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Printer-friendly versionPress CentreNews NoteEducation quality under threat in transition countriesNew York, 18 September 2002 - The quality of education is deteriorating in parts of the transition region, according to the Social Monitor, a new report from UNICEF. Using the results of three recent surveys, the report finds that high standards in mathematics and science are being maintained in the wealthier countries of Central Europe and in Russia and the Baltics, but outcomes are disappointing in Romania, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Moldova. It also finds that teenagers in the region may have a strong knowledge of the subjects they are taught, but are less able to apply that knowledge than teens in Western Europe. The traditional approach to teaching - known as "factology" still prevails, with pupils more likely to use repetition to learn facts than pupils in EU countries. "It is tempting to call for revolutionary change in teaching methods in the transition countries," says the report. "But care must be taken not to throw out the 'baby' of good academic results in mathematics and science, with the 'bathwater' of old-fashioned teaching methods… The gradual reform of teaching and examination systems, coupled with more investment in education, may produce more positive results with less disruption." The report, produced by the UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre in Florence, also reveals an unprecedented education crisis in some of the poorest countries in the region, with schooling undermined by the lack of resources for such basics as textboooks, heating and school maintenance. In Tajikistan, for example, focus groups discussions reveal that: "Many of these schools do not have desks, windows, doors, heat or toilets … between three and four students sit at each desk … In some schools, six to ten students will share a single textbook." Resources could be found through greater efficiency. However, in the poorest countries there must be substantial increases in public expenditure on education if learning quality is to improve. Teachers need to be properly rewarded, buildings need to be maintained, and more resources are needed for such basics as textbooks. The time is right for reform, with falling numbers of school-aged children and signs of lasting economic growth in the region. The region is also blessed with 'cultural capital'. In Russia, 90% of students report that their homes contain works of classical literature, compared to 60% in the EU. The level of parental involvement in schools is also higher in most transition countries than in the EU, and parents are also more likely to help children with their homework. Children in the transition region may spend less time in the classroom than students in advanced industrialized countries, but more time, on average, in overall learning activities. The report suggests that things would be a lot worse without the region's existing cultural capital and the exceptional efforts of parents and students. The report calls on policy makers to match these efforts by prioritizing education as a guard against poverty, ignorance and disease. For further information, contact: Angela Hawke,
UNICEF Regional Office for Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth
of Independent States and the Baltic States, Patrick McCormick,
UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre,
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