc.ca/water/en/info/pubs/fedpol/e_fedpol.htm) �The potential for environmental contaminants to produce neurological, cognitive, or other behaviour deficits as a result of developmental exposure has received increasing attention. [...] behavioural problems such as increased aggression and poor social adjustment identified early in childhood may escalate to serious antisocial behaviour such as delinquency as the child approaches puberty. Exposure to neurotoxic agents during development or over a significant portion of the lifespan may also result in acceleration of age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Such changes in the functional abilities of a significant proportion of a population have potentially serious consequences for society as well as for affected individuals.� (Rice DC., Issues in developmental neurotoxicology: interpretation and implications of the data, Toxicology Research Division, Bureau of Chemical Safety, Health Protection Branch, Health Canada. [email protected] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&;db= PubMed&list_uids=9654790&dopt=Abstract)

From the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 2. (1) In the administration of this Act, the Government of Canada shall� (a) exercise its powers in a manner that protects the environment and human health, applies the precautionary principle that, where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation, and promotes and reinforces enforceable pollution prevention approaches; (http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/C-15.31/29338.html)

Informed Choices

School & Teacher Evaluations All students and parents should be given a voice. This can be accomplished through 'voter' databases.

Access to Information Elementary and secondary schools must provide clearly outlined websites/written information, describing their school policies and practices on disabilities, talent development, activities, and competitions available to the students within each school. Clearly noted websites that are updated regularly � for parents to make informed choices. As most parents equate schooling with learning, SCHOOLS THAT DO NOT PROMOTE OR ACCOMMODATE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF TALENTS THROUGH CURRICULUM DIFFERENTIATION should be clearly stated, as some students may require acceleration, compacting, or enrichment and parents may assume that �teaching to the needs of the child� is a given. As mentioned previously, teacher or school qualifications are important to our children�s development, thus, teacher and school qualifications should also be included � providing �equality and justice� for informed decisions.

Supporting the Parents, Students and Teachers with Monthly Meetings. Monthly group discussion sessions, led by a psychologist or social worker, should be available to teachers or parents beginning in elementary school, and supported throughout highschool - helping the students and parents resolve such as violence, homework, disabilities, drugs, TV, divorce� in monthly group meetings.

School & Teacher Evaluations
Access to Information
Supporting the Parents, Students and Teachers on Today's Issues

Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 28 (d) Make educational and vocational information and guidance available and accessible to all children; (http://www.unicef.org/crc/crc.htm)

Enrichment, Sports, and Exercise Programs

A Daily Exercise Schedule We must consider adding a daily 20 minutes exercise schedule for students. �In animal studies ... exercise has been found to increase dopamine levels and to raise the number of dopamine receptors" (http://www.ctv.ca/special/food/obesity_brain020704.html) ��envigorating activity actually causes biochemical changes in the brain. Only a few minutes of exercise has been shown to increase the brain's emission of alpha waves - the brain waves associated with a relaxed meditation-like state of mind. Researchers have also demonstrated that exercise decreases depression by altering the levels of certain neurotransmitters (norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin) in the brain (Bruno Balke, A User's Guide to Exercise Testing and Prescription. Master Press, 1992). These euphoria-producing neurotransmitters are released for a "natural high" and a general sense of well-being. [�] Since 1986, when Prozac went on the market, 11 million people have used it to cope with a host of minor personality disorders such as lack of self-esteem and shyness. Unlike physical activity which produces natural levels of such antidepressants as serotonin, these "cosmetic psycho-pharmacological" drugs trick your brain into enhancing or inhibiting certain chemical messengers. Medical researchers point out that unlike physical activity which works naturally on the body, these new medications may produce too much or too little of a certain neurotransmitter and this could lead to a serious and chronic personality disorder.� (http://www.yorku.ca/wellness/softexercise.htm) Low levels of dopamine in the brain makes control of impulsive behavior almost impossible in the ADHD Child/Adult. (http://www.drjoecarver.com) In addition, �Exercise may improve self-esteem, especially for at risk children and young people.� (http://www.campbellcollaboration.org/doc-pdf/exself.pdf) Also, �teaching African-American girls how to boost their self-esteem can help them better control their sex lives.� (Reuters Health, August 12, 2004, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_19483.html)

After-School Programs reduce crime: �In the hour after the school bell rings, turning millions of children and teens out on the streets with neither constructive activities nor adult supervision, violent juvenile crime suddenly triples and the prime time for juvenile crime begins. [...] The after-school hours also are the most common time for teens to become pregnant�� (http://www.fightcrime.org/reports/as2000.pdf) �In a typical day in the United States, approximately 10 children die from being injured by firearms, 4,342 are arrested (186 for violent crimes), 2,911 drop out of school, 17,297 are suspended from school, 2,474 are abused or neglected, 3,300 run away from home, and 7, 700 teenagers become sexually active.� (Parenting The Strong-Willed Child, Rex Forehand & Nicholas Long, 2002, p.156) In the U.S.: "The number of youngsters whose need for after-school programs goes unmet likely exceeds eleven million." (http://www.fightcrime.org/reports/as2000.pdf) "For each high-risk youth prevented from adopting a life of crime, experts estimate the country saves between $1.7 and $2.3 million." (http://www.fightcrime.org/reports/as2000.pdf)

Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 31, 2. States Parties shall respect and promote the right of the child to participate fully in cultural and artistic life and shall encourage the provision of appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activity. (http://www.unicef.org/crc/crc.htm)

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