The basic step for equal opportunities in schools: Better Infrastructure

It is 5:30 am on a cold foggy morning; you wake up and have breakfast, get ready for school, get into your car and your mother drives you to school, which is a 10-minute drive away from your home. On your way to school, you notice crowds of other students wearing uniforms and no shoes, some your age, some younger walking in groups – without adult supervision. The school they are rushing to is a 30-minute walk from where they live. They get into classrooms that are overcrowded, to the point of sharing a desk or not having one at all. Waking up early in the morning, walking many kilometers to get to school, most likely on an empty stomach, to sit on a classroom floor for hours, this is the reality for many students in many countries today. However, there are the few fortunate who are able to attend private schools, and there it is seen that, even though access is limited to the few who are able to afford to pay school fees, the education quality is good and of a great standard. This scenario is an evident illustration of privilege. According to UNICEF (2020) “on any given school day, over 1 billion children around the world head to class, but yet there is a large number of untrained teachers, inadequate learning materials, makeshift classes, and poor sanitation facilities which all make it difficult for many children to learn”. Hunger, sickness, and exhaustion (after walking long distances to get to school) are some of the obstacles that pupils have to overcome on their journey to learning.

When we are referring to privilege, we need to understand that the term itself has many dimensions. The one that we are going to talk about here, has to do with infrastructures. School infrastructures have to do with the physical teaching and learning environment. There are many fundamental provisions and some others that definitely enhance the development of the students. To be more specific, infrastructures include the provision of water, sanitation, suitable classrooms, and essential specialist rooms, such as libraries and laboratories (Marishane, 2013). Some of these examples may sound expected, but there are regions in our world that even water is not guaranteed to be provided. That is why school infrastructures according to UNICEF (2002, 2005) too, are one of the most important dimensions that contribute to quality education.

In 2015, Hopkins and Woulfin argued that infrastructures are a suitable tool for school systems to build fundamental conditions for educational change. This change is possible when school systems use their infrastructures in order to reach equity. “Given the changing nature of our population both locally and globally, it behooves us to understand when and how—and across what boundaries—infrastructures that support educational equity emerge, and how we can build capacity to support its growth and change over the long term” (Hopkins &Woulfin, 2015, 376). To be more specific, matters of race, ethnicity, language, immigration, and socioeconomic status can be very divergent among students and that is something that curriculum designers need to factor in from the beginning (Hopkins &Woulfin, 2015).

Apart from the fundamental provisions that we have mentioned above, there are some more that need to be provided too, like textbooks, security, school stationery, playgrounds, laboratory equipment, and sports facilities. Students regardless of their socioeconomic background should have the opportunity of these infrastructures towards quality education. According to Marishane (2013), good school infrastructures enhance access to quality education, while poorly maintained infrastructures exclude learners. This means that many scholars are unable to receive adequate learning because of insufficient resources. According to UNICEF (2020) education, “an estimated 617 million children and adolescents around the world do not have the opportunity to reach minimum proficiency levels in reading and mathematics even though many of them are enrolled in schools”. Having good school infrastructure and access to different support systems plays a pivotal role in one’s overall academic performance. The mere access to a well-furnished library, science, and computer laboratories mean that a student can pursue subjects in that area – these are considered basics in any first-world academic institution (Murillo & Roman, 2001). The former is unfortunately not the case in many developing nations – many schools cannot house a substantial library, what more a computer, or science laboratory. School achievement is very much connected, according to Murillo and Roman (2011), to libraries and computer rooms (we can only imagine now the repercussion of computer access during theCovid-19). When we are talking about students who do not have access to the adequate infrastructures that we have mentioned above, the amount of information that is possible to be received through textbooks and the internet could be vital to their academic performance (Murillo & Roman, 2011). Furthermore, “infrastructure can be a useful conceptual tool for examining cross-sector collaborations in education, as well as community-based education reform efforts” (Hopkins & Woulfin, 2015, p. 376). When governments and schools work together, there is a lasting process that fosters development and growth.

The world and society at large expect all students to perform exceptionally in their subjects. This could happen more easily if the students attend schools that have good infrastructure and access to other different support systems. A well-equipped school, usually, has access to curricular and extracurricular activities; career guidance, parental and community support. The goal is that all students have the necessary resources and materials that “enrich, encourage, and improve the quality of their learning experience” (Murillo & Roman, 2011, 46). To have good infrastructures would mean that it is possible to improve the quality of education through high-quality physical conditions and educational resources, leading to efficient teaching and learning processes (Murillo & Roman, 2011).

In contrast with the image that we built in the very beginning, now imagine students walking to school wearing uniforms and shoes, conversing with their peers, and adults walking them to school. The school they are walking towards is within their neighborhood. As they approach the school gates, they are greeted by their teacher and they know that they will receive a hot meal later on. Some walk into their classroom and sit at their desk, some go to the library and computer labs whilst others walk into the science labs. Imagine the children that will come out of this educational facility, with much better chances at being well-rounded individuals and having a different outlook on life. The question of having good school infrastructure and access to support systems is not something that should be debated. A good education that offers basic amenities and updated curricula should not be a privilege only offered to some but not others. It is high time we prioritize education and make it fair and equitable to give each and every pupil a fighting chance to achieve their goals and aspirations.

References

Hopkins, M., &Woulfin, S. (2015). School system (re)design: Developing educational infrastructures to support school leadership and teaching practice. Journal of Educational Change, 16(4), 371-377. doi:10.1007/s10833-015-9260-6

Murillo, F. J., & Román, M. (2011). School infrastructure and resources do matter: Analysis of the incidence of school resources on the performance of latinamerican students. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 22(1), 29-50. doi:10.1080/09243453.2010.543538

Marishane, R. N. (2013). Management of School Infrastructure in the Context of a No-Fee Schools Policy in Rural South African Schools: Lessons from the Field. International Journal of Education Policy and Leadership, 8(5), n5.

UNICEF/For every child. Education, Every Child has a right to learn programme. http://www.unicef.org/education