Thesis

Title page
Acknowledgements
Abstract
I. Introduction
II. Review of Literature
III. Detailed proposal of a Education web site for promoting Girls Education in
the developing world
IV. How this project will advance knowledge
V. Appendices
VI. References

Table of Contents
I Introduction
A. Problem and Its Setting
1. Problem Statement
a. Factors affecting policy for the education of girl children
i. Micro Economics
ii. Social
iii. Resource Investment Dilemma
iv. Girl Friendly Schools
v. HIV/AIDS
vi. Labor and Education
b. Feminism and Education
i. Development and Education
ii. Non Governmental Organizations and Development
iii. Gender Perspective and Education and Development
2. Convention on the Rights of the Child
a. Legal Framework

i. Justification
ii. Learning and Technology
iii. Internet as teaching tool
b. Objective of Study
i. Personal Objective
ii. Educational Objective
B. Theses and Hypotheses
1. Thesis
a. Role of Technology in Education
i. Critical Thinking
ii. Lack of Access
b. Specific Role of the Web based Technology
i. Bridging the Digital Divide
ii. Student Centered Learning
2. Hypothesis
a. Hypothesis One
b. Hypothesis Two
C. Research Design
1. Solution Oriented Web-Site
a. Why?
b. How?
i. Scout Report Criteria
ii. Design Criteria

II Review of Literature

A. Feminist Literature
1. Socioeconomic
a. Symposium on Girls Education
i. Grameen Bank
ii. Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee
b. Globalization
i. Mauritius

ii. Cultural Influence on Education

c. Gender
i. Biases
ii. Social Issues and Africa
B. Empowerment/Education/Development Literature
1. Empowerment
a. Education
i. Empowerment and Gender
ii. Lack of Power
2. Education
a. United States
i. Globalization and Education
ii. Education and Development
iii. Culture and Development
iv. Solutions
b. Africa
i. South Commission
ii. Macro Approach

iii. Micro Approach

C. Technology and Web Based Literature
1. Politics and Education
a. Pedagogy and the Web
b. Internet Technology
D. Summary of Girls Education connection to web based site
1. How Girls Education is connected to education web-site
2. Seven Steps to implement teaching from a web-site

III Detailed proposal of a Education web site for promoting Girls Education in the
developing world
A. Target Audience
1.Developed World
a. Barriers
i. Transformative Learning Theory
ii. Democracy
B. Features and Purposes
1. Overview
a. Design Features
i. Purpose One
ii. Purpose Two
b. Features
i. General
ii. Specific

C. Access Strategy
1. Publicity
D. Summary

IV. How this project will advance knowledge

A. Interactive Approach
1. G.I.R.L.
a. Model for change
i. Awareness
ii. Paulo Freire
b. Internet Research
i. Knowledge
ii. Time
iii. Grassroots
iv. Literacy
v. Web Based Learning
vi. Conclusion
V. Appendices
VI. References

Thesis Title Page

Analysis of how Web Education as a Tool for the Empowerment and Development

of Children unlocks the Development Opportunity for the girl child in the
developing world:
The importance of creating a web resource for developed countries
Dr. Margaret Leahy

David Kenneth Waldman

Thesis proposal in fulfillment of the requirements for the

Masters in Arts in International Relations
Golden Gate University
San Francisco, California
August 2001

Acknowledgements
This thesis is the end of my long journey in obtaining my degree in International Relations. I
have not traveled in a vacuum in this journey. There are some people who made this journey
easier with words of encouragement and more intellectually satisfying by offering different
places to look to expand my theories and ideas.
First a very special thank you to Professor Margaret Leahy.
Professor Leahy gave me the confidence and support to begin my Masters program in
International Relations. Dr. Leahy challenged me to set my benchmark even higher and to
look for solutions to problems rather than focus on the problem. I learned to believe in my
future my work and myself. Thank you Professor.
I would also like to gratefully acknowledge the support of some very special individuals. They
helped me immensely by giving me encouragement and friendship. They mirrored back my

ideas so I heard them aloud, an important process for this writer to shape his thesis paper
and future work. Sophie Clavier, Saam Torabi, Joe Curran, Janice Carter, Roshini Mohan,
Margaret Paulson and Maria Barbakadze. I can only say a proper thank you through my
future work by helping as many children as possible.
Dr. Lorene Allio, who took me on the process of learning and made herself available even
through her very heavy travel, work and teaching schedule. Thank you doesnt seem
sufficient but it is said with appreciation and respect.
Laura Almand my work partner while I worked full-time and traveled did more than her
share so that I was able to be successful at work and also take the time I needed to go to class
once a week for four years. She never let me down when I was off to class. Laura encouraged
me to grow and to expand my thinking. I was lucky to have such a good friend and partner at
work.
Jeff Cohen without his support, school and work would not have been possible. His belief that
one should always follow what they love allowed me the freedom to pursue my Masters.
Thank you Jeff.
And to my sister Robin Stromberg who from day one saw me graduating and in a way is a
proxy for my mother.
Finally to Airline Ambassadors International as they are giving me the opportunity to help
the girl child through actions and not words alone. Thank you Nancy Rivard and Monica
Oliva.

Abstract
Computer-generated translations

Spanish

French

German

What does it take to get girls in school and keep them there? Given historical, cultural
traditions and current resource constraints in the Third World due to deterioration of terms
of trade, debt burdens, diminishing foreign aid and investment especially in the poorest
countries, very few resources have been allocated to the primary education of girl children.
Unequal access to education is one of the key elements that keep women from advancing
toward equality. Women's empowerment through equal access to quality education for girl
children will have many benefits. Prevailing macro models of economic development have

failed to break the cycle of poverty by ignoring the particular role of educating the girl child.
At present, there is an absence of any consistent organized political voice in the developed
world for female children of the global south. Improvement in technology now allows the
possibility to dramatically improve this situation and to address the needs of the education of
girls in the developing world.
This paper proposes that female empowerment, education, development for girl children can
result from the web-based education of teachers and children in the developed world. This
would create an organized political voice for all children living in many different countries. A
web-site can address gender inequality in education and go beyond that to build a movement
that bridges the many different traditions, cultures and attitudes towards the girl child in the
developing countries. The paper also assumes that, as more stakeholders become involved in
the education of and advocacy for girl children, improvement will result.

Thesis

I Introduction
"Education is what survives when what has been learnt has been forgotten." (B.F. Skinner) It
is the gift of education as a means to broaden minds beyond culture that allows us to
experience the fullest of the world we live in.
A. Problem and Its Setting
The state of affairs for the education of girl children in the developing world is bleak as well
as an immense problem to solve. The enormity of the dilemma calls for this paper to argue
for a solution-based approach. The solution will include a building up or local approach to
eradicate the lack of adequate access to education for girls and change "the state of poverty
for 300 million children and over 1 billion adults." (UNICEF, 2001) There is an urgency in
this work as there are many other forces beyond culture that are preventing equal and
quality education for the worlds girl children.
James N. Rosenaus point is that there is now hope as "the post international political world
that now exists allows greater-more involvement and influences of Non Governmental
Organizations, individuals, multilateral development agencies, child advocacy groups, as
well as the traditional nation state to affect change." (Rosenau: 1990) However, one problem
that needs to be identified and corrected is the lack of sustainable economic development to
contribute to the resources of education for girl children. The argument is not to suspend or
ignore macro economic solutions but to include a micro economic solution of including girls in
the education process. This will allow a society in the developing world a larger educated

workforce to help sustain economic growth.

It is the purpose of this paper to persuasively argue for the necessity of educating the
educators on the issue of the lack of equal and quality access to education for girls in the
global south. Girls do not receive the same amount of education and their health, mortality
rate and economic circumstances reflect these facts. (UNICEF, 2001) Another reason for this
paper is to describe and justify an interactive web-site that connects the issue of girl children
lack of access to education and its effect on her empowerment and economic development.
The web-site has been designed as a vehicle of action so that change may occur by educating
educators and students in the developed world.
The assumption is that if millions of school children and thousands of teachers in the
developed world recognize, support, take action and challenge the prevailing norms of lack of
education for girls this will create lasting new institutional change for the education of girl
children in the developing world.
It is essential for the web-site to have as its framework international legal documents that
frame the right of any human being to belong and practice a faith and tradition or to chose to
interpret it with modern eyes. By confronting this issue the world will be able to take a
quantum leap in the direction of educating and thus achieve sustained economic development
and empowerment for all girls.
Transformative learning theory emerged from the work of Paulo Freire (1970) and Jack
Mezirow (1991) as they worked to create social change for oppressed populations through
education. (Courtney, Merriam, & Reeves, 1998; Sokol & Cranton, 1998) The traditional
approach is to assist learners in gaining knowledge and it views teachers as experts who
exclusively possess knowledge. Students are seen as passive objects, empty receptacles that
teachers fill with knowledge. This paper agrees with Freire and Mezirow belief about new
educational theories such as transformative learning theory. This theory promotes "increased
self-awareness and freedom from constraints that were necessary to help social equity for the
oppressed and for real learning to occur." (Christopher; Dunnagan; Duncan; Paul: 2001, 134)
Transformative learning is a three-step process. During the first step learners become
critically aware of how and why assumptions have come to constrain the way they perceive
and understand and feel about their world. The web-site is the tool for this step. The second
step a revision of belief systems occurs as learners change old thinking into a more inclusive,
discriminating and integrative perspective. The critical thinking tools for students in the
developed countries will help to raise awareness and provide solutions for the education in
the developing countries. And in the third step learners having adopted new behaviors
consistent with their new perspective can take action to see that the lack of equal and quality
education for the girl child gets resolved. (Ibid, 2001)

The paper is organized into three main parts as well as having a companion educational website. The first section introduces the problem along with a thesis and two hypotheses of the
Role of Technology in Education. The next section will conduct a brief literature review of
Feminist, Empowerment/Education/Development literature and Technology/Web-Based
literature. This is in order to build a theoretical foundation and justification for the value of
having a web-site devoted to educating educators and students about the plight of the girl
child in the least developing countries. This section ends with a summary to explain why
there is a girls education connection to an education web-site. Finally, the paper concludes
with a detailed proposal of an education web-site for promoting girls education in the
developing world. This section will describe the features and benefits as well as explain and
justify the target audience for the web-site. It is important to also note that this section
includes a strategy to gain access to the target audience for the web-site.
The value of having a paper and web site is that it can address the most current and
important education concern today. This problem is currently part of a national and
international debate in the educational community. The problem is the focus of the quality
and access to relevant real world education and the extent that the role of Internet
technology can play in solving this concern. (Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development, 1999) This paper will review a theoretical and empirical body of research on
how Internet technology can garner enough help to support educating girl children in the
least developed countries. It takes solving the issue of quality and equal access to education
along with the role of Internet technology to help break a Cycle of Poverty, devastating tens
of millions of girl children around the world.
The controlling factors of tradition and history for girl children adversely affect access to
education and thus decrease the chance of the girl child to become literate. When there is
access such as in Singapore, a country of four official languages it boasts one of the worlds
highest literacy rates. It is a product of a fine uniform educational system conducted in all
the official languages. In contrast Nepals educational system has a very low literacy rate of
"40 per cent for men and 15 per cent for women." (The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition:
2001) The difference for Nepal is unequal access for girls to the educational system. The
problem of access to education has reached epidemic proportions.
Nearly a quarter of the worlds adult population, two thirds of them women, cannot read and
write. In Burkina Faso, only "9 per cent of women over the age of 15 are literate and 24 per
cent of primary school age girls are enrolled in school." (The State of the Worlds Children:
1999) It seems that poverty, lack of education and population growth are additional factors
that link the impoverished having the most children with the least education. The urgency to
teach girl children can partially be illustrated by an anecdote of one young Egyptian mother
on learning to read and write. The mother said that she "no longer be compared to the water
buffalo on the farm" (The State of the Worlds Children: 1999) For her, learning to read and
write meant that she had gained her "full humanness." Access to education for girls can be a

reality if the political will of the world leaders place it as an important agenda item. This can
be accomplished this paper posits by building a constituency of educators and students in the
developed world to demand change for all children in the developing countries.
The problem of illiteracy and lack of access to education for girls is world wide with the
severity of the problem residing in the least developed and highly indebted countries of the
world. In the heavily indebted poor countries the problem is more severe. There are some "47
million primary school-aged children out of school-more than one third of the total
worldwide."
More than "a third of the children who start school drop out before having gained basic
literacy skills." (Debt relief and poverty reduction: Meeting the Challenge: 1999) The problem
of illiteracy can get translated into this one question. Without compulsory elementary
education for girls, how can sustained economic growth occur? The answer is beyond the
scope of this paper but is an example of how an education web-site can advance knowledge
and understanding of this and many other related issues.
In India there are claims that there are 432 million illiterate people. "About 41 per cent of
Indian girls under the age of 14 do not attend school." (Save A Female through Education:
2001) Statistics can only partially show the extent of the crisis of illiteracy in education. The
main purpose of this paper is to provide a solution by creating a role for an education website, which can then help to alleviate the lack of knowledge of the plight of girl children in the
developing world. The majority of the children not in schools are girls due to cultural
influences, the lack of financial resources and traditional gender perceptions. All of this
contribute to denying girls a chance to a basic education.
A recent study from UNICEF (The Progress of Nations, 2000) show that access to education
is not enough. However, it first needs to be noted that the complexities of the issues
concerning the education of girls basic learning requirements need to take into account
"culture, specific needs and opportunities of the community she finds herself." (UNICEF,
1999) The complexities of education which include curriculum content and teaching
approaches geared to male interests and thinking patterns can also present serious obstacles
for girls.
In 1990, there were more than "100 million children with no access to primary education,
two-thirds of who were girls."(Preamble to World Declaration on Education for All, 1990)
Today up to half of primary school age children who do start school do not finish because
"they or their parents or both decide that the effort and cost of staying at school is unjustified
by the quality and likely benefits of the education provided." (UNICEF: The Progress of
Nations, 2000). If trends continue, more than "one billion adults will lack literacy and thus
the foundation for other life skills by the year 2000, 98 percent of whom will live in the

developing countries." (United Nations, 2001)

In response to this crisis the concept of basic education was expanded. Basic education is now
being defined as "a base or foundation of learning for all citizens consisting of basic learning
tools of reading, writing and numeracy as well as basic knowledge and skills for life as
defined in specific circumstances." (Manzoor; Carron: 1989) The paper assumes that
sustainable economic development cannot be achieved with the many people that can not
contribute to the world economy. Educating the educators about the problems of education in
the developing countries provides a link to a possible political constituency that has economic
and political clout.
An education web-site can contribute to the resolution of the issue of lack of education by
linking resources, problem solving tools, and a framework of concrete strategies to engage
girls in learning. This can be transmitted to the various Non Governmental Organizations,
development groups, non-profits and individuals willing and able to respond to this vital
education and development issue. Cognitive science has developed an approach to
educational technology that "emphasizes "looking at how we know rather than how we
respond, and analyzing how we plan and strategize our thinking, remembering,
understanding, and communicating." (Saettler: 1990, 318) The web site is the perfect
technology tool for uniting various groups usually working separately toward a common goal
of helping the girl child.
In order to make a difference on the issue of educating the girl child it has become important
to use educational technology, to allow students and teachers in the developed world to
"develop skills in logic, solving problems with a clear emphasis on the augmentation of
higher-order thinking skills." (Saettler: 1990, 318) The assumption is that when students
develop higher order thinking skills it will help break the cycle of despair for girl children by
demanding change at the local, regional and international level as they grow into voting age.
When a new generation is focused on the issue of educating girl children in the least
developed countries, politicians will be ready to make a difference with supporting legislation
and a call for action with international legal instruments.

1. Problem Statement
To better understand the importance of prioritizing the educating of children and educators
in the developed world in order to provide education for girls in the developing world, we
should first take a brief look at the history of the problem. In the 1980s international
education suffered a setback after recent successes of the 1960s and 1970s. This was when
significant strides in the effort to provide education for all, showed significant increases in
important indicators such as: numbers of schools and rates of enrollment. A new and

important factor in education emerged when it was stated that "the principle asset of the
poor is labor time." (World Development Report of 1990)
The report showed that education increases the productivity of this asset. The important
result at the individual level, "is higher income." Thus recent research now points "to a
strong link between education and economic growth." Lawrence Summers, Chief Economist
for the World Bank asserts "that an extra year of education for females can result in a 10 to
20 percent rise in income." Compared with returns "on other types of development initiatives,
for example, power plants, the returns on educating girls are considerably higher." (Canadian
International Development Agency: 1993)
It is encouraging for girl children that "evidence is indeed accumulating that without a
minimum of education for the entire population, a human-centered development process
cannot be implemented or sustained. Basic Education for All, therefore, is a battle-cry
against the prevailing pattern of elitism and selectivity in education that offers much to a few
at the expense of a common core of learning for all." (Manzoor & Carron, 1989) Development
and education are linked together and are the solution as this paper argues. It is also vital
that education be seen as being gender neutral. Still, it seems that there are powerful macro
economic forces at play. They prevent needed resources from being allocated to the education
of girl children in countries that need it the most.
a. Factors affecting policy for the education of girl children
Some of the current resource constraints in the developing world are due to foreign aid
fatigue, corruption of government officials, lack of political will, lack of foreign investments
and the deterioration of terms of debt. There are many calls for debt relief without a
corresponding call for a policy of sustainable economic growth that includes the guarantee of
basic education. Basic education has the means to break the poverty cycle in the Least
Developed Countries but the economic cost for education adds to the current resource
constraint.
One theory of economic development states that "primitive and poor economies can evolve
into sophisticated and relatively prosperous ones." (RobinsonRojas.com, 2001) The paper
posits that this can occur through educating the girl child, as there is no better investment
than in the education of the young. This is of critical importance to underdeveloped countries
that the education of the girl child be part of the major context of economic development
policy. Without a sustainable means at hand, underdeveloped countries will not be able to
grow economically. Education of the girl child is the missing factor in this theory.
The problem is not only the lack of economic resources in the developing world but also the
political will to invest in girls education. Yet "investment in girls education in developing
nations raises economic growth and development." How do you reconcile that approximately

"2/3 of the 300 million children without access to education are girls." (Jacobson: 1999-2000:
41). The fact that investment in the education of girl children is not the norm gives rise to the
standard issues of inequality, culture bias, traditions, and investment resource returns.
It becomes painfully clear from the statistics that there is a large disparity between girls and
boys access to education. The World Bank in their report Priorities and Strategies for
Education, reports that in 1991 seventy-seven million girls age 6-11, but only fifty-two million
boys, were out of school worldwide. (World Bank: 1995) The difference between the literacy of
men to women in 1970 to 1985 is just as stark. The number of women unable to read rose by
fifty-four million while that of men increased by only four million. "The growth in illiteracy
was more than thirteen times greater for women than for men." (UN Department of
International Economic and Social Affairs: 1991) This poses the dilemma of educating girls or
educating women in a world of diminishing resources.
Given the current resources in the Third World very few resources and funding has been
allocated for the basic education of children. "Research has shown that inequitable access to
economic resources is one of the identifiable factors that prevent girls from obtaining an
education." (Jacobson: 1999-2000). This gender bias concerning economic access is a
fundamental cause of poverty. "In its various forms this bias prevents hundreds of millions of
women from obtaining the education, training, health services, child care, and legal status
needed to escape poverty." (Jacobson: 1999-2000, 206).
Another important factor to be considered is the failure to address the imbalance between the
education of girls and boys as a clear violation of the basic rights of young girls. Consider that
out of the "125 million primary-school aged children that are not in school 60% are girls and
another 150 million children start primary school but drop out before they have completed
four years of education." (Oxfam, 1999) In much of sub-Saharan Africa and in South Asia all
children can expect to receive about four to seven years of education. Girls must then receive
even less education given that the majority is not even in school. It becomes evident that
there is a problem on how to find the financial resources to educate millions of girls.
Girl children receive "minimal education as opposed to 15-17 years of the education of
children in industrialized countries." (Symposium on Girls Education: 2000, 26) This stark
comparison between developing and industrialized countries in the education of children
clearly states the case that there is a need for neutral gender perspective in making
professional educators in the developed and developing countries aware of the lack of basic
education of girl children.
i. Micro Economics
The micro approach is best seen with the lenses of feminist theory and "the feminist
perspective as it looks at women as agents of change." (Harcourt: 1994, preface) "The debate

on power and knowledge in the literature has taken on a new global context" (Harcourt, 1994,
preface) One can agree with Harcourt that progressive economists, feminists and policy
makers should focus at the micro level, where according to Harcourt alliances must be
strengthened. The micro approach implies that "development should mean gender equity,
secure livelihoods, ecological sustainability and political participation." (Harcourt: 1994,
preface)
According to an International Monetary Fund (IMF) report the link between government
expenditures and social indicators have improved. For instance, the increased spending on
education coincided with improvements in education indicators. The illiteracy rate has
declined by "2.4 per cent a year since the start of the first IMF-supported program." (IMF:
1998,12) Enrollment and infant mortality rates according to the World Bank development
indicators database and UNESCO Statistical Yearbook also showed improved results. In the
education sector there were modest improvements in spending; the poorest "20 per cent of the
population in a group of eight countries received 13 per cent of the benefits on average,
compared with 32 per cent of the benefit for the richest 20 per cent." (IMF: 1998, 13-14)
The Grameen Bank is the worlds premier example of a micro institutional approach to break
the vicious cycle of poverty through the use of microcredit. The success of the Grameen Bank
to give loans directly to the poor has been marked by "repayment rates of 97 per cent."
Starting with "15,000 borrowers in 1980 they have grown to 2.34 million in 1998 of which
2.24 million are women. Group savings by women have reached USD 152 million." (Grameen,
1998).
The reallocation of resources from a microcredit approach is a proven reality, and is a viable
alternative to funding education in the developing world.
Institutions committed to loans to the poor have produced dividends. Individuals make a
huge difference in developing a local economy in impoverished areas. The cost of cosmetics,
for example, spent by individuals in France alone is substantial, "$143 per person." (Inside
Cosmetics News, 1999) If a portion of these costs were reallocated to individuals in the least
developed countries there would be nearly enough funds to educate every girl child in the
world for a year.
Educators support the fact that an "investment in girls education in developing nations
raises economic growth and development. There are extensive studies that document the
positive impact of girls education on economic development." (National Education
Association, 2000). There is also a growing understanding amongst policy leaders and
international agencies about the critical relationship between the education of girls and
economic development. Nevertheless, the following five factors that limit education for girls
must be taken into consideration by policy makers: 1) Domestic work as well as child labor
obstructs as well as deters girls attendance at school. 2) It is still believed that girls

education does not economically benefit the families since girls are expected to marry and
contribute to their husbands family. 3) Pregnancy often locks girls out of the classroom due
to expulsion and lack of childcare. 4) Safety concerns and the security of girls on their way to
school keep some girls from attending. 5) The scarcity of public schools that are free and
provide a quality education especially at the secondary level is a barrier to education.
Given these facts it is important to take notice of a potential strategy by community based
organizations for self-organization for the purpose of educating girl children. There are new
opportunities emerging that are attempting to overcome the obstacles for girls education.
This new strategy would allow local community based organizations to take more political
control of the education of their children. This can break the cycle of poverty if the local
community controls the economic channel for children to obtain literacy. Community Based
Organizations need to control the funds needed for their children to succeed in education.
While this strategy may not be a direct path to development it is certainly a sustainable one.
"Empowerment is about self organization. It provides a type of enabling environment with
which progress along the path of sustainable development is a real possibility." (Harcourt:
1994, 139)
Empowering the individual in the least developed countries through education is a radical
new concept for most of the economic elite. They are more comfortable at the macro level of
development dealing in billions of dollars and large industrial projects like power plants,
harbors, highways and factories. Rosenau posits that "individual empowerment is important
to mobilize through knowledge in order that the social and political individual can act for the
benefit of society as a whole." Empowerment will come as an "asset in the field of
international basic education for girl children with the resulting improvement in economic
development." (Rosenau:1990, 7) This paper posits that power must shift to the local
community, as that is where the best allocation of resources will occur.
There are additional economic factors for policy makers to consider as a benefit of education
such as: growth in employment and higher income levels for the family. According to a report
"at the national level, an extra year of education can result in a 3 per cent rise in Gross
National Product." (World Development Report, 1990) It is also important to know that most
people in the developing world do not work for wages but are generally self-employed in
agriculture or in small family enterprises. Still, some studies according to the World
Development Report have found that the effect of education on the income of those selfemployed is positive. "With four years of education, the minimum deemed necessary for
functional literacy, farmers in Africa were more likely to adopt new technologies and, on
average, increased their agricultural productivity by eight percent." In the informal retail
textile sector in Peru, "self-employed were estimated to improve their income 33 percent for
each additional year of primary education." (Canadian International Development Agency,
1993)

ii. Social
There is also a very significant body of research that now exists which discusses the social
benefits of providing a basic education for girls. "Education enables people to acquire
knowledge and skills which are necessary for survival, continued life long learning, living
dignified lives, knowing their human rights and participating in their communities and
nations." (The Canadian International Development Agency, 1993) It should be an obvious
interest of every nation state to have long lasting stability through an educated population.
Education is also instrumental in meeting other needs, such as providing better shelter,
improved health care, adequate nutrition and sanitation with safe drinking water. In these
areas, "education is a capacity-building activity which sustains and accelerates development.
Basic education provides people with the tools to address major social issues, such as
democratization or social unity." (UNICEF, 2001). Education is an integral part of society
and its economic development.
Policy makers must be made aware that the cost to society is particularly high when women
and girls are not educated. World Development Report of 1990 documents the benefits of
basic education for the girl child such as: healthier, better educated children and
grandchildren; improved sanitation practices; reductions in the under five mortality rate,
fewer maternal deaths, and the choice of smaller families. These facts are slowly changing
the mindset of the political elite, and development specialists. For the forty-nine Least
Developed Countries a new model is needed for educational cooperation in order to affect the
outcome of the economic devastation they all face. (See Appendix I)
There is also a historic precedent to acquire multiple stakeholders from various social groups
to promote educational programs for girls. This is a recent development operating mostly in
the second half of the twentieth century. By combining awareness and education of the issue
along with the giving of humanitarian aid, a non governmental organization like Airline
Ambassadors International can serve as a model for resource allocation and for educating
girl children in the least developed countries. ChildReach is another prime example of a nongovernmental organization working to promote equal rights to education along with resource
allocation. Education is the "constant in a chaotic and turbulent post-international political
world." (Rosenau: 1990:7) Rosenaus theory of change and continuity undertakes a new look
at the "workings of communities and the orientations of individuals that culminate in
collective action on the world stage." (Ibid: 1990) This is necessary in order to affect the
change this paper posits.
Education improvement can also address the problems of drug abuse, crime, teen pregnancy,
HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Given these facts, developing countries
can no longer afford to ignore half of its population by denying them an education. An article
in the Globe and Mail by John Stackhouse illustrates the problem girls face in many
developing countries. "In Biharipur, India for most girls there is no school day, as the chores

of morning, afternoon and evening stitch together in a seamless burden that stretches from
one end of life to the other." (Canadian International Development Agency, 1993) The price to
society is "particularly high when women and girls are not educated." (World Development
Report, 1990) It is up to the local communities and the individual to help foster the changes
needed in education. Yet communities and individuals still feel powerless against the forces of
politics, poverty, hunger, corruption, war and disease they face everyday. The great challenge
ahead is to overcome the dimensions of powerlessness and to improve the capabilities of the
poor with regards to lack of information, education and skills. A poor man from Argentina,
stated that "if we arent organized and dont unite, we cant ask for anything." (IMF, 2000).
The lack of political, institutional, social and economic will of governments and society to
resolve the problem of implementing an effective basic education for girl children permeates
in the economic problems of the developed as well as the developing world. The fact is that
the world is more complicated than the traditional nation-state of yesterday. Yet progress has
been made in the attempt to educate children but there is a lot more that is needed.
iii. Resource Investment Dilemma
The developed industrialized countries have the distribution channels, infrastructure,
technology, stability, educational reforms experience, economic strength and access to the
Internet to unite all the necessary groups to improve educational institutions. There is an
obvious need to increase the educational opportunities for girls in the least developed
countries. But there is also a continuing resource allocation debate. "In a world of
diminishing resources there are differing opinions regarding the allocation of resources and
whether the focus should be solely on girls education or if there should also be an emphasis
on providing educational opportunities for women." (Symposium on Girls Education: 2000,
26)
First it is important to debunk the statement that we live in a world of diminishing resources
when applied to educating girls in the developing world. Although "50 or more children can
be provided with primary education for the cost of one university student," recipient
governments and donor nations continue to favor secondary and tertiary education."
(UNICEF: State of the Worlds Children, 1992) There are other statistics that prove that
macro economic resources can be allotted for education provided political will exists.
There is an urgent need for having the resources for equal educational access for girls in
order to unlock their economic development opportunity. There is an importance also of the
availability of a usable Internet resource that will focus educators and students in developing
and developed countries to share the resources and expertise on the issue of the education of
girl children. There is a continuing need to examine how improvement in female education in
the developing countries will affect women in their local economy. However, there is a
resource investment dilemma that local communities face in the developing world. Access to

limited resources needs to be carefully allocated to give the best investment return. Boys are
traditionally seen as the best return on investment dollars. The question is more complicated
as there is a current debate concerning educating women or girls given the scarce resources.
Barbara Herz, of the U.S. Department of Treasury focused on an argument first made by the
former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Laurence Summers that "the economic and social
returns from girls education may well be the highest for any development effort." The
problem will always be whether to educate girls or women. But "the economic and social
benefits of reaching girls at younger ages are longer, and governments can more easily reach
individuals when they are younger." (Symposium on Girls Education: 2000, 26)
The resources and the expenditures on education are already being made and will continue
to be made, Herz argues, so why not make sure that girls are part of the process? Elisa
Desantis also argues that asserting girls education is "the critical investment to reducing
poverty" and "the future of generations of women rests squarely on girls education." It is
crucial to get girls in school and to keep them there. Political support from the "community,
and strong committed expanded partnerships are necessary for this to occur." (Symposium on
Girls Education: 2000, 27)
While there needs to be more studies on the effects of education on women, it is clear that the
benefits of educating both girls and women are sound and would produce lasting benefits.
Earning power and bearing healthy children are two immediate benefits that surface. Not to
mention the added support for the girl child that will increase from the mothers own
education. "In view of scarce resources, investments in girls education should be a priority,
not just in the education sector, but as part of the global and national development agenda."
(Symposium of Girls Education: 2000, 27)
iv. Girl Friendly Schools
Some argue that "quality education, gender-sensitive pedagogy, and teacher training in
conjunction with community participation are critical components of girl-friendly schools."
(Symposium: 2000, 32) Criteria for these schools are still the topic of debate due to the local
resistance to maintain traditional and conventional practices. Malak Zaalouk of
UNICEF/Egypt asserts that the experience of the Community Schools of Egypt project shows
that " it is possible to introduce innovative educational practices and quality education for
girls without arousing local resistance." Improving the quality of education for girls
"enhances their academic performance and leads to greater community participation and
support of the educational reform practice." (Symposium: 2000, 32) Quality also means
Internet access and connections to issues the entire world is involved in.
Zaalouk offers some approaches to these child friendly schools such as more learner
participation, self-sufficiency, and empowerment. She wants to see child-centered classrooms

where students are actively engaged and can develop strong self-esteem. Learning objectives
should go beyond traditional competencies and include teamwork, communication skills,
creativity, and emotional literacy. Right now there are approximately worldwide "three
thousand to five thousand schools" where these innovative approaches have reached girls as
well as boys." (Symposium: 2000, 35) There is no obstacle except the political will to create
changes for girl children. Those changes include access to the Internet in order to open the
path to learning for these children
Anne Gahongayire from FAWE Rwanda approaches the girl friendly schools issue from
another perspective. She asserts that the ignorance and resistance comes from a lack of data
and information. If properly informed, communities "would be open to discussing change and
implementing gender sensitization programs." Gahongayire argues, "Communities want
their girls in schools. They just need support." (Symposium: 2000, 34) Hence, the conclusion
that this paper posits that by educating the educators and the students in the developed
world can provide a powerful and loud political voice to support communities in the
developing world in having gender neutral access to education.
v. HIV/AIDS
Hyacinth Evans of the University of the West Indies and Claire Spence of United States
Agency for International Development/Jamaica emphasizes the importance of sex education
and HIV awareness as an essential part of the Jamaican curriculum to teach boys about
teenage pregnancy and young fatherhood. This issue of HIV/AIDS is one strong example of
the importance of including boys along with girls in the educational process. Though the
project is focused on the education of girls, we strongly posit that boys are a vital element of
that education. That way both grow up with similar values of equality and awareness of the
common problems they face.
vi. Labor and Education
"A holistic approach to schooling in developing countries considering schooling in conjunction
with the labor work force, child care and other household responsibilities is necessary to
construct policies that will encourage greater educational attainment especially for children
and youth in poor families." (Levinson, Moe, Knaul: 2001) One can agree that it is important
to consider the problems of parents having to work to survive and at the same time sending
their children to school. This conflict is at the core of all poor families dilemma of getting
their children an education or taking care of survival of the family.
Using data from the Encuesta Nacional de Empleo Urbana this paper considers that "results
based on the traditional definition indicate that girls are 13.8 percentage points more likely
than boys to specialize in school." (Levinson, Moe, Knaul: 2001) Girls need to have the
advantage of not being marginalized and treated as equals to boys. The studies show time

and time again those girls perform well when given an education, even considering the
factors of having to work as well.
b. Feminism and Education
The impact of education from feminist lenses as this paper argues, is more important in
understanding the role of the girl child living in the turbulence of Rosenaus world.
"Feminists especially those in the west, have argued that one of the reasons for womens lack
of participation in public policy and decision making is their traditional consignment to the
private arena of family and home." (Hurrell: 194, 105) (See Appendix II) Yet with all this
dismay there has been progress made. It is important not to dismiss the good news that
progress has been made for the education of the girl child. The relevant point to make is that
scholars, educators, policy makers, and civil society become aware of the role that educating
girl children has on the macro-micro link in the twenty-first century.
i. Development and Education
Feminist theory has engaged in the debate concerning development and empowering women
at the micro level. A micro educational approach adds a new way of thinking that strengthens
the overall development issue in the Third World. There is substantial literature, conferences
and the groundbreaking "Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination
against Women" (Twenty-Five Human Rights Documents: 1994, 48) to advance the work of
empowering women educationally and economically. This project argues a micro approach
when it states that teachers and students should focus on the web education of children in
the developed world, as mechanism for obtaining knowledge on the issues of the children in
the developing world. This will allow for the support of additional development resources, as
more teachers become aware of the need to improve the overall condition of the poor girl child
in the Third World.
Wendy Harcourt states that "a number of development economists have been joined by
development professionals concerned that poverty alleviation and the basic needs approach of
development programmes are not bringing about the hoped for end to mass poverty and
environment deterioration." (Harcourt: 1994, 12). Macro or Microeconomics does not work as
the sole and total solution to lasting change when it comes to reaching women and girls of
poor countries. It is the fulfillment of the international guarantee to having a basic education
that is the critical difference to obtaining sustainable economic change.
ii. Non Governmental Organizations and Development
Non-Governmental Organizations are becoming more involved by directly delivering social
services including basic girls education. These organizations have become an essential actor
to government and business. They provide "with their unique ability to build and maintain

partnerships with communities and can offer appropriate, targeted local level programs. Non
Governmental Organizations provide services that are not often delivered by government or
the private sector." (Symposium: 2000, 38) The role of this relationship must operate in the
larger "context of nation and culture" and a way must be made to create "a partnership that
is an efficient service-delivery mechanism for communities." (Symposium, 2000)
According to Jane Benbow of CARE there are three discourses that have influenced
educational policy in the developing world and the relationship of governments and non
governmental organizations in the provision of education services. These are 1) education for
economic development, 2) education for empowerment, and 3) education as a basic need. The
"1990 Jomtien Education for all Conference, marked the beginning of Non Government
Organization involvement in education service delivery." (Symposium: 2000, 39) The logic is
that an education web-site linking non-governmental organizations can offer insights to
educators with real world examples of how to solve the dilemma of lack of education for the
girl child.
Non Governmental Organizations were influenced by the new discourse that education is a
basic need. The logic of this discourse was that if "education were a basic need and
governments could not provide it by themselves, then it would be incumbent upon the
international community and local Non Governmental Organizations to help." (Symposium:
2000, 39) The argument was not whether Non Governmental Organizations should be a
watchdog or advocate but what form a partnership would take with educators. Benbow
proposed a new unrealized discourse of education in international development. This
discourse is "education as a human right." To embrace this discourse Benbow goes on to say
that the Non Governmental Organizations will have to be "facilitators, bridge-builders and
counterweights, providing challenges and channels for accountability and communication,
supporting poor people to organize and fight for their rights." (Symposium: 2000, 39)
This paper argues for the coming together of Non Governmental Organizations to share
expertise and resources. Education is a human right and needs the strength of multiple
actors from all over the world working together on this fight for rights. Jennifer Spratt makes
this same point by adding, "every given context must be assessed with relation to what the
specific needs are as well as the relative strengths and weaknesses of all potential actors;
government, non government, national government, local government, and civil society that
could be mobilized to support actions in support of girls education." (Symposium: 2000, 3940) The role of all actors supporting girls education needs to be closely examined on a case by
case basis. A global network of Non Governmental Organizations working on a common
agenda through the use of the Internet can share the resources of people, expertise and
finances allocated to this fight.
Spratt encourages that ideally " we should work toward forming partnerships between
actors." (Ibid: 2000, 39-40) This paper takes those partnerships one step further by having a

companion education web-site that will help governments and non-governmental

organizations to contribute to the complex solutions involving girls education. They will also
become more aware and responsive to each other. Non Governmental Organizations are
accountable for their delivery of services. "Non Governmental Organizations should not try to
take over governmental responsibilities but enhance governments capacity to carry out its
responsibilities." (Symposium: 2000, 40)
There are Non Governmental Organizations that possess skills and experience as well as ties
to communities and governments that vary greatly and are not equally capable. Technical
expertise and economic development skills are not equal to all non-governmental
organizations no matter how well intentioned. Brian Spicer from the Academy for
Educational Development explored this issue through a case study based on his experience in
Balochistan, Pakistans largest province. His conclusion was that "to understand the path to
a successful relationship between governments and Non Government Organizations, we must
consider the relationship most likely to support the objectives being sought as well as the real
capacity of both governments and Non Government Organizations. Non Government
Organizations can play different roles in the delivery of education services at different
times." (Symposium: 2000, 40)
"The search for financial resources that may be hard to find for girls education has resulted
in partnerships of unlike organizations and agencies including non-governmental
organizations, teachers organizations and communities." (Pigozzi: 1999, 40) It is on this
model of partnership that the paper and companion web site is based. But there are problems
of cooperation and well-intentioned organizations that do not follow up on the impact on the
children, which they aim to help when they distribute aid. An Internet web-site can help to
research the problems and to help to take the action the new solutions will demand.
The problem of having a tarmac organization where non-governmental organizations center
at the airport in their distribution practices is seen as problematic. "Even the nongovernmental initiatives have at best provided marginal access to Gandas [tribal people]"
India 1997 (Narayan: 2000, 220). In Voices of the Poor, Narayan has documented in Togo,
Bangladesh, India, and Senegal that "the potential of non-governmental organizations to
support poor peoples organizations and keep the state accountable at the local level remains
largely unmet." (Narayan: 2000, 220) There needs to be other solutions that are inclusive and
create new alliances that are stronger and more capable of building capacity among the poor.
Non governmental organizations lack of meeting the real needs of the poorest of the poor
calls for alliances of groups, resources, people, philanthropists, teachers, students,
community based groups and development agencies who will overcome the deficits that nongovernmental organizations are currently plagued with. There needs to be a pragmatic
approach for these groups in order to create results in the world. This can be resolved by

educating these groups on the issues and a web-site is the perfect vehicle.
The assumption that this paper makes is that by humanizing a new way of thinking for
childrens advocates to cooperate with each other will allow for different agendas and
resources to merge. This will finally overcome the current obstacles of meeting the real needs
of the poor. This new thinking has to overcome the traditional political, social and economic
ways of looking at development problems. This is a major challenge as individual groups have
a stake in continuing the way they behave as that behavior is linked to current funding
sources.
iii. Gender Perspective and Education and Development
The paper looks at the complex factors influencing inaccessibility to a basic education for the
girl child. The mitigating factors are cultural, historical, economic, political, as well as social.
If access to the classroom is obtained, the girl child faces the challenge of finding quality
education, the financial resources and parental support to stay in school. It is also indicated
in the literature that a bottom-up or micro approach to solving this issue will break the cycle
of poverty for women/girls. Feminist theory helps "the reconstruction of gender-sensitive
theory, rethinking fundamental relationships of knowledge, power and community." There is
a need to call for "a gender perspective to development with a micro economic focus starting
with the education of girls." (Peterson: 1992, Intro) The lack of education for girls is a
significant reason for the lack of a solution in the fight against poverty.
This need to have girls and boys in the developed countries understand the plight of the girl
child in the developing countries can be seen clearly with the feminist lenses of J. Ann
Tickner in her book Gender in International Relations. To quote Tickner, "women need to be
seen as agents in their own physical, educational, economic security is an imperative and
women must be represented at all levels of economic, educational planning so their
knowledge is seen as valuable rather than unscientific." (Tickner: 1992, 95)
The paper will also argue for the relationship between economic development, girl education,
and the inequality of resources for women and girls. The questions that need to be chosen for
research should reflect this simple relationship, as the underlying construct to understand
how web-based educational access for children in the developed world unlocks the problem of
economic development for girls in the least developed countries.
a) How can a micro approach to development that diverges from the conventional macro
economic models, and focuses instead on the web education of children in the developed
world, become pivotal in breaking the cycle of poverty and reach sustainable forms of
development in the developing world?
b) How can separate grassroots organizations along with community-based-organizations,

International Non Government Organizations, and educational outreach organizations

organize to create a new model framework for the awareness of girl child education through
the use of the Internet? How can the solutions of these organizations be applied via the
Internet?
c) Can development from a micro economic point of view liberate girls with resources in order
to provide equal access to education?
2. Convention on the Rights of the Child
a. Legal Framework
The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the recognized ethical and international
standard for human rights pertaining to children. There needs to be an enforcement
mechanism in order to get all developing nations to agree on how to legislate for new laws in
their national legislatures for a free basic education particularly including girl children.
This paper has documented fifteen international human rights conventions that give the
child the legal basis to obtain a free and basic education. (See Appendix III) The Convention
on the Rights of the Child have been ratified and are part of domestic law in all the nations of
the world except two, Somalia and the United States. Somalia does not have a recognized
government and could not vote and the United States for conservative political reasons this
paper posits have not ratified the Convention. This Convention being the most ratified in the
history of the United Nations gives work for girl child legitimate international legal weight.
The Convention is the legal justification this project is using for the legal framework to
ensure education for all girl children

i. Justification
The Aims of Education as written in the Convention on the Rights of the Child is articulated
in Article 28 and Article 29. With simple clear language Article 28 (1) reads, "Parties
recognize the right of the child to education, with a view to achieving this right progressively
and on the basis of equal opportunity, they shall in particular: (a) Make primary education
compulsory and available free to all. (e) Take measures to encourage regular attendance. (3)
Parties shall promote and encourage international cooperation in matters relating to
education, in particular with a view to contributing to the elimination of ignorance and
illiteracy throughout the world and facilitating access to scientific and technical knowledge
and modern teaching methods. In this regard, particular account shall be taken of the needs
of developing countries." (Twenty-Five Human Rights Documents: 1994, 87)

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights sees Article 29(1) as having far
more reaching importance. "The aims of education presented and agreed upon by all States
parties promote, support and protect the core value of the Convention: the human dignity
and the equal and inalienable rights innate to every child." (UNHCHR, 1990) The aims in
Article 29(1) are "Parties agree that the education of the child shall be directed to (a) The
development of the childs personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their
fullest potential; (b) The development of respect for human rights(c) The development of
respect for the childs parents, his or her own cultural identity, language and value (d) The
preparation of the child for responsible life in a free society and (e) The development of
respect for the natural environment." (Twenty-Five Human Rights: 1990, 87)
The paper argues that there is still a need for more education about the Convention on the
Rights of the Child in the developed world concerning the effective implementation of the
rights for the rest of the world. Yet, while the challenges to universal childrens education are
formidable, some developing countries are lagging considerably behind in giving basic
education its deserved prominence on national agendas. (See Appendix VII)
The developing world can offer powerful incentives for change. "There is no either or to the
ways that can affect change." (Dewey, 1934) By introducing a tried model of learning that is
student centered, this web site can add to the strength of the existing international
educational system in teaching children about the real world. Pooling resources, ideas,
people, and agendas, all focused on children can be a powerful agent of change.
ii. Learning Technology & the Convention on the Rights of the Child
It is also the goal of the web site to be focused to help teach educators and students in the
developed world about the basic educational needs of girl children as stated in the
Convention on the Rights of the Child. Advances in technology and learning sciences led
researchers to the point of view that "allowed learning with technology as the means for
building problem-solving skills and for achieving learner autonomy."(Berryman: 1993;
Streibel: 1993) This is an important part of the democratic process the Convention on the
Rights of the Child espouses.
The web-site is constructed as a vehicle of action that will provide unique solutions and tools
to the problems of educating girl children in the developing world. The problems that emerge
from the literature on girl education and development can then be adequately addressed. For
capacity building in education to occur it is essential that there are clear guidelines as well
as a framework where human capital can grow. The education web-site provides ample
opportunities for action by having numerous links to appropriate non-governmental
organizations that support the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The paper posits that the challenge of applying technology to educational reform is to first

secure the guarantee to an education as stated in the Convention on the Rights of the Child,
Article 28-29. The provisions and the implications of the Convention on the Rights of the
Child must be "widely known and respected in all spheres if we are to foster stronger civil
societies that routinely support the childs best interests." (UN, 2000) The connections then
created by the web site can be used and maintained within school communities as well as
local communities to benefit and advance the cause of education of girl children.
The web site with the connections it is capable of creating enables wider communities of
stakeholders to become involved in the education of girls in the least developed countries.
These stakeholders can include: "parents and extended family members, community
organizations, business community, government employees, educators and educational
administrators." (Lento, ONeill & Gomez, 1998) The development of "bottom up virtual
communities can greatly enhance the support for this issue worldwide." "Involving parents is
particularly important as it leads to improved student involvement." (Flaxman & Inger, 1991)
iii. Internet as Teaching Tool
There is a norm socialization process by which an education web site can contribute. In short
this project agrees that "principle ideas are helped by individuals and these ideas can become
norms." (Risse & Sikkink: 1999, 29) The Internet, this paper posits, can provide the means
for the dissemination of knowledge about real world issues to effect long-term change in the
teaching of the Social Sciences. The growing body of literature on human rights and the
potential for international acceptance of new norms effecting domestic change in the
developing countries has some very practical web applications for schools.
Yet, in reading the literature one sees only provisions for the mechanism and the dialogue
but not how to acquire the financial means that is necessary for change in the area of
education for girls. One needs to look at the fifteen international legal documents that have
provisions for free and compulsory primary education for children. This creates a legal
standard for the "micro-macro, technological-globalization forces" that will ultimately
determine the role children will play in developing a sustainable economy. (Rosenau: 1990, 9)
The Turbulence created by these micro-macro forces creates non-governmental
organizations, individuals and non-profit groups, that will lead the way to changing the
current status of girl education in the twenty-first century. "Creating turbulence for change is
positive and the greater the number of actors in the environment the better the chance for
success." (Ibid: 1990, 9)
Legal international documents are not sufficient in obtaining equal education for girls. Only
by pressure from above by nation-states and by pressure from below by grassroots
organizations can the transition toward equal and quality education with the result of
sustained improvement of educational conditions be achieved. Change will occur, this paper
argues, by centralizing a cooperative effort around the Convention on the Rights of the Child,

in particular, Articles 28-29. Basic Education as a human right is also documented in

numerous other Conventions (See Appendix III). International law introduces basic
education as a legal right but there also needs to be the involvement of Non-Governmental
Organizations governments, businesses, financial resources, individuals, human rights
curriculum, access to Internet technology, and debt relief that is partially reallocated to
education. The World Wide Web can connect different actors speaking different languages in
the education process. BOES.org has created a web education site in multiple languages that
uses the Convention on the Rights of the Child as the central theme that most actors can
agree upon.

b. Objective of the Study

The objective of this study is to create a web-site for teachers and students of developed
countries because this paper believes that this will contribute to the education of girls in
developing countries. The contribution to the education of girls in the global south will occur
given the proper sequence of events have occurred. First the web-site is developed addressing
the need for educators and students to obtain knowledge. This includes learning through
relationships where theorists and researchers state that " all of these outcomes often occur
through social processes where learners gain a new understanding of how social
relationships and culture have shaped their beliefs and feelings." (Christopher; Dunnagan;
Duncan; Paul:2001, 134) Second is that educators and students in the developed world
communicate on an on-going basis with educators and students in the developing world.
i. Personal Objective
Twenty-five years of professional experience in education with the most recent study for a
Master of Arts in International Relations has allowed me to gather a lot of experience and
knowledge in the field of human rights for children. Presently I am volunteering with a nongovernmental organization called Airline Ambassadors International. I am learning the
skills of managing millions of dollars worth of humanitarian aid and educating youth about
the issues concerning the Third World. The goal is for sustainable development for the
villages and children we are in contact with. This understanding helps to define and create
solutions for the education of all girl children in the poorest countries of the world.
Teaching elementary children about people with physical disabilities as well as establishing
a publishing company, Rebecca House International and publishing books that deal with
visual impairment I began to understand better the relevant needs concerning children. I
Produced and hosted a television show called To Love Children and a radio show in San
Francisco for three years called Twilight Readings and had discussions to further my
understanding on global issues concerning the girl child. The issues from these shows took on

a deeper dimension for me, as I was motivated to create a sustainable environment for
children to be educated, healthy and prosperous.
To quote Eleanor Roosevelt, "too often the great decisions are originated and given form in
bodies made up wholly of men, or so completely dominated by them that whatever special
value women have to offer is shunted aside without expression." I grew to obtain the
sensitivity and awareness as to not exclude girls but instead gained a deeper understanding
of the unique problems they faced.
ii. Educational Objective
The paper will serve as the theoretical construct for girl children basic education and
justification for the educational web-site. The purpose of the web-site is to create a
framework of concrete strategies along with a critical thinking toolkit to foster solutions and
various means to take action. The web-site is designed to teach educators and children in the
developed world about girl children in the developing world. This is in order to foster a means
to promote publicity, gain a deeper understanding of the issues concerning girl children, and
link various educators and non-governmental organizations. By creating a stronger political
voice through the action taken by students and educators, it will help all children in need,
particularly the girl child.
B. Theses and Hypotheses
1. Thesis
The overall thesis is the role Internet technology plays in the education of children in the
developed world about the plight of the girl child in the global south. In the absence of any
organized political voice for the girl child, an interactive Internet web site connects the issue
of the girl child lack of access to education and its effect on her economic development.
a. Role of Technology in Education
i. Critical Thinking
Girl children need critical thinking and problem solving tools to deal directly with their
community and society. In a multi cultural world it will mean engaging boys as well as girls
with a multi cultural curriculum, which does not demand conformity to one cultural norm.
This is essential to the transformation of education. One must start, as the paper argues, by
the education of girls by teaching her to think more critically so she can respond effectively in
her own environment.
The methodology of critical thinking that is based on Paulo Freire "also serves to facilitate

the dialogue necessary to enhance community and build social capital which allows us to act
in ways that ensure justice" and human dignity." (Infed.org, 2001) The methodology of Paulo
Freire, Brazilian educator and author of Pedagogy of the Oppressed, taught illiterate
peasants to read and write in 12 weeks, while also teaching them to understand the world
and to question their place in it. As the Santiago Declaration of 1998 preparatory document
for the Summit of the Peoples of the Americas says, "Education for the next century ought to
develop the spirit of the person and train that person to be master of his/her own destiny."
(Inter Press Service: 1998)
It is also important to include Blooms Taxonomy as a way of developing critical thinking
through writing and speaking. (See Appendix VI) These important critical thinking tools
help students to be able to communicate their individual voice in civil society. This is an
essential component of the companion web-site in order to create a plan of action to improve
the access and quality of education for girl children in the developing countries.
ii. Lack of Access
A study of girls access to education in Papua New Guinea (PNG) shows that integration in a
nation state where groups speak over 800 separate languages and have lived apart for
centuries is something remarkable. The lesson to learn here is the pitfalls of having a
westernized notion of culture, integration, education or society.
According to Helen Geissinger in the 1880s girls were taught in PNG bible study about
housekeeping skills so they could contribute to labor to the missions. While other ideas about
girls education changed in many other countries, the missionaries legacy concerning
education has remained.
In patrilineal societies such as Papua New Guinea it has been found that education of boys is
a factor of critical importance. Girls can be kept home from school if determined that it is
dangerous for her security. Her family, based on an approved bride price can betroth her. So
any benefits of education do not go to the family but to the family of her marriage. Or she can
be taken from school if she is seen as not being fit for work in the village due to the ideas
learned in school. So in the choice of sending a boy or girl to school, the son will be chosen
first, without considering the consequences of educating the girl. This is because "the culture
of the girl is in the perception that knowledge of the culture is lost through Western
education and that girls will lose sight of their roles as gardeners, child-bearers and
homemakers." (Yeoman: 1987, 119-20).
Papua New Guinea is a prime example of a patrilineal society where it is the men who
determine the fate of the women. Men decide that educating girls on tasks that are already
part of her life in the village "like raising chickens is futile because men control the land
allocation." Therefore having a western view of education for this society only means waged

employment. "For girls who are destined to remain in the village or nearby region the
prospects to use her education is small." (Geissinger: 1997)
It can be posited that in order for a successful macro approach to occur it is necessary to
consider the literature on the influences of western culture at the micro level. Papua New
Guinea shows that western views of education and western influences have not better served
the chances for equal access as well as equal opportunity for employment for the girls of that
society. "The influences of the indigenous culture and its historical factors is what affects
girls access to school." (Yeoman, 1987)
b. Specific Role of Web-Based Technology
i. Bridging the International Digital Divide
The information gleaned from the literature is for a new awareness and action to bridge the
international digital divide. This divide is just as evident in the developed as the developing
world. This paper agrees with Professor Muhammad Yanus, when he said that the, "Digital
divide can only get worse if no social interventions are madeDigital divide will more and
more mean knowledge divide, skill divide and, of course, opportunity divide Microcredit
and Information Technology both have a common capacity to empower the poor." (Yanus,
1992)
Conquering the digital divide to help girl children in the developing countries will help to
empower children by making education and access to the Internet in the future a human
right.
Bridging the International Digital Divide is necessary in order to raise expectations for all
children to learn in the twenty-first century. Information Technology will also affect the
outcome of girl children in the developing world in their ability to earn. There is a need for
pooling local educational capacity and technology to the Internet in the various developing
countries to bridge the digital divide. The U.S. Department of Education has found that "the
latest research and evaluation studies demonstrate that school improvement programs that
employ technology for teaching and learning yield positive results for students and teachers."
(Education.gov, 2001) It is assumed that the use of technology in the developing world will
produce the same or better results.
To overcome the International Digital Divide it is necessary to gain allies from those who can
readily understand the learning gap of the haves and have nots. "While 91 percent of
families with incomes greater than $75,000 had computers in the home, only 22 percent of
families with annual incomes of less than $20,000 had access to a home computer." (Packard
Report: 2000) The gap for the have nots is substantial and gets worse in the Least Developed

Countries.
National efforts in the United States such as the E-Rate program have tried to address this
disparity by providing Internet access to all United States schools. This effort to narrow the
Internet gap has succeeded to include nearly every school in the nation." (Becker: 2001) The
research also shows that involving "at-risk students to use demanding inquiry experiences
have demonstrated that this approach produces gains in understanding and increased
engagement among these students." (Mokros & Russell, 1986, White, 1998) By translating
computer access into meaningful learning activities the web site can engage a whole
population of at-risk students. The paper posits that when at risk students become
empowered they will be more motivated to affect change by creating a voice for all children.
There is no better way to involve students and to promote change than to reach the
economically disadvantaged students in the United States. A number of studies of students
identified as at risk of failure "reported dramatic improvements in student achievement
after the introduction of technology into the classroom." (Fuchs Fuchs, Hamlett & Allinder:
1991; Griffin: 1991 Wilson: 1993; Sinatra, Beaudry, Pizzo & Geisert: 1994)
Effective use of technology is a key for students who are at-risk due to economic
disadvantage, learning disability, limited English proficiency or other special needs. But
technology alone can not make the difference. Different formats including literature are
needed to expand perspectives. Technology on an education web site can make references to
literature and provide connections from literature to the real world.
It is also important to understand that the Internet has the means to connect very large
numbers of diverse people on all subjects and topics that concern all of us in this information
age. The Internet can be viewed as being about connectivity and access to information. It is
necessary to start the process of integrating Internet technology capability with the
meaningful learning needs of girl children in the developed world. An educational web site as
a tool for information will create more recognition for girl children that do not have any
Internet access. The assumption is that as millions of school children learn about the world
that girl children live in the least developed countries, they will be even more compelled to
take action to rectify the imbalance.

ii. Student Centered Learning

The paper introduces an argument for an educational model that will incorporate economic
development, human rights for access to education, Internet technology & literacy as well as
a critical thinking model that allows for dialogue that will help to change the current
circumstances of girl childrens economic situation. For Dewey quality experience is

necessary in order to "achieve the principle of educative experience." (Dewey: 1938, 28)
Educative experience for the girl child will mean combining the work needed by the family
and the connection to learning in the classroom. The focus should be on the principle of
continuity, which states that "the future has to be taken into account at every stage of the
educational process." (Dewey: 47) An educational based-web site is the natural vehicle to
achieve the principle of continuity through experience. The emphasis on experience as the
basis for education is totally relevant to girls in the developing world who do not have the
resources or time for a more traditional education. As Dewey himself stated there is "no
either or about education."
This approach to student centered learning is vital and relevant to students all over the
world. If students are able to engage in learning about the needs of a civil society in the
developing world they will be more concerned of their fellow students deprived of education,
health, and ability to prosper and take care of their families. One of the features of the website is for self-direct learning, so it does not matter where students live. They can live in the
United States, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Scandinavia, Europe or one
of the least developed countries so they can have the skills needed in our information digital
age to promote the social dialogue that is necessary for social change to occur.
The basis for that change must be that information gleaned from the web-site allows the
student/teacher to engage in a five-step process. The steps are 1) Set goals to initiate a clear
and meaningful action. 2) Get intellectually involved with the topic and engage other sources
of information, 3) Engage parents, politicians and the local community to get involved with
the issues, 4) Create a sustainable and easily achieved endgame or solutions to providing
adequate resources for the education of all children. 5) Build the ability to get mentors or
other technical support as needed in the classroom, perhaps in cooperation with nongovernmental organizations such as the Childrens Defense Fund.
With an information-knowledge-literacy approach to learning this web-site is well suited to
meet the challenge of engaging and finding solutions to the problem of equal and quality
education for girls. The culture of America is a conglomerate of unique and diverse cultural
heritages and backgrounds and is a valuable asset as a learning model for the rest of the
world. Information Technology can provide multiple cultural perspectives that allow one to
discern and analyze for the validity of any one argument. "No child can be ignorant of or lack
respect for his or her own unique cultural group and meet others in the world on an equal
footing." (African-American Baseline Essays).
The Internet can provide information for understanding how culture plays a role in the
education of the girl child in the developing world. Traditional values and customs block the
education of girls in most societies. Internet technology allows for student-centered research
to combat old thinking of educational practices in the developing world.

2. Hypotheses
a. Hypothesis One
The first hypothesis is that web-based education tools have the power to exponentially impact
the community. This relates to the review of literature in Section II of the paper
b. Hypothesis Two
The second hypothesis is that web resources targeted at education in the developed world can
significantly change the life of the girl child in the developing world. This relates to my
proposal of an education web-site for promoting girls education in the developing world in
Section III of the paper.

C. Research Design
1. Solution Oriented Web-Site
a. Why?
Theory is only relevant for girl children in the developing world if additional work conducted
on an education web-site also has a practical method for solutions. There needs to be a
technological link to provide sustainable educational solutions from the developed world to
the economic developmental problems and lack of education of girls in the developing world.
This web-site will be designed to focus on using web education as a tool for the empowerment
and development of children in the developed world on the issue of girl education. It is
important to make teachers and students in the developed world stakeholders in the
education of the girl child in the developing world. These children have no political voice and
this project posits that educators and their students in the developed world can be the voice
for children in need.
The justification for this method of reaching children and educators via the Internet is twofold and supported by the available literature. One is that in the developing world the
Internet connectivity and infrastructure is growing and reaching tens of millions of people
throughout the entire world and will soon reach one billion people. Secondly, in an extensive
study of fifty-five New York State school districts "Internet technology is reaching thousands
upon thousands of students, teachers, and many principals and superintendents." (Mann &
Schaffer: 1997, 22-23) There is a current need for a web-site that can link educational

resources, students and teachers in the developed world that can make a difference in the
lives of the poorest children. The number of sites developed for information and resources is
growing geometrically. There is a need for a web-site that can link educational resources,
children and teachers so that they can make a difference in the lives of the poorest children.
The value that this web-site will bring is to sift through the best information for the
education of girl children and related topics out of the current "one billion three hundred
million" plus and growing web pages of information. (Google, 2001)
b. How?
The education of girl children can be accomplished by organizing the developed worlds
successful models of curriculum standards, critical thinking tools, assessment rubrics, and
best educational practices, and adapting them to be used in a multicultural context. Then
target teachers and their students from kindergarten to twelfth grades in the industrialized
world to mobilize them as a grassroots force for change. The web-site is called To Love
Children International and can be located at the URL Http://www.ToLoveChildren.org.
Reaching educators and students can be done through the use of multiple search engines,
and getting on relevant electronic education lists, e-mail groups for teachers, conference lists
which would all serve to raise the awareness of this educational web-site. Access to the website adds to the strength of the argument for a grassroots approach to social development.
When the impetus for change occurs at the bottom, change can occur that reflects the day to
day realities of life for the girl children in the Third World.
i. Scout Report Criteria
The underlying framework criteria for the design of a web-site are built on the sound
principles of the Scout Report and will allow for high quality learning. The World Wide Web
offers what seems as unlimited access to information. Gaining knowledge in a critical
thinking manner is imperative if people are going to get quality information they can use to
make informed decisions, create solutions or to take action. We must not forget about the
"contents and the validity of any information coming from any web site." (November, 1999)
This site has a two-fold purpose: To support schools as well as community groups and civic
leaders that need to not only research issues concerning girl children and education, but also
to have easy access to the critical thinking tools necessary in order to understand the
complexity of this issue. This interactive web-site will be able to freely share resources,
information, expertise and experience on issues relating to girl child education in the
developing countries which also includes the issues of boy children, health, environment and
security. This understanding of the issue will enable children and educators to start a
grassroots campaign by teaching children how to follow through with their research to create
practical solutions in the real world. In order to meet the basic need of gathering knowledge

as well as information, the web-site has critical thinking tools and problem solving methods
from proven authorities. (See Appendix V and VI) "Knowing how to find networked resources
is important, but how to judge the quality of those resources is even more important."
(Scolock, 1996) The Scout Report gives the underlying design structure for ease of learning.

ii. Design Criteria

The following fundamental criterion is included in the design of the web-site.
Content

What is the scope of the content? Girl education and related issues for the
development and education of girls and children in general that affects education and
development in the developing world.

Who is the intended audience? Teachers and students Kindergarten to Twelfth grade
in the developed world. Secondary audience is parents, community leaders and
politicians.

What is its purpose? To gain knowledge through a critical thinking and problem
solving process as well as to take action to promote the issue for girl education in the
developing world.

Is it up to date? Links to news information sites and access to research in thousands

of authoritative sites like UNICEF make the site current.

Is it Accurate? Sites such as UNICEF, USAID, ChildReach, Save the Children,

Oxfam, are long standing web-sites and considered authorities in the field.

Authority

Who is the Author of the Site? The author holds a recent Masters in International
Relations and has twenty-five years experience working with and for children. The
authors of many of the links are considered experts in the field as well as recognized
by the United Nations as Non Governmental Organizations working on human rights
for children.

Information Access and Maintenance

The site is new and will be maintained on an ongoing and regular basis. The site will
be linked to Airline Ambassadors International in a partnership as many other
established Non Governmental Organizations working on the same issues for
children are discussing possible partnership links.

Presentation

How is the site organized? The site is organized into three areas. One, for Teachers
and Parents. Two, for Studentsthat section is sub divided into three age groups:
Age 6-9 Age 10- 13 and 14 and older and Three, for Community and Politicians.

Is it easy to navigate? There will be a graphics version and a text-only version in order
to be aware of the utilitarian concerns of users when loading web pages. This should
solve the problem of pages loading on computers with slow connections.

Do users need specific helper applications to take advantage of the site? There will be a
site map to guide the user when needed. Bobby software will make sure all pages are
meeting Bobby guidelines for the visually impaired.

Is the site pleasant to look at, stylistically and graphically? The site is well organized
for ease of use, as the main target audience is children. The main font chosen being
Schoolbook. This font was chosen for the ease of reading on screen as well as on the
printed page. It is the preferred font of childrens books.

Cost

There is no cost for the information and the site has unlimited access to all areas.

Availability
Links are checked to see that they work and are still being maintained.

Thesis
II Review of Literature
A. Feminist Literature
1. Socioeconomic
Education of girl children is a socially complex issue because the traditional approach to the

International Political Economy does not address the basic needs of girls in the developing
world. Those basic needs are the "building blocks or foundation for the national planning for
investment, production and consumption." (Yansane: 1996, 23) These basic needs include
education, shelter, security, health, water, sanitation and nutrition for all female children for
the purpose of increased productivity and economic growth.
Many economic and sociological theories predict that "education increases womens
participation in the labor force." This prediction is premised on the notion that education
favorably affects womens willingness and ability to enter the wage labor market. Specifically,
it is asserted that the increased schooling of females: (1) Raises their potential earning
power, providing a strong incentive to seek employment. (2) Raises their occupational
aspirations. (3) Changes attitudes towards womens traditional roles in the household and in
the workplace; and (4) provides them with the necessary credentials for employment in many
jobs. (Bunwarree: 1997)
a. Symposium on Girls Education
In the attempt to create an international standard for providing basic education for all girl
children, the purpose of the 2000 Symposium on Girls Education was "to continue the
dialogue on core topics and issues of controversy in girls education and to develop
implications for policy and practice." (United States Agency for International Development
Office of Women in Development: 2000). The symposium was to validate and create micro
approaches for the educational development of the girl child in the developing world. The
Grameen Bank is one current example of traditional institution acting in a non-traditional
way.
i. Grameen Bank
The Bank is bringing the Internet to rural Bangladesh through Grameen CyberNet, the
largest Internet Company in Bangladesh. They have joined with Hewlett-Packard in an
alliance to create an electronic-education system that will reach rural villages. The seventh
of the 16 Decisions of the Grameen Bank states that "we shall educate our children and
ensure that they can earn to pay for their education." This is most relevant to this project.
Information Technology provides the right tool of communication and resources to meet the
various challenges of the 21st Century. (Grameen, 1992) The developing world is creating
their own solutions to their problems of lack of access to education for all children.
Instead of a social securitywelfare approach where food and loans are the key components
to economic subsistence this paper argues for the need to educate all girl children as a means
to improve literacy, self-sufficiency, self-esteem and awareness through web education.
Current socioeconomic factors as well as the demographic indicators in many studies clearly
show that there is an "inequality that deters the girl child from education in the developing

world." (Symposium, 2000) The assumption is that by using a micro economic approach,
creating equality between girls and boys, basic education will directly affect the local economy
of the developing world.

ii. Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee

A lesson from the Canadian International Development Agency, which contributed to the
Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), demonstrates how aid money can
successfully make a difference. BRAC began as a Non Governmental Organization in 1971
and operates two informal education programs. UNICEF holds up BRAC as a "superb
example of how to provide effective, community-involved basic education for about $15 per
pupil per annum." (The Progress of Nations, 2000) BRAC schools have "high attendance
rates, low drop out rates, high rates of admission to formal schools subsequently and cost 25
to 50 percent less than formal schools. Perhaps their most innovative feature, however, is
involving the community in the construction, staffing and class scheduling of the school."
(BRAC Report 1990)

b. Globalization
i. Mauritius
Mauritius is an island nation located in the Southwestern Indian Ocean about 880 km to the
east of Madagascar, its nearest and largest landmass. This country is an excellent case study
of the cultural problems of some effects of globalization, human capital, and the influence of
the western system of education. An additional problem for this society is that all 1.2 million
people are descendants of African people, Indians, and Chinese, bringing their own
languages, religions, and cultures. This created a "complex cultural, socioeconomic and
political milieu." (Bunwarree: 1997)
Lets look at the case of Mauritius. Traditionally, socialization of girls in Mauritius were
encouraged to pursue learning with things associated with the "female roles within the four
walls of the home, whereas boys were directed towards outdoor activities." (Bunwaree: 1994)
Many of the teachers interviewed in a study had quite a biased view of what girls roles
should be. Gender stereotyping by teachers and textbooks is so strong that girls tend to
internalize the roles assigned to them.
In the post-GATT period, Mauritius was transformed from a mono-crop dependent economy
to a world-class garment and knitting producer. Its ability to solve its heavy unemployment

problem and its balance of payments deficit have won it the name of tiger in the Indian
Ocean somewhat comparable to the East-Asian tigers. Yet the gap in education between girls
and boys still looms large. (Bunwaree: 1996)
A new educational order based on including girls at a very early age in resource-poor
Mauritius is vital to stop the waste of economic potential. A gender focus on girls will allow
the country to develop its human capital and hence grow in the overall development of the
country. Increasing participation of all citizens to the economic success on a sustained basis
is an economic imperative. Only when social mechanisms are in place to protect girls will it
be possible to empower and create the sustainable economic development the country seeks.
ii. Cultural influence on Education
Mass education became an issue when political power passed into the hands of the Indians.
Steps were taken to promote literacy but not much had changed in the equality and access of
education for girls. The educational system was still largely influenced by the social,
economic and political restraints that existed in society. "People holding power were those
who determined the content of what should be taught." (Bunwarree, 1997) In Mauritius, "the
selection and organization of knowledge discriminate in favor of those possessing the cultural
and linguistic capital which is required by the schools." (Bunwarree: 1997) This is very much
in line with the thinking of people such as Young (1971), Carnoy (1974) and Carnoy & Sarnoff
(1990) as they explain how dominant social groups legitimize their position by the
organization and selection of knowledge and ensure maintenance of the status quo.
One solution to this important power struggle over people is to have the legal international
standard of the Convention on the Rights of the Child play a larger role in the domestic
educational reform. Human capital is not being sufficiently utilized enough in the least
developed countries. The untapped "potential of women is even more pronounced."
(Bunwarree: 1997) The differential participation rate of men and women on the labor market
emphasizes this point.
The western model of development assumes "the free movement of labor and capital and free
trade domestically and in foreign markets." (Yansane: 1996, 4) However, this western model
of free trade does not take into account that a top down approach only further alienates and
marginalizes girls and women by leaving them out of the benefits of the market. This paper
agrees with the assumption that if girls are not seen to benefit the economy, their education
will only focus on the traditional gender roles so they can take their right place in the village.

c. Gender Gap

It is important to note that there are other facts that therefore need to be taken in
consideration in order to understand the overall gender gap in education as; preschool ability,
school quality and out-of-school investments in human capital. There are various studies that
show the relationship between "cognitive achievement and wage attainment in developing
countries." (Boissiere, Knight and Sabot 1985; Glewwe 1990, 1992, and Alderman, Behrman,
Ross, and Sabot 1996) The data coming from Alderman, Behrman, Ross, and Sabot 1996 in
their paper published in the Journal of Human Resources "indicate a large and significant
gender gap in cognitive skills in rural Pakistan, which presumably results in a larger gender
gap in productivity and command in resources."
i. Biases
The large gender gap can also come from; parental biases in preferences that favor boys over
girls, strong attachments to traditional gender roles that limit female access to high
productivity sectors, activities or occupations. It also could come from the expectations
regarding the total benefits of schooling for parents investment choices. Parents expect a
higher rate of return from boys to support them in their old age. There is research that shows
"the quality of education a girl receives in the classroom given these biases is definitely going
to affect the outcome for girls." The claim is that as the available evidence suggests "family
economic conditions are more important than school related variables." (Rao 1993, Haddad,
Carnoy, Rinaldi and Regel 1990)
One can agree with the empirical literature and studies that explain the gender gap in
education. To overcome the gender gap in education and "to achieve economic justice for rural
women in the Third World, development must target projects that benefit women,
particularly those in the subsistence sector." (Tickner: 1992, 94)
ii. Social issues and Gender
At the World Summit for Social Development, in Copenhagen 1995, governments committed
themselves to accelerating the economic, social and human resources development in Africa
(See Appendix VIII) and the least developed countries. The literature clearly shows the link
to the gender gap of the education of girls and the deteriorating social and economic
conditions of the least developing countries. It has been noted that "equitable access to
education and health services, income-earning opportunities, land, credit, infrastructure and
technology, as well as official development assistance and debt reduction, are vital to social
development in Africa and the least developing countries." (United Nations Document: 2000,
A/RES/S-24).
Social indicators in Africa show that "90 percent of countries in sub-Saharan Africa will not
meet the year 2000 goals on child mortality. Life expectancy remained lower than sixty years
in forty-one of the fifty-three countries during the period 1995-2000. The HIV/AIDS pandemic

is having severe social, economic, political and security impacts in some of the hardest hit
countries." (United Nations Document: 2000, A/RES/S-24).
In a rapidly globalizing economic world, Africa continues to be marginalized. In order to
integrate Africa into the world economy it will take a lot more than the education of the girl,
child. However, without the education of the girl child sustained economic growth and a final
breaking of the cycle of social ills will not be resolved.
B. Empowerment/Education/Development Literature
1. Empowerment
a. Education
i. Empowerment and Gender
According to the feminist literature in most societies there is a huge gender gap in education.
The factors that block access to education range from culture bias towards boys, lack of
financial resources, perceived return on the educational investment of boys, and the role of
girls in the society. Empowerment for women did not occur in the traditional model of macro
economic reform. Any "attempt to express economics in the form of mathematical models
gives it a mathematical sophistication which is deeply reductionist and totally inadequate for
explaining the ambiguities and contradictions of the complex process of development."
(Harcourt: 1994, 14) There is a need for economics to become linked to social issues like the
education of girl children.
In breaking the vicious cycle of despair and poverty for women there has to be more evidence
in the literature and in the field that educating girls will improve empowerment for
girls/women. While it is recognized that there are many troubling problems in preventing
girls from being educated few women are in positions of power. "The large numbers of girls
still not educated with a larger percent that have to drop out after starting all mitigate this
problem of lack of power for women." (UNICEF, OXFAM, 2001)
Individual empowerment for girls is making progress but is a long way off in becoming the
international norm. The human capital issue needs to first address the basic educational
needs of girl children. Then society should build capacity for girl children, which can account
for the differences in needs from culture to culture. Empowerment must in fact be seen as
equal opportunity for all citizens of a society.
Empowerment comes from re-directing the focus of teaching from a spoon-fed approach to one
that centers on the child learning for him or herself. One can argue from the literature the
importance of becoming more children centered in education. Pedagogy of learning is well

established in the journals of education as well as tested in thousands of classrooms across

the United States. Teachers can have collaborative and problem solving experiences with
children as well as create a mentor/expert instructor teaching to make known the issue and
importance of educating girls in the least developing countries through the use of the
Internet.
This awareness in children and teachers as this paper argues will help to support grassroots
building. That will create pressure for the need at the political level for a change in thinking
and attitude about girl education. Using web technology supports "collaborative knowledge
integration which includes tools that enable group thinking, problem solving and task
orientation. Sharing data also offers the opportunity to share with a wider and more
authentic audience." (Evard: 1996; Frederman & Edwards, 1997; Scardamalia & Bereiter,
1991; Wideman & Owston: 1993) Empowerment does not come from the use of the Internet
but rather from the action that results from the knowledge obtained.
The goal is to help guide students to "develop community knowledge bases and "expertise
instead of focusing only on individual student learning." (Computer-Based Learning: 1999,
10-11) Shared data also leads to larger and more accurate data sets. Sharing knowledge from
primary sources written by experts allows students to develop the same skills. Armed with
this knowledge, teachers and students can make rational and informed decisions on what
actions they can take to help the inequity of education of girl children.
The Internet is an interactive tool that allows students to "be self directed, have access to
content relevant material to facilitate a deeper integration of the material." (Epstein, 1997)
To foster change starting at the bottom, the Internet provides the perfect tool to reach and
empower educators and students as a viable option to solicit support with the aim to
empower girl children that need it the most.
ii. Lack of Power
The situation for girl children in Latin America is slowly changing in overcoming obstacles to
power for women. Chilean President Eduardo Frei describes "education and related issues as
the backbone of our development." (Inter Press Service: 1998) At the Summit of the
Americas, thirty-four countries assembled in Santiago Chile to create an Action Plan for
Quality Education by the year 2000. Recognizing that globalization presents a challenge for
education, integration in democracy will not be achieved unless " values are incorporated into
education" says a report from the Chilean-based non-governmental organization, Corporation
Participa. (Inter Press Service: 1998) True social and economic integration depends on
changing the values of the men who are in control of the access for girl education.
The Declaration of the Summit states that "Education constitutes an indispensable element
for achieving better levels of development within the current international context, based on

the conviction that the true wealth of a country lies in the quality of its people." (Inter Press
Service: 1998) Education for girls in the Third World may well be one of the best investments
that a less developed country can make. Yet only 20 percent or fewer of women and girls are
economically active in Latin America with the exception of Brazil. Data from 1974 as
published in the International Labour Review, showed that the "higher the educational level
in Latin America countries of a woman the more likely she is to participate in the working
force." (Elizaga: 1974, 519) This showed true for women that have a higher number of
children at home. Yet the gender gap still remains in labor and education for girls. It becomes
self-evident that without training and education women cannot fully contribute to the
national economic growth.
Lacking skills, girls remain dependent relying on the income of men, or controlled by male
tradition and custom which dictates their opportunities. The typical "non socialist,
undeveloped nations backs the education of boys over the education of girls." (Standing: 1974)
Looking back at the literature over twenty five years it is easy to surmise that education has
been a major determinant of the aspirations and income expectations of girls and women.
Education does affect work activity and the ability for women to contribute and earn as
equals. "Basic education, particularly for women and girls, would have a much more
attractive rate of return numbers than investing in building and equipment." (Finger: 2000)
2. Education
a. United States
i. Globalization and Education
Recognizing the growing importance of education and its impact on girls in the global south,
former U.S. Secretary of Education, Richard W. Riley said in a speech delivered in
Washington DC that, "the growing importance of education is a new international
development, and I do not see it going away. Every sensible leader recognizes that the wealth
of a nation in the information age-the economic, social and cultural wealth-lies in its people
and what they know and can do. Whether a country prospers economically depends largely on
its human capital." (Ed.gov, 2000)
Secretary Riley quoted Tom Friedman as saying, "the biggest foreign issue is now the biggest
domestic issue, education." In this era of globalization the Spanish saying "Saber es poder"
knowledge is power is the correct thinking for the civil society of the United States. Secretary
Riley advocates for a bottom up or local approaches by stating "it is my hope that every
elementary and secondary school in the United States would establish a relationship with a
school from another country."(Ed.gov, 2000)
The United States government as the superpower leader needs to promote the issue of girl

education in the developing world at the United Nations. The global world cannot survive
with "over 66 million girl children denied an education and one sixth of the worlds
population illiterate." (UNICEF, 2001)

ii. Education and Development

All over the world education plays an important role in development. In the United States
education is a top priority for Democrats and Republicans. In Great Britain the Labour party
leads the way for education policy. Development and education have gone hand in hand.
"Knowledge and learning has been revered by every great civilization. "In this new era of
globalization, literacy technology and critical thinking are the cornerstones of our childrens
future success." (Symposium: 2000, 48)
Education always plays an important and significant role. Consider Kerala in the south of
India where the literacy rate is almost universal. In Kerala the infant mortality rate is the
lowest in the entire developing world. In America where women have not completed High
School the median incomes are nearly 40 per cent lower than to those who have finished.
Study after study all over the world "shows that investing in girls education helps to turn the
vicious cycle of illiteracy, poverty, and high child mortality into what Treasury Secretary
Larry Summers has called "a virtuous cycle of education, economic progress, and health." As
we enter the 21st century nearly "one billion peopleone sixth of humanitycannot read a
book or sign their names." (Symposium, 2000) In 1971 the United States passed landmark
legislation known as Title IX, which helped guarantee equal access to education. Other
countries can break traditions and follow the United States legislative model.
Perus Minister of Education is another fine example of leaders committed to increasing the
education budget as well as policies adopted to "ensure access to education for all children."
(Symposium: 2000, 48) This bodes well for the girl child in Peru and will set the stage for
other countries to take similar actions.
The literature on education and development indicates that the gender gap is not being
adequately addressed. (Bunwaree, 1997; Jacobson, 99/00; Tickner, 1992; Harcourt, 1994 &
Hurrell, 1999). Human Capital theory (Schultz, 1961; Karabel & Halsey, 1997) and
Modernization theory (Lerner, 1958; McClelland, 1961; Inkeles & Smith, 1974) have little to
say about the "attitudinal or behavioral differences that may result from the schooling of boys
in contrast to the schooling of girls." (Bunwaree: 1997)
The basic assumption is that as the modernization process unfolded educational and
occupational opportunities would grow and become more available to girls and women. This
would eventually weaken the "traditional roles of women in the family and womens overall

status would ameliorate" The literature ties education to development and includes
inequality in education for girls as an important factor of womens low human capital
potential. Zafiris Tzannatos proposes that there be three solutions to development and
education; 1) Greater access of girls to education and of women to training, enforceable equal
pay and equal employment opportunities legislation. 2) Laws that treat reproduction as an
economic activity, and 3) Women are recognized as equal partners within households with a
better accounting of womens work to include invisible production." (Tzannatos: 1999, 551)
Looking back to the Marxist and neo Marxist theories of development (Amin, 1973;Carnoy,
1974; Frank, 1978) Bunwaree shows that these theories emphasized "the role of education in
the reproduction of social and economic inequalities but did not have an gender focus in their
analysis." (Bunwaree: 1997) In the 1970s important feminist critiques of the models of
development emerged.
Work that is gender oriented still hampers the relationship between the "socio-economic
development overall and the changing status of women." (Boserup, 1970) Boserup argued
that "womens education lessens the negative impact of economic development on womens
status by increasing their access to urban labor markets." Research on womens education
generally focused on "inequalities to access to national educational systems." (Acker et. al,
1984) An analysis of the limited research on the long-term impact of womens participation in
the educational system showed that the predominant factor is labor force participation.
Labor skills will be lost if half of the countrys human capital is not empowered.
iii. Culture and Development
Sharon Franz of the Academy for Educational Development argues that culture is a
permanent obstacle to girls education. She cites the case of the "United States and the
development of girls physical education programs in universities". (Symposium, 2000) Franz
concludes that "the dramatic impact of legislation and education on culture and the roles of
men and women in society", has changed the role of women in sport. The gender gap in
American physical education and intercollegiate sports programs ultimately changed the
"normative values of American culture in this field.
It is first necessary to point to the long history of womens suffrage beginning with the
modern movement of womens rights with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and her Declaration of
Sentiments in 1848 and Susan B. Anthony to the feminist movement of today. Millions of
women over a hundred and fifty years in America have contributed to the historical change in
culture that Franz cites as an example of cultures ability to change as she says it does all the
time.
Culture and ideology does not occur in a vacuum isolated from the political, social, economic
factors and historical events occurring everyday. Shirley Burchfield of World Education says

that many factors need to be considered in overcoming cultural obstacles in a society. This
paper agrees with the statement that it is important to " improving a countrys overall social
and economic development as that will increase enrollment for children, particularly girls."
(Symposium, 2000)
One could infer that cultural influences would always be stronger in some people than others.
But no one can state that culture overall is not a dominant feature and fact of life for human
beings. A community approach based on economic improvement for women is more likely to
produce change in behavior. The complexity and linkage between mother and girl child
cannot be ignored when positing on the education of the girl child and education. When the
mothers life improves economically her daughter goes to school.
The answer then is a holistic approach to educating girls and women. That approach is most
likely to yield a higher return from investments in girls education than a strategy that
focuses solely on girls schooling." (Symposium: 2000, 28) Burchfield cites a variety of studies
that argues for the combining of adult education and literacy programs with basic formal
education for girls. That way it " provides mutual support for both girls and women and
yields a higher result than girls education alone." (Symposium: 2000, 29)
The rationale behind Burchfields approach is well grounded in the literature. She states
that: 1) A strong relationship exists between the mothers education and that of her children.
2) There is a high correlation between the mothers education level and the health of her
family. 3) The number of female-headed households is increasing, and 4) women tend to
spend income earnings on the familys welfare. There is a need for more research on womens
education programs, including "those that promote basic literacy, and practical, market
oriented skills." Adult education is necessary, but "adult education programs should not
undermine basic education programs." (Symposium: 2000, 31)
According to the United Kingdom department of International development, "the impact of
culture and development can even get past the think tanks devoted to development." They
have stated that we do not always "acknowledge the cultural framework within which
educational development occurs." (Insights Issue, 1999) The question rightly posed by David
Stephens for the Center of International Education at the University of Sussex, asks, "are we
alert to the interplay between the different domains of the home, the school, and the economy
where policymakers and policy researchers focus their attention and intervene for the
better?" (Insights Issue, 1999)
The relevancy to having a web-site that educates teachers and students in the developed
world now takes on a more important urgency and significance. The report that came from a
study by mostly Ghanaian researchers set out to explore reasons why girls drop out of
primary school in Ghana and shows that "the realities of school and home life matter. It also
matters how the culture of a society influences the economic life of a country." (Insights Issue,

1999)
The recent efforts of government agencies in Ghana to review and improve educational
provisions for girls is now linked to this study that reports the actual experiences of Ghanas
women and girls. A key finding in the study "in relation to the home domain was that
socialization of the child in her home compound affects her and her teachers attitude to
knowledge." (Insights, 1999)
Furthermore it is relevant that the following facts were observed from the same Ghanaian
study. "1) The cultural values of elders govern the quantity and quality of schooling girls can
obtain. 2) Fathers support for daughters schooling is vital. 3) The traditional views on the
role of women in society color girls school experiences. And 4) low expectations of the
economic value of schooling for girls limits their choices." (Insights, 1999). Culture, debt
burden, communication infrastructure, the gender gap in education which denies access are
some of the social issues that need to be addressed in order to solve the problem of the
economic disparity of the least developed countries. Culture prevents the developing of
human capital as a universally implemented standard in the developing world and that lies
at the heart of the education issue for girl children.
Dr. Philip Cooks report prepared for the International Child Rights Education Institute
emphasized, "education for all as the need for quality and rights based education was
identified as one of the most potent protective mechanisms for children and families. This
will give access to information and develop their potential with
dignity."(Childrightseducation.org, 2001)
Beyond culture and biases there is theory to help create working models of development.
Human Capital Theory is a method for estimating economic return to investment in
education. The rate of return must take into account the biases that effect womens earnings
much more than men. "Womens rate of return to education is significantly lower than mens
education in India." (Kingdon: 1998, 39) This helps to explain the gender gap in schools in
India. But it does not explain or provide the means to overcome the biases. An educated and
literate population that benefits economically it is argued, will want to engage more of its
population, including women.
iv. Solutions
The solution to solving the problem of lack of education for girl children in the developing
countries is to create a model of education that is in line with the thinking of the
International Educational Community for the education of the girl child in order to build
financial resources. The "estimated $8 billion a year needed to achieve universal primary
education is still not forthcoming." (Symposium: 2000, 46) The United Nations Development
Program (UNDP) Human Development Report of 1991 states that "funds exist for investment

projects that can contribute to human development both within individual countries and
internationally. Donor countries earmark only one-half of the aid that is essential for human
development needs such as education and primary health care. A cut of 3 per cent a year in
the industrial countries military spending would release $25 billion a yeara freeze on
military spending in developing countries would free more than $100 billion a year." The
report calls for the necessity for continued economic growth and redistribution of funds but it
is not forthcoming. (Yansane: 1996, 44)
In Papua New Guinea in 1999 there was a different solution to the lack of resources as they
celebrated its first National Girls Education day, by broadcasting over national radio and TV
the importance of girls education. The media can play an important role in increasing the
awareness on girls education. The Guatemalan Association for Girls Education is launching
a national media campaign to not only focus attention on the importance of girls education,
but also to get government officials, business leaders, and the community at large involved.
This serves as a useful model to help the plight of the girl child. These facts are not meant to
leave the impression that the focus and experiences of change are in the hands of government
alone. The private sector makes important contributions as well. In 1998 as a result of the
International Conference on Girls Education in Morocco, a campaign emerged called "One
Bank-One School." (Symposium: 2000)
This program has commercial Banks sponsoring local schools. Leaders from the local
community, the bank and the school come together to communicate the needs of the school.
There are now six hundred banks committed to this program, that are improving the
education of children in six hundred schools all over Morocco. Girls as well as boys are
benefiting from this collaboration.
Progress has been made which speaks to the importance of educating girls. "In developing
countries, the primary school enrollment for girls has increased by 50 per cent since 1960. In
the poorest countries, it has more than doubled over the same period. Still 60 per cent of the
girls that should be in school are not." (Symposium: 2000, 50)
It becomes apparent from these facts that there needs to be a more sound relationship
between economic growth and human development. One of the most notable features of the
1991 United Nations Development Program report is its discussion of the Human
Development Index (HDI). This is "defined as a measurement and ranking of a countries
success, or lack thereof providing for the basic needs of its citizens."(Yansane: 1996 44)
Yansane states that "a new global agenda is needed, that calls for human development which
prioritizes girl education."
Culture in the developing world dictates how much a society engages learning for girl
children. Education with a critical thinking methodology will not change the mindset of
people steeped in traditional practice. Education for girls should respect different cultural

perspectives but allow individuals the right to create their own understanding of the culture
they live in. A critical thinking methodology in teaching education to girls will help them to
understand the role they play and give them the analytical tools they will need to be equally
accepted in society.
Having a legal framework based on the Convention of the Child as this paper posits, as a
standard is only one step. "A model and goals that are universally accepted and grounded in
the literature is an important aspect of providing the tools to ensure the outcomes that are
advocated for by the current experts in the field of education for girl children." (Symposium:
2000, 44)
The following goals are a renewed emphasis on quality and systemic change with the focus on
the child as an active learner. These are outlined in six steps. 1) Expanding and improving
early childhood care and education. 2) By 2015 all children, with special emphasis on girls
have access to and complete free and compulsory primary education of good quality. 3) All the
learning needs of all young children are met with equitable access to appropriate learning,
life skills and citizenship programs. 4) Achieving a 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult
literacy by 2015 especially for women, and equitable access to basic and continuing education
for all adults. 5) Eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005
and achieving gender equality by 2015 with a focus on ensuring girls full and equal access to
and achievement in basic education of good quality. 6) Improving all aspects of the quality of
education and ensuring excellence to all so recognized and measurable learning outcomes are
achieved by all, especially in literacy, numeracy, and essential life skills. (Symposium: 2000,
44)
A volume of evidence shows that access to education alone does yield social benefits, but
quality improvement on an incremental basis is still needed to further increase social
benefits and private returns for girls. This must be compatible with the conditions and
context of the particular country or community she finds herself residing in.
3. Development
a. Africa
i. South Commission
The South Commission argues, "that the countries of the South in their development
efforts have overlooked the importance of social indicators." (Yansane: 1996:27) The
South Commission in its analysis of the problems of the South has offered some
solutions. The most relevant to the argument of this paper is to: "provide people with
the opportunity to achieve their human potential and contribute to overall

development efforts." (Yansane: 1996, 28).

Documenting that education for girls increases benefits in wages, health, child care
and raising infant mortality rates, security and improvement to the economy does not
take away the reality of traditional attitudes of men around the world. There are also
factors that came as a direct result of colonialization. As Samir Amins studies
illustrate, "that the elite created in Africa and elsewhere as a result of independence
is relatively wealthy in land, resources, and privileges." This "elite benefit from their
dependence on major world financial centers. Thus exacerbating the state of
inequality and poverty in the Third World especially Africa." (Yansane: 1996, 8-9)
The immense complexity of the economic, political, social, cultural and civil problems
that face the developing world particularly Africa (See Appendix VIII) make it
impossible to have a one-dimensional solution for education policy. The layers of
difficulty in achieving social change can only be best addressed at the local level with
the education of girls. "If all the children of primary school age were to receive a good
quality basic education lasting for a minimum of four years, the problem of illiteracy
would be resolved in the space of a single generation." (Watkins: 1999, 9) Reality in
achieving goals needs to exceed the "pledges of the developed countries to have
greater development cooperation to achieve the goals set at international summits
during the 1990s." Social and economic factors must be considered in every instance
of cooperation to obtain sustainable development. (OXFAM, 2001)
ii. Macro Approach
It is first important to look at a brief historical overview of the literature in order to find a
current place in the theories and literature on education and development today. Whether
one looks at Adam Smith and the Wealth of Nations, Laissez-faire theorists, Keynesian
economics, dependency thinkers--Immanuel Wallerstein or Samir Amin or finally to Marxist
and neo-Marxists it is vital that the analysis of education in the social and economic
inequalities have a gender focus.
According to David Mitrany "the world of the twentieth century was characterized by growing
numbers of technical issues that could be resolved only by cooperative action across state
boundaries." (Dougherty, Pfaltzgraff: 1997, 422) Todays developing world needs these
educational and developmental specialists to work on solutions at the local level starting with
the girl individual. The allocation of resources is not an area that economists are open to
resolve when concerning the basic education needs of the girl child in the developing world.
Given the cultural, historical depth of feeling it is unlikely that Mitranys theory could help to
explain the micro approach needed to understand the technical issues of resource allocation
in the developing world. "Men are more likely to have access to resources and to earn cash
wages for their work. This gender bias is a fundamental cause of poverty because in its

various forms it prevents hundreds of millions of women from obtaining the education,
training, health services, child care, and legal status needed to escape poverty." (Jacobson:
99/00, 207) Jacobson also make the point that women depend on children for social status
and economic security.
Literacy alone without the corresponding changes in the social life of a village will not
improve the total life of girl children. It does however keep her alive with food and that is a
very important victory and first step for child advocates everywhere. There are deeper
influences at work that limit a girl childs access to education. "Cultural and institutional
behavior patterns are not considered in macro economic models." (Yansane: 1996,16).
One could also add to this statement that the educational concerns for a basic education as a
means to foster an economic functioning and literate society are not present. The important
factor of the equity of providing resources for women and men, boys and girls are also
excluded from the macro approach. Macro economics models also assumes that what is good
for the growth of the economy is good for the poor and that the trickle down theory functions
quite smoothly.
The macro view is that international trade arrangements benefit both the developed and
developing worlds. The reality is quite different. Whyte and Boynton point out "now that
growth theories that were once widely accepted and that confidently predicted broad based
improvements in living standards in less developed countries are in question, practitioners,
researchers and scholars in all disciplines have been groping for new definitions and new
approaches to development." (Yansane: 1996, 17) They go on to advocate that economic
development along with technological progress must be designed and implemented as to
directly benefit the great majority of rural people. One would add that the initial focus be on
the education of the girl child as the means to this new definition and approach to economic
development.
While one can agree on the importance of development as a vehicle for change it cannot add
to the overall social development if education that is gender neutral is not included.
Education is an important piece of the overall picture of development in order to break the
cycle of poverty for girls and women. The famous clich location, location, location can be
applied to the importance of education for the girl child. As it must be education, education,
education for all actors to embrace, in all sectors of the political, economic, social and cultural
spheres of influence that impact on a global or local level.
iii. Micro Approach
There are five basic themes then that emerge from feminist and development literature that
when presented as a whole help to explain as well as offer solutions to breaking the pattern
of poverty in developing worlds. The first is looking at the international political economy and

the macro neo-liberal model of approach to development as epitomized by the International

Monetary Fund and the World Bank. It can be argued that they have failed because they
have not implemented a consistent gender sensitive approach to the empowerment of women
with sustainable development. The second theme is the inequalities and biases towards
women. This looks at the status of women in development without looking first at the social
complexity and lack of basic needs and education that prevents growth for women. The third
theme is that the current status of the international political economy is detrimental to
creating an economic model for women that allows for the infrastructure necessary for
building capacity for women. The fourth theme is that with the advent of micro lending in
1992 started by Professor Muhammad Yanus, the founder of "Grameen Bank" in Bangladesh,
there is now a link between the empowerment of women and sustainable development. And
finally the fifth theme, there is an urgent need for the basic education of girls, and a bottom
up community based approach to achieve sustainable economic development for girls/women.
There are additional problems to economic development for women/girls such as "the current
gender bias of development thinking and practice prevents equity and ignores womens
contribution to the economy." (Harcourt: 1994, 12) The debates on gender bias and the status
of women in development have also found their audience at the United Nations Conference on
the Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. There are
international debates as well that challenge traditional approaches and raise awareness to
link the environment equal in importance with development. These debates also allow the
"current challenge to the development = economic growth equation and provides for a
promising momentum for feminist methodology thinking and practice." (Harcourt: 1994, 13)

C. Technology and Web-Based Literature

1. Politics and Education
The need to be aware of the political implications of providing basic education to girls is
necessary as "there is a political dimension that highlights the potential for empowerment
which actors may have over the definition of their roles in the teaching-learning process."
(Reflections on the Potential Impact on Pedagogy and Teachers Education, 1999) In order to
have an impact on the education of the girl children, it is vital that a method is found that:
"1) Publicizes the plight of girls in the least developing countries 2) Educates the educators
and children in the developed world on education and development issues. 3) Provides tools,
resources and a framework for concrete action to effect change for the girl child. 4) Creates
links from the developed to the developing world to provide education, build alliances, and
the communication of ideas to promote social change. 5) Builds a cultural-social dimension
that focuses on the educational web potential to open up a mosaic of voices, which might go
beyond the evident boundaries of race, culture, gender and nationalities." (Reflections on the

Potential Impact on Pedagogy and Teachers Education, 1999)

a. Pedagogy and the Web
The web can have an impact on pedagogy and the way that teachers bring into the classroom
the complexity of the human world. The web allows the issue of educating girl children a
forum that is needed to produce lasting change. At the 43rd Annual meeting in 1999 of the
Comparative and International Education Society in Toronto the discussion stated that
"intertwined dimensions of teachers/students interactions," occur to create dialogue and
information exchange. This is vital in order to produce actions, which involves both the interactions of teachers and students in the developed and developing world.
i. Internet Technology
Using Internet technology as a flexible learning tool is becoming more commonplace in the
western model of instruction. Its universal availability to educators and students allows it to
be the perfect tool for teachers and students in the developed world. It promotes access to the
issues concerning educating girl children that traditional classroom instruction does not offer.
Margarete Epstein writes about model elements that can be used in a web site that is
designed to support the education of the girl child in the developing world. (Epstein, 1997)
There is a basis Epstein states for the education of the educators and students in the
developed world through the use of the Internet on the plight of the girl child and education
in the developing world.
Research suggests that computer-based technology could enhance learning and perhaps build
the basis of the argument for education equals development as "four hundred and fifty Metaanalyses involving technology and achievement that were conducted showed." (ComputerBased Technology and Learning: Evolving Uses and Expectations: 1999, 8). In a Metaanalysis that examined the impact of technology on student learning, it was found that there
was "increased teacher-student interaction, cooperative learning and most important,
problem solving and inquiry." (Ibid: 1999, 9) These skills are most prized by employers when
looking for suitable applicants for work as documented by the California School to Career
program. (California State Department of Education, 2001)

D. Summary of Girls Education connection to web-based site

Having multiple actors as stakeholders involved in a web-based education will allow for a
stronger impetus in the implementation of a sustainable educational system that includes
the girl child. The assumption is that this will be good for the local as well as for the national
economy, environment and health of all people starting with the least developed countries.

The equation of web-based education of children and teachers in the developed world equals
development and education for girl children in the developing world needs to be better
documented in order to get these multiple stakeholders involved.
A pure legal argument for the education of the girl child will not be sufficient to effect
sustainable change. As Rosenau states, education is the "constant in a chaotic and turbulent
post international political world." (Rosenau, 1990: 7) Education is the basis for the
argument and that can be developed for educating girl children in the poorest countries and
in all countries where it is needed.
The challenge still facing a education web site is to empower teachers and students in
American, Canadian, British, Scottish, Irish, Australian, New Zealand, Scandinavian, and
European schools where English is a second language. In order that students will write
relevant research papers, contact their political leaders and establish stronger links to the
Third World. Information technology on the Internet is highly motivational with high-speed
links and information knowledge explosions that will provide the catalyst for learning and
taking action. The desired outcome is for teachers and students of the developed world to
become involved in the lives of girl children in the developing world.
Teachers and students "using technology are actively engaged in their learning and able to
create their own knowledge."(National Educational Technology Standards for Students: 2000,
6) The problem of educating children about countries that are developing involves doing
research into many related topics and subjects. Ideally suited as a multidisciplinary tool the
Internet allows further exploration into learning about a single topic in depth. Research can
mean the linking of web resources online and offline with journals, articles and books.
Information from International Conventions and Conferences can also educate on the issues
of girl children and development, empowerment, and education as published papers and
additional information are usually posted on a web-site. With thousands of links for further
study that cover the breadth and depth on other related issues concerning educating children
in the global south, the Internet provides current, historical, relevant primary source
information to fulfill all research needs.
1. Point by Point Outline: How Girls Education is connected to education
web-site

Student centered teaching through the use of Internet and collaborative learning.
Providing access to research materials in all formats, written, video and audio.

Coordination and involvement of parent-teacher associations facilitated by

community based organizations and school districts for political involvement.

Sex Stereotyping removed from curriculum and textbooks because of the multiple

perspectives the web-site provides.

National and International standards in Multicultural education can be created for

the teaching of girls education. Also specific teaching based on the international legal
frameworks.

Teacher training links to encourage the teaching of girls education curriculum and
related topics. Staff development for technology and teaching methodologies can
introduce new teaching methods for collaborative learning, student centered learning
focused on critical thinking problem solving for real- world problems concerning the
girl children and education and development.

More women teachers are being trained and jobs made available through Teacher
Education Centers and accredited schools to develop more women to teach. This
increases sensitivity to the focus of the web-site.

Gender focus awareness training for all-i.e. HIV/AIDS through specific links.
Coordination with WHO and Doctors without Borders to come in and give seminars
are possible by networking over the web-site.

Increased access to technology (Internet) with appropriate training for direct benefit
of the poor and girl child. Learning girl/women connection to development by
cooperation with micro lenders i.e. Grameen Bank.

Equal Employment Opportunity legislation to set the standard on a national and

international level concerning the girl child. The Internet web-site makes
opportunities to take real political action.

Scholarships can be funded by fundraising in the developed world for girls to attend
University in the developing world.

Increased access to literature, music, arts, and film to promote opportunity and
awareness concerning girl education. This is available through the Internet.

Coordination of grassroots organizing in developed world of teachers and students,

Peace Corp, WHO, Grameen Bank, IMF, World Bank, Non Governmental
Organizations, UNICEF, development agencies & Non-Profit organizations, to pool
resources and focus on poverty and girl education through links at web-site.

Introduction of support of girl education through research and taking action to

International, Regional, National level of organizations where men are in power.
Introduce training and awareness programs based on international documents and
conventions by children helping children learn.

Democratization of the least developed countries through the leadership of the

United Nations through the UNICEF link.

Identify and reallocate funding in order to create sustainable economic and

educational growth for girls by a letter campaign using sample letter templates at the
web-site.

Labor saving devices made more available to girls and women by sharing
technological resources. Emphasis on environmentally friendly devices.

Creation of an Education Development World Fund based on the model created for
HIV/AIDS through networking through the web-site.

Teacher and student exchange programs from all over the world to expand on
programs that now exist between developed countries through the use of the
electronic bulletin board.

Training teachers in gender equality sensitivity is mandatory and is a follow-up

feature through staff development available at the web-site.

Parent involvement in the schools through child-parent shared learning opportunities

on the web. There is a separate link devoted to parent involvement.

Involvements of Multi National Corporations in the country they are investing make
a contribution of a percentage of their profits to education. The community link can
get the business leaders aware of the problems of the lack of education of the girl
child.

Long distance learning projects on the Internet to reach teachers to promote

dialogues and exchanges.

Education literacy training to include emotional, health, agricultural, economic,

problem solving skills, and marketing and management literacy for all children
primary and secondary. This is made available by the critical thinking toolkit and
problem solving tools available at the web-site.

Adult education programs for women and adolescent girls can be developed at the
web-site.

Life long learning programs for girls and women can be promoted on Internet.

Education programs for boys for gender sensitization is badly needed. The web-site
can provide the information needed

Sex education programs designed to eliminate sexual harassment and sexual

diseases. All available in related links at the web-site.

Systems put into place to ensure girl safety from rape and sexual violence traveling to
and from school. This prevents girls from attending school. The web can help promote
awareness and education of community leaders to solve the problem

Use of world media to launch public awareness campaigns targeted to the promotion
of girl friendly schools. A global wide Promotion Campaign through the web-site.

Children through the use of the Internet web-site begin sharing resources and ideas
and communication between classrooms all over the world. Where there is technology
in place programs that foster classroom to classroom should be emphasized.

Development of new policy i.e. equal employment opportunity acts at the national
level for girls/women promoted at the web-site.

Involvement of children world wide through Internet.

Encourage programs such as "Adopt a School" where one school in the West looks
after a school in a developing country.

Community centered schools where design of school incorporates the needs of the
community for girl education and is used for both needs of the community, library
and village meeting. Web-site can find the research to justify this approach.

Relevant assessment to allow for the educational process to continue the Bottom Up
approach for communities to take charge of changes in educational system. Links to
sites to help support communities are available at the web-site.

Increase the role of Non Government Organizations and civil society so that the
resources invested are meeting poor peoples need for social, cultural and economic
well being. The web-site is pooling together these organizations so educators and
children have additional resources to support their learning in the real world.

Building connections between the poor Non Governmental Organizations and

Community and at the national level to ensure that the limited resources will be
applied to do the most good. Links and other grassroots building tools at the web-site
facilitate this action.

Involve Women and girls in community decision making in an education committee

based on research for the web-site.

In conclusion here are seven steps for the teacher to successfully implement teaching from

the Internet web-site to the classroom. The steps are 1) Use of the web site so that classroom
learning connects to the real world needs of children. 2) Use of online problem solving and
critical thinking models to find real solutions to the specific needs of everyday life in the
developed and developing world. 3) Technology literacy teaching based on international
standards, to promote universal learning and accountability. 4) Ensuring a way to include
assessment models to gauge growth so the Internet does not become a virtual vacuum of
meaningless information. 5) Be flexible in the teaching methods about the demands of the
social, economic, political and cultural environment and its effect on development and
education. Access online and library resources as they are needed for complete learning and
understanding. 6) Meeting ongoing staff development requirements for teachers along with
needed additional technology staff development, in order to make connections to the real
world and 7) Involvement of school learning to the home and the community in order to
create larger learning connections for the child.

Thesis
III Detailed proposal of an education web-site for promoting girls education in the
developing world

A. Target Audience
1. Developed World
For too long girls and women have not had the access to education but with "legislative
changes, increased information, and redirection of resources" they can become empowered.
(Brundtland: 1994, 16) The key is to create a target audience that will enable a political voice
to emerge. The focus of the web-site needs to target educators Kindergarten to Twelfth grade
in the major developed countries such as the U.S., Canada, Western, Europe, Australia,
Great Britain, Ireland, Japan along with the Tiger economies of Taiwan, Singapore, Hong
Kong (China) and Republic of Korea. Technology can become the powerful tool for
"assembling, modifying, assessing and studying information." (Strommen & Lincoln; 1992).
This is a partial answer for creating the awareness and social dialogue necessary to affect
change at the global level.
a. Barriers
Women have been restricted "access to equal rights. They are being patronized and
discriminated against in terms of access to education, inclusion in decision-making, and

equal treatment in working conditions and pay. For too many women in too many countries,
development has been only an illusion. (Ibid: 1994) It was necessary therefore to include
community leaders as well as politicians as a secondary target audience.
i. Transformative learning Theory
The ultimate goal of "Transformative learning is to assist learners in assessing their current
perspectives and approaches to life and through education, to provide an opportunity to
change these perspectives and approaches. (Mezirow, 1991) As educational programs "that
result in Transformative learning create significant life changes in participants,"
(Christopher, Dunnagan, Duncan & Paul: 2001, 132) targeting educators and students in the
developed world based on Transformative learning theory would do the most good for the girl
child in the developing world.
ii. Democracy
Educators and curricula developers have repeatedly pointed out the "intimate connection
between schooling and the development and maintenance of a democratic society." (Wile:
2000, 170) Elementary and Secondary educators Wile proclaims, "as well as individuals
engaged in teacher preparation have often revisited the belief that schools and teachers are,
in a sense, the "moral stewards" of democracy." (Goodlad: 1994) This helps to build a case for
targeting the educational system in the developed world, as they are the best audience that
would be the most receptive to the issue of the girl childrens lack of access to education. The
consequence of the lack of development diminishes the opportunity for empowerment for
girls.
The links between development theory and political action are creating new political spaces.
Civil society institutions can also be vehicles for participation in the development program
and empowerment of target groups of poor people. By having a web-site target local
community leaders and politicians as well as children and teachers for an audience new
"stakeholders and local governance can challenge the centralization of the top-down state
approach" traditionally used as the means for setting policy. (Mohan & Stokke: 2000, 247)

B. Features and Purpose

1. Overview
a. Design Features
It is vital that a web-based learning system be correctly designed so that it engages the
student and teacher to search for relevant real world information. An educational web-site

should also stimulate the need for additional information and require students to take action
in the community. Internet centered learning is essential in order to create the connection
and motivation at the grassroots educational and political level necessary to enact change. A
self-learning tool such as the Internet is needed because the curriculum of the classroom does
not always allow the introduction of topics outside the traditional curriculum frameworks.
The general features built into the web site are as follows: 1) It is important that the site is
able to provide accurate, current and comprehensive information. A site map has been
designed for the user to quickly identify a variety of potential sources of information. In that
way they can develop useful strategies for locating the information that is needed. 2) The site
provides problem solving and critical thinking tools for a student or teacher to evaluate
information critically and competently. The assessment rubrics as well as a critical-thinking
model will allow for the identification of appropriate information to the problem at hand. (See
Appendix IV and V) 3) The importance of using information creatively for practical
application is essential. There are tools such as templates for writing letters to politicians for
this purpose as well as suggestions for other actions to build community awareness. Links to
web-sites where one can volunteer and contribute add to this feature. 4) The web site was
designed with the independent learner in mind but works well when used collaboratively in
small groups. Information is multi dimensional; the web-site includes multiple subjects and
topics related to the main theme, in order to motivate and allow individuals to design,
develop and create solutions that fit their own personal interests. 5) Information comes in all
forms. There is a link to provide additional literature for young students to help build values
as well as many links to other news articles, current and archived. These are local, national,
and regional as well as international. References to other sources and articles are provided to
enhance learning, as information coming from a variety of formats is essential for learning,
accuracy and authenticity. 6) With assessment rubrics, students and teachers can assess the
quality of the information researched and devise strategies for revising, improving and
updating additional self generated knowledge. 7) The multiple availability of languages on
many links, with diverse international sources and contexts from different cultures and
disciplines all promote the importance of information to a democratic society. A place to post
electronic information and to respond by e-mail to the web developer will foster links all over
the developed and developing world. 8) It is important to have any visitor to the site practice
ethical behavior in regard to information and information technology. Information on how to
cite and properly use copyright will respect the principle of intellectual freedom and
intellectual property rights and promote and encourage the student to post their own
thoughts and ideas on how to change the current status of girls lack of education in the
developing world. 9) The visitor that contributes to the learning community and to society is
the ultimate goal of the web site. In order to achieve this goal there will also be the ability
through the many links provided to encourage students and teachers to get involved at the
grassroots level. Collaboration on a large scale to develop creative solutions both through
technologies and in person will help to respect different ideas and backgrounds. So the ability
to 10) publish work online by an electronic publisher will serve this purpose. 11) The web site

will be divided into three main age sections to guide children into the appropriate links and
support for information. This will make learning for students more engaging and motivating
and easier for teachers to administer.
i. Purpose One
An education web-site will support school districts leaders as well as community groups and
civic leaders that need to research issues concerning girl children and education. The website also provides the critical thinking tools and action steps necessary in order to
understand the complexity of the issue.
ii. Purpose Two
This interactive web-site will allow children and teachers to be able to freely share resources,
information, news and current events, expertise and experience on issues relating to girl
child education. This includes but is not limited to the issues of boy children, health,
environment, development, empowerment, and security. The site also allows children and
educators to start a human rights curriculum, or start a grassroots campaign by teaching
children how to follow through with their research so that it is relevant and practical to real
world issues.
The relevance of having a research web-site on the education of girl children in the Third
World allows for particular focus in the learning of human rights. It stimulates students to
gather more knowledge and understanding by offering projects with possible solutions so
action can be taken. An education web-site provides the means to acquire the knowledge
necessary to solve real-world problems. A web-site also allows learning to follow the path to
knowledge and not just where the curriculum will lead the student.
b. Features
i. General
The following issues are potential research outcomes coming from the use of the web-site
features.

Education/literacy/technology divide issues between developed and developing

nations and its effect on the girl child better understood.

Globalization and its effect on Least Developed Countrys ability to educate girl
children can be explored in depth.

Unequal sharing of worlds resources and its impact on the economy and education of

girls can be better understood.

Girl education including studies showing benefits correlated to economic

development.

Education strategies for girls in the developing world to affect economic change.

Framework of strategies designed to implement the essence of the Convention on the

Rights of the Child in ways compatible with the specific needs and constraints of girl
children in the developing world.

Information Technology as a tool for building a grassroots constituency in the first

world.

Critical thinking model based on the work and theory of Blooms Taxonomy & Paulo
Freire that will serve as an international education model to aid girl education and
development.

The role of the nation-state, Non Governmental Organizations and multilateral

agencies, etc. in girl education based on the turbulence theory of James N. Rosenau.

Solutions addressing the lack of education for girls in the least developing countries.

Links to resources and tools to implement change, and generate awareness for basic
education for girls.

Web site design helps with justification to use Internet technology as a means to
create a tool for a call to action to help the girl child in the least developed countrys
obtain a basic education.

Feminist & Education of the Girl Child Literature to facilitate girl education as a key
component of development.

Literature based learning promoted by web-site as a tool to promote the role of the
girl child in education

ii. Specific
The Homepage setup is simple and will have three links:
1. Tools for Community/Politicians
2. Tools for Children
3. Tools for Teachers/Parents.

Some other features will include:

About this site: This has the site map to aid in ease of navigation.
Text only/Graphics: In order to accommodate access in the developing world and computers
that load at a slower speed.
Languages: Spanish, French and EnglishTo reach Latin America, Africa and the countries
where English is spoken as the primary or second language.
Bobby Guidelines: To promote access to the visually impaired.
Link to e-mail: Two-way communication in order to facilitate meeting the needs of the users
in the developed and developing world.
Search Feature: Search the Internet and web-site for keywords to expand research capability.

Purpose One
To support school districts leaders as well as community groups and civic leaders that need
to research issues concerning girl children and education. Web-site also provides the critical
thinking tools and action steps necessary in order to understand the complexity of the issue.

Purpose Two
This interactive web-site will allow children and teachers to be able to freely share resources,
information, news and current events, expertise and experience on issues relating to girl
child education. This includes but not limited to the issues of boy children, health,
environment, development, empowerment, and security. The site also allows children and
educators to start a human rights curriculum, or start a grassroots campaign by teaching
children how to follow through with their research so that it is relevant and practical to real
world issues.
Web site is centered on research in order to take action and working with other non
governmental groups on projects in order to pool resources, experiences, and expertise.

Features and PurposesEach of the following features below match to

the above two purposes.

Template for Community ActionSample letters to government officials and

world leaders. Purpose One

Partners & ProjectsAirline Ambassadors International & Shantidhara

Organization To actively model by engaging in education, development and

empowerment of girl children. While providing additional resources for educators and
children to create similar models of action. Purpose One

Tools for Children Site devoted to the equal and quality access to education for the
girl child and tools for taking action to achieve this goal. Sub-divided into three age
groups in order to get students involved in problem solving and research concerning
education in the Third World and related issues. Purpose Two

Toolkit for Critical thinkingBlooms Taxonomy on critical thinkingToolkit for

Problem SolvingAssessment RubricHow to ResearchTen steps to Action
Elements of critical thinking Research Toolkit and Critical Thinking Toolkit.
Purpose Two

Key Words and Topic in order to help searching. Purpose Two

Literature (Http://www.wellspring.org) General News and News for kids, articles

and literature books designed to motive extended research into primary and
secondary sources. Link also to archives of articles on the girl child. News links are
Local, Regional and International. Purpose Two

Framework of Concrete Solutions List of solutions and 12 Methodologies for

teachers to create a model to take action. Purpose One and Two

Electronic Bulletin Board Engage visitors to the web-site to exchange

opportunities for resources and to share and gain expertise. Electronic Bulletin Board
for children to communicate with children. Links to schools and school districts all
over the world. Purpose One and Two

Classroom Activity To Building capacityLinks to researchDefinition of

advocacySteps to action Templates for Action: Sample letters to politicians and
heads of state, template to take community action, and classroom action. Sample
advocacy planSample analysis of problemSample solutions and resources for
research. Engage student centered learning to build a new generation that is more
open-minded to the plight of girl children in the least developing countries. Purpose
Two

MapsPhotos Visual Perspectives of the world. Purpose One and Two

G.I.R.L Girl International Resources Learning OrganizationGender Inequality

Women RightsList of Conventions for WomenBuild a constituency. Model to build
a grassroots movement to effect change. A grassroots organization that was designed
to help to build a constituency in order to take direct action to help the girl child in
the least developing countries. Purpose One and Two

Publish Online Submission guidelinesTerms of Use. Allows for creative solutions

to have students publish their solutions and stories about issues that effect them and
share their insights that will result in students becoming highly motivated. Purpose
Two

How to Cite Dictionaries, encyclopedias, almanacs, atlas, and copyright information

Librarian & Educator tools, educational tools to facilitate learning and respect for
intellectual property that will help to encourage independent thought. Purpose Two

Toolkit for Educators education linksliterature bibliographyHuman rights

methodologiesHuman rights lesson plans and curriculumThesisReferences.
Purpose Two

Links Thousands and thousands of education links to sites in order to get involved
and learn about different related projects concerning girl education. Articles
Platform for Action Beijing + 5Online publicationsBibliography of Books,
Journals and ArticlesChild Issueschild rights organizationsHuman rights
linksGender issue and linksWomen rights LinksNon Governmental
OrganizationsChild rights organizationsConventions on the Rights of the Child
and Conventions on Women RightsUNICEFUnited NationsResearch in
different RegionsInternational finance and economicsNews/current events
literature www.wellspring.orgKeywords and topics and search access to multiple
links to children issues on the web-site and on the Internet. And links to documents
forums on childrens and women rights. Childrens issues available in Audio, Video,
and online Music to research. Purpose One and Two

UNICEFConvention on the Rights of the ChildUnited Nations links

Authoritative information on education for girl children. Links that are based on the
principles on the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Purpose One and Two

Teaching Activity Sample lettersCommunity activity Classroom Activity

Building capacityLinksDefinition of advocacySteps to actionSample advocacy
planSample analysis of problemSample solutions-resources for research. Tools to
help the teacher build a curriculum in the classroom. Assessment Rubrics to
determine where learning is occurring. Purpose Two

Unique Sources on all childrens issues all together on one site. Purpose Two

Thousands of perspectives from children advocates, non-governmental

organizations, individual scholars, development researchers, journalists,
International law, school teachers and children, governments, and much more all
focused on the girl child and education as well as related topics. Purpose One and
Two

Literacy Presentation can be used to involved parents, community and school

district administration Purpose One and Two

Thesis paper forms the justification of the site, can be downloaded in HTML or PDF
format. Purpose One and Two

Staff Development on Human Rights for Children available. Purpose Two

C. Access Strategy
1. Publicity
The strategy to reach the intended audience is an ongoing publicity issue of getting the website known. The following five steps have been identified as the means to reaching the largest
significant numbers of users.
o

Link web-site with Airline Ambassadors International that has a site and
youth program geared to educating youth in the United States about the
plight of children in the developing world. Additional links to other similar
sites.

Publicize web-site on conferences and e-mail groups for teachers.

Contact State Department of Education and educational leadership

associations to get on their leadership list for superintendents and Principals.

Link to NewsBank Web site curriculum program currently in over three

thousand schools. The focus is doing research on real world issues and using
critical thinking tools to promote problem solving in children.

Personal contacts with key educators in California with over 12 years

experience working in districts throughout California, Hawaii, Washington,

and Oregon. Also use contacts to educators in New York as well.

D. Summary
"Although education at all levels yields important benefits, the most pressing educational
issue for many developing countries today is basic education-especially for girls" U.S.
President Bill Clinton-World Education Forum, Dakar Senegal, 2000
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan speaking at the same forum announced, "We need all
those with power to change things, to come together in an alliance for girls education:
governments, voluntary progressive groups, and above all, local communities, schools and
families." (Symposium on Girls Education, 2000, preface).
The statements from President Clinton and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan help to
support the rationale for this project. Why build a web-site to meet the needs as stated by
President Clinton and Secretary General Annan? Building a web site should embody a new
model for learning and needs first recognize the new skills needed for functioning in the
Information Age. A web site must also have built into its design a research based and
practical approach to developing information along with problem solving tools and critical
thinking skills. The use of these tools allows students and teachers to build mental schema
for organizing, analyzing and synthesizing information that is essential to answer questions
and to solve problems that has just been outlined.
In order to explain how the web-site was built so that it becomes a model for other similar
sites the project has created adapted this simple rubric that has seven components. The focus
is on creating a web-based learning environment so that it can be evaluated. These are the
six components that make up the web-site: 1) Organization of content needs to be coherent. 2)
Presentation style and ease of use was considered for all types of learners. 3) Technical
compliance for fast uploading and downloading of the site is prime importance. 4) Target
audiences were identified and their needs are addressed. 5) Criteria based on Bobby software
so persons with vision disabilities can have access, 6) Multimedia through links makes it
motivational for children. (Discovery School .com Accessed on October 10, 2000; Eastern
Illinois University Accessed on October 23, 2000; Flanders, Accessed on October 10 2000;
Seeman, Accessed on October 10, 2000; Schrock, 1995 Accessed on October 10, 2000)
It is also necessary that a web site promote 1) Educating teachers in the developed world
concerning the status of the girl child education in the developing world with relevant tools
for taking appropriate action. These tools will include sample letters one may write to
politicians to initiate legislative action. 2) Access to assessment rubrics to gauge that
learning has occurred. (See Appendix IV) and 3) Access to a concrete framework of solutions
with a critical thinking model to initiate action.

Given that information and knowledge in the information age are overwhelming due to the
intensity and volume of information generated everyday, it was important to establish
criteria for learning at the web-site. The assumption made is that there will be both
information literate and information illiterate visitors at the site so the design of the site
need to accommodate all levels and styles of learners. Therefore it was necessary to build into
the design based on the work of the American Library Association. (Information Power: 1998)
The purpose is to guide the visitor in order for them to understand the depth and breadth of
the issues increase awareness and access the wealth of information on the education of the
girl child in the developing world. for the purpose of taking action.
In of itself, the Internet will not resolve the political, social and economic issues facing girls
in the world today. But it is safe to say "the first hopeful steps toward using the Internet with
students and teachers will bring awareness." This awareness will place demands on students
to "acquire a new set of skills." (Kozma & Schank: 1998) Those skills include literacy and
problem solving that will allow them to engage in civil society fully aware of the needs and
concerns of the societies all over the world connected by the globalization of the worlds
economy, communication and ideas.
The National Education Technology Standards Framework guides the skills needed in
schools throughout the United States. This is an essential standard "in order to focus on
content area knowledge and to make proper use of educational technology." (National
Educational Technology Standards for students, ISTE, 2000) The National Education
Technology Standards developed by the International Society for Technology in Education
offers new approaches that transform traditional teacher-centered, isolated passive learning
environments into environments that prepare students to:

Communicate using a variety of media and formats

Access and exchange information in a variety of ways
Compile, organize, analyze and synthesize information
Draw conclusions and make generalizations based in information gathered
Know and understand content and be able to locate additional information as needed
Become self-directed learners
Collaborate and cooperate in team efforts
Interact with others in ethical and appropriate ways

(Ibid: 2000)

Thesis

IV How this project will advance knowledge

A. Interactive Approach
1. G.I.R.L. Girl International Resource Learning Organization
This paper argues for creating an interactive approach that will create a model for change in
the area of education for girls in the developing world. The "Girl International Resource

Learning: Organization", (G.I.R.L.) as the result of this paper will be created, that would
make effective use of the Internet resulting equitable education. Change must first be locally
administered to meet political, cultural and societal differences, and then joined to
surrounding regions and finally to the nation-state. There can be significant change in the
equal status of girls in education on a global scale.
a. Model for change
The paper and companion web-site will add a new contribution to the field by offering: a
concrete framework of strategies to create solutions, and a critical thinking and problem
solving model to provide the outline for solutions to the problem of lack of access for girls
having an education. The web-site, takes on a new unique quality in pursuing the goal of
equal and quality basic education for girl children in the developing world with its thousands
of links, tools for learning, comprehensive coverage, and the means for students, parents and
community to take action. This web-site can serve as a mechanism for change in the field of
girl child education.
i. Publicity
Not only cooperation and coordination of various individuals, developmental agencies, nonprofit groups, international & non-governmental organizations that are now acting
unilaterally is needed but publicity is essential for lasting change. This web-site will act as a
means to generate the publicity that is needed in order to support the work that is already
being done for children. This will be partially done, as the web-site will be able to publish
books about the needs of children by children in cooperation with Rebecca House
International Publishing Company. This unique ability will generate publicity for the issue of
getting the girl child placed on the worlds agenda and facilitating financial resources.
How can an education web-site impact Civil Society in the developing world? What is the role
for Internet Technology in the Third World? Can the problem of the lack of education of the
girl child be addressed by educating all students and teachers in the developed world? The
literature is growing and the evidence for the promise of the Internet as an advocacy tool is
promising. "Advocacy is essential to sharing key information, building partnerships and
maintaining political will." (UN Chronicle: 1999, 40) The use of an educational web site along

with international conferences, working groups, informal networks, newsletters and

organizations that are specifically dedicated to girls education all contribute to the
conscience and key elements in building and sustaining advocacy on this issue.
In order to reach a wider audience of support for providing education to girl children there
has been "dramatic technological innovations have led to expanding educational
opportunities." The Internet has allowed resources to be "focused in a uniformed fashion with
the promise of tapping into the Internet as a way to transform teaching and learning." (Cook:
2001)
The work of International Non Governmental Organizations like Children Research
International Network, Childreach, Save the Children Sweden, OXFAM and United Nations
organizations like UNICEF and UNESCO are engaged and working to build capacity for
children in the areas of education, labor, health and security. These groups are helping the
current level of implementation by nation-states for the human rights for all children. Yet
most children and educators in the developed world are unaware of the work being currently
done.
The work for the education of girl children being done today by non-governmental groups is
already starting small grassroots movements. "They have created a movement of education
on some level, and with the Convention on the Rights of the Child have created an
internationally accepted standard in which to continue the work." (UNICEF, 2001)
ii. Paulo Freire
Political participation for the girl child with no voice or power is a dilemma that needs to be
solved. The theory of Education of Girls equals Development is an extension of Paulo
Freires teaching of a critical thinking model and the promotion of a social dialogue. The
paper posits that when the social fabric changes to include equal and quality access to
education for girls the economic development of the local and national economy will improve.
With prosperity, dialogue can be commenced to further develop the social fabric, leading to a
more democratic process.
Paulo Freires theories on dialogue and critical thinking in the developing world provides a
means to satisfy the demand of the web site to have a concrete and specific framework of
strategies designed to find specific ways to meet the needs and constraints of the girl child.
Paulo Frieres theory states the teaching of critical thinking and the promotion of dialogue
will shift the awareness of individual human rights. A change in the social fabric for girls in
society will be augmented.
It is easy to agree with Paulo Freire in principle but one should argue that it is the

introduction of the economic factor where the education of girls leads to direct development
improvement. Studies that have been conducted show this connection concretely. Lawrence
Summers former Vice President of Economics and Chief Economist for the World Bank
asserts "that an extra year of education for females can result in a 10 to 20 percent rise in
income." It is vital to engage other non-state and state actors who can create a Freirean
dialogue for the economic good for civil society. This can only work if there are the means
linking tools, expertise, resources, people, information and knowledge of economic and
education infrastructure.
b. Internet Research
Christopher Moersch states that the "term computer efficiency is defined as to the degree to
which computers can be used to support concept based or process based instruction,
consequential learning, and higher order thinking skills e.g. interpreting data, reasoning and
solving real-world problems." (Moersch: 1996-7, 52) The web-site is the most efficient use of
technology to solve the real-world problem of educating the girl child that leads to economic
development.
The web-site also offers disciplinary advancement because of the research capability to the
multitude of links to sites used by children advocate experts. Having a framework for
strategies designed to take action and to meet the specific needs of girl children in the
developing world can become the backbone of a new model framework of international
education on a global scale.
K.W. Craver states that, as new information technologies are substituted for previous
industrial operations in the United States the society will "require individuals with the
ability to think, to reason, to solve problems, to analyze to make comparisons, to generalize,
to digest information, and to create new information." This ability to critically think is a
fundamental part of being able to affect change. In the Freireian method of engaging social
dialogue to affect the policies of governments, "civil society needs the tools of how to frame
arguments with facts and statistics, as well with reasoned thought." (Craver: 1989, 129-130)
i. Knowledge
R.W. Paul states that we must refute that knowledge can be given directly to students
without their having to think it through for themselves." (R.W. Paul, 1992) A web-site that
has the ability to research databases of issues from different perspectives, and has tools that
allow students to think for themselves is the real tool needed to affect change. While
knowledge is the common denominator for the poor it is economic improvement that is the
result of the knowledge.

ii. Time
Time is the real economic commodity that is common to all people. For the poor people of the
world time spent that produces results that benefit economically is the best use of this
resource. The time resource will be spent better, if an investment is made in critical thinking
skills. Knowledge and economics are linked together in this model.
iii. Grassroots
With a grassroots component to the project, there will be in place an important component
that will help to create the advocacy and strong support for future policy making. The
Internet allows for "adapting content to meet individual needs. (Hativa & Becker: 1994; Park:
1996; Reinking & Bridwell-Bowles: 1996; Shirk: 1991) The web site can allow for a multi
faceted approach to obtaining resources, solutions and calls to action.
iv. Literacy
Literacy and practical knowledge are the action tools needed to break the cycle of neglect of
education for our girl children. The education of todays girl children in the developing world
will additionally benefit the nation. A new political, social and educational framework in the
Third World can translate into better effective national legislation for childrens rights in the
developing countries and ratification in the United States for the Convention on the Rights of
the Child. This will allow all children to obtain and use their political voice as articulated in
Freires theory of social change.
v. Web-based learning
One can find from the research that technology has an important role to play in education. It
cannot solve all educational problems of learning but what is relevant to the thesis of this
paper is that technology is vital and can accomplish the following four things: 1) Make
learning more interactive and thus allowing for action steps to take place. 2) Individualize
the learning to match the learners developmental needs as well as their personal needs. 3)
Capture and store data for decision-making opportunities. And finally 4) Enhance the
avenues for collaboration among students, teachers and to the community at large.
(Computer-Based Technology and Learning: 1999, 26-27)
vi. Conclusion
The conclusion of the paper comes full cycle back to the theory that the Cycle of Poverty can
be broken by the empowerment of children in the developed world through web-based
education, that is compatible with the specific needs and social constraints of girls in the
developing world. The multiple studies, literature, conferences, scholars and researchers

from the Development, Education and Feminist literature all conclude that education equals
development. Given the basic education of girls in the developing world, the benefits include:
1) Better health for the girls. 2) Lower infant mortality rates. 3) Girls have longer lives. 4)
Maternal mortality rates drop. 5) Economic improvement in real or in agricultural
development 6) Increase chances for girl offspring to attend school and 7) More productive
societies with measurable differences as measured by the Human Development Index (HDI).
(Symposium, 2000)
The paper has argued that the literature to promote and create sustainable development
starting with the provision of basic education for girls is undeniable in its findings and
arguments. Furthermore there is a strong international framework of legal documents that
supports the narrowing and elimination of the gender-gap in education. This paper has also
reported the facts to the existence of a world wide problem of a lack of education that has
been well documented by UNICEF, IMF, World Bank, Grameen Bank, Symposium on Girls
Education 2000, along with countless reputable non-governmental organizations, researchers
and scholars.
An education web-site can link resources, showcase solutions, provide critical thinking tools,
publish ideas and new information, build a grassroots organization, promote problem solving
skills to help children to gain knowledge that can be part of innovative solutions. It has been
documented the price of failure of denying to address nations moral and legal obligations to
realize the rights of children. The negative effects of not educating children in the developed
world about the plight of the girl children in the developing world perpetuate a lack of
international understanding of global politics. (State of the Worlds Children, 2000)
With cultural and traditional practices limiting the freedom of girls access to a basic
education and an equal place in society there needs to be an enforcement mechanism to
provide putting principles into practice. Having an education web-site where action can be
implemented could have a real-world positive consequence. The education web-site can also
help to promote and improve coordination between resources and organizations, so that most
importantly it will serve to make children more visible in the policy development process by
giving children a voice. A non-traditional method for getting legislators and world leaders to
listen, but this paper argues that with large numbers of educators this can be effective.
Educating teenagers as to the urgent need to educate girl children is a necessary component
for change. They can then use their new and enormous economic clout to gain attention to
the issue. Credit debit cards are now available to high school students as well as credit cards
to first year college students as proof of this influence. A web-site can help to coordinate and
to provide the resources and tools needed in order to create a higher level of cooperation with
our teenagers.
The paper advocates a bottom up approach because community based organizations still play

a pivotal role to giving support to the education of girl children. The role of community
involvement needs to increase while central educational authority needs to continue to play a
lesser role. It is evident that capital is needed for a community-based organization to be
empowered in order to build human capital that is gender neutral. A section in the web-site
will be devoted to community and political leaders to make them aware of the need and
provide them with the research in order to enact change at the legislative level.
It appears that quality education for girl children as an equal resource of a society will help
foster sustainable development. The opposite is also true that by denying the girl child the
right to a basic and quality education then poverty will remain. Deepa Narayan states
"literacy is universally valued as a means to survive, avoid exploitation and travel."
(Narayan: 2000, 218) "I am illiterate, I am like a blind person," said a poor mother in
Pakistan 1994. (Narayan: 2000, 218) Poverty and lack of development are two powerful forces
to not educating the girl child.
It is also the "institutional practices to gender norms" that makes it difficult for women and
girls to gain access to education. Mens identity and roles are seen to be the breadwinner and
womens are equated with care giving is clearly demonstrated by the lack of access for girls to
education. (Narayan: 2000, 221)
It has proven difficult to overcome the practice of state biases and the denial of resources.
These resources are usually used instead for the benefit of; the elite, the military and macro
economic oriented projects. Community based organizations have sprung up as a solution to
be able to make local educational decisions that affect their own communities. While there is
progress most "poor peoples networks in many parts of the world do not transcend
community boundaries and rarely enter the political domain." (Narayan: 2000, 221) The voice
of the poor not heard by the elite is the bane of international political economy.
One should look at the education of the girl child taken in complete context of the total
poverty of the community, lack of security for the girl child, limited or no sanitation, health
services, or clean water. "Poor people give high priority to literacy and skills acquisition and
the value of education but are interested in education only when the immediate survival
needs have been met." (Narayan: 2000, 224)
It is equally vital to take into account the poor peoples perspective of their needs and
concerns before imposing solutions no matter how beneficial toward the education of the girl
child. As the infant mortality chart in Appendix I clearly shows it is a moot point to send the
girl child to school if children die before reaching the age of five of mostly preventable causes.
The complexity of the issues surrounding the education of the girl child make it necessary to
have not only understanding of the issues but the tools and resources that can start
addressing those issues. A web site on the Internet by raising awareness, pooling resources

and allowing for the teachers and students of the developed world to get involved is a step in
solving these issues. This work cannot be accomplished in isolation. The pooling of resources
and working together on projects is the only opportunity to overcome the enormity of the
problem.
All advocates for children no matter the level of their involvement or the organization they
work for must in the final analysis put aside personal agendas and pool expertise, and
resources in working on similar concerns and problems. The technology can bring together
those tools and resources and create the dialogue outside the conferences to successfully
implement solutions.
Teachers have real political clout as a voting block in America with the American Federation
of Teachers and with their students can create a strong political voice to affect policy change
at the national level with legislation for the benefit of all girl children in the developing
world. The United States should take on an international leadership role by ratifying the
Convention on the Rights of the Child. This would make an enormous difference to the girl
child. "Allies are needed to initiate change in social norms both from within the system and
outside it. Development entrepreneurs are needed to initiate change in behavior and norms."
(Narayan: 2000, 229) A constituency of educators networking through a common web-site can
create the means to help ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and help to create
resources for education around the world.
The assumption stated that if millions of school children and thousands of teachers in the
developed world recognize, support, take action and challenge the prevailing norms of lack of
education for girls this will create lasting new institutional change for the education of girl
children in the developing world. The good news is that there is a renewed interest that was
recently reported by the high attendance at the preparatory meeting for the United Nations
Special Session on Children to convene September 2001. Nearly 1,000 participants from
governments, and civil society groups gathered at the United Nations for the first major
meeting held May 30 to June 2n 2000. A web-site can facilitate dialogue and use this event as
a teachable moment in the coming new school year.
There have been promises made to children that are still not kept such as: to "lessen the
impact of deepening poverty, growing discrimination, the spread of HIV/AIDS and the
proliferation of armed conflicts." (UNICEF, 2001) But there is a renewed energy focusing on
the human rights of children that is embodied in the Convention on the Rights of the Child
and a web-site can build on this synergy by promoting deeper and broader learning
opportunities.
The report of the World Summit for Children argues that "major progress in human
development is possible within a single generation. If the global community will commit to
three key areas: the best possible start for children in their early years; a good quality basic

education for every child; and an enabling environment for adolescents as they develop their
capacities."
Philosophically there is no one opposed to education. Nor is there any one opposed to
sustainable development and the benefits it brings. Traditional roles, customs and biases all
impose limitations on the girl child in assuming her equal place in education and
development. The religion faith that raised me and where my values are born comes from a
long history that dates itself over 3,500 years. It was once the norm of this religion for
sacrificing animals at the altar in front of the Temple as a means of Atonement. Prayer and
fasting has replaced that pagan tradition as new ways of thinking replaced old ways. It was
and still is as a practice forbidden for ultra orthodox girls and women to pray or even dance
with men. A more Conservative and Reform movement emerged with a much more tolerant
and different understanding of the meaning of the old tradition that now allows for equal
gender relationships.
Not all people will change age-old customs. But the relevancy to the thesis is that there can
be made room for new ways of inclusion, overcoming customs that has been rooted deep in
thousands of years of tradition. Not by replacing the old values but allowing the freedom of
choice to embrace new ideas, customs and traditions. A community should be able to accept
new values if offered to them with free choice. The community should work to enrich and
enhance girl childrens right to choose among this wonderful multi-cultural world with all its
colorful customs and traditions. When the community customs, traditions and values block
her human rights as defined and accepted by all the nations of the world then she needs to
have her right to her freedom of choice.
The paper and companion education web-site does not advocate changing customs and
traditions that have been in place for centuries. In the teaching of her traditional customs
girl children should feel loved, supported in their individuality and accepted as equals. The
paper and web-site is an attempt to understand the issues for development Vis a Vis
education for girls. If customs and biases prevent the education of girl children it will have a
direct and negative effect on the economic development of that society.
The paper stated that it is essential for the web-site to have as its framework international
legal documents that frame the right of any human being to belong and practice a faith and
tradition or to choose to interpret it with modern eyes. However, the paper believes that eyes
alone can not see the entirety of any issue, "it must be felt with the heart." (Helen Keller) The
heart can see the need also for the right for all children to equally share in learning and
potential for personal economic development. By confronting this issue the world will be able
to take a quantum leap in the direction of educating and thus achieve sustained economic
development and empowerment for all girls.

Appendices

Appendix I. List of Forty-nine Least Developed Countries

Appendix II. Global Gender Inequality
Appendix III. Lists of Conventions, Charters, and Declarations relevant to giving
the child the right to a free and basic education.

Appendix IV. Web Based Learning Environment Assessment Rubric

Appendix V. Framework of Concrete Solutions and Methodologies
Appendix VI. Critical Thinking
Appendix VII. Lists of Statistics
Appendix VIII. United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) list of
findings

IX References

Appendix I. List of Forty-nine Least Developed Countries

Under-Five mortality rankings (Bold number) out of 189 countries
Source: The State of the Worlds Children 2000 http://www.unicef.org/sowc00/stat2.htm
Afghanistan
4

Cape Verde
No data

Eritrea
45

Lao Peoples
Democratic
Republic

Mauritania
16

Central
African
Republic

Tuvalu
71

Principe

41
Angola

Sao
Tome &

61

Ethiopia

Lesotho

Mozambique

Senegal

Uganda

18

33

10

38

35

Sierra
Leone

United
Republic
Tanzania

18
Bangladesh

Chad

Gambia

Liberia

Myanmar

48

13

59

44

32
Benin

Comoros

Guinea

Madagascar

Nepal

22

53

14

25

51

Solomon
Islands

Burkina
Faso

Guinea
Bissau

Malawi

Niger

Somalia

Samoa

22

Democratic
Republic
Congo

110

Burundi

Djibouti

Haiti

Maldives

Rwanda

Sudan

Yemen

17

26

36

56

21

43

38

Cambodia

Equatorial
Guinea

Kiribati

Mali

Bhutan

Togo

Zambia

62

41

30

12

24

20

11

113

Vanuatu
76

Appendix II. Global Gender Inequality

Women are under represented in international and national decision and policymaking bodies and adult women have not yet achieved the right to vote in all
countries. There were only 24 women that have been elected heads of state. In 1994,
there are 10 women head of states the highest in history. Yet women still do not
occupy senior positions in the United Nations, such as serving in international peace
and security, peacekeeping, disarmament, trade, investment or economic
development.
1995 Human Development Report prepared by UN Development ProgramPoverty
emerged as "a markedly feminine phenomenon throughout the world" Women are an
overwhelming majority out of 1 billion people living in abject poverty.
States with crippling debt and undergoing internationally prescribed structural
adjustment programs have reduced social expenditures and transferred social
responsibilities to individuals, with disproportionately adverse impact on women. So,
women earn less for comparable work. Another effect is that women are still barred
from certain forms of lucrative employment. It is still true that women perform much
of their work in the unpaid private sector including the rural sector. When women
accept jobs it is with little security.
Ownership and access to land, resources, capital and technology are barred by, legal
barriers, including customary law.
Literacy rates worldwide are improving in all regions, but out of 960 million illiterate
adults 2/3 are women. According to USAID in 2000 there is 130 million children of

school age world wide with out access to education 73 million are girls with no access
to primary and secondary education. (Symposium: 2000, 48)
Female infanticide and selective abortion of female fetuses have led to the claim that
over 100 million women are missing. Added to these tragedy 80 million women
worldwide are subject to female genital surgery. Women have little control over their
bodies as HIV/Aids and Malnutrition affects millions of women in Africa alone.
80 per cent of the worlds refugees and displaced persons estimated by UNHCR to be
women and children.
Violence against women according to the UN Special Rapporteur is located in three
sitesthe home, community and the state.

Source: (Hurrell: 1994, 96-97)

List of Conventions and International standards that guarantee the right of women not to be
discriminated against on the basis of their sex.
1. United Nations Charter. 1945 Article 1(3) Article 13 Articles 8, 55, 56, 60, 62-68 &
76. Also articulated the principle of non-discrimination.
2. Universal Declaration on Human Rights. Article 1 & 2
3. International Covenant on Civil & Political Rights. Article 2
4. International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. Article 3
5. Convention concerning the Equal Remuneration for Men & Women Workers for Work
& Equal Value.
6. Discrimination (Employment & Occupation Convention)
7. UNESCO Convention on Discrimination in Employment
8. European Convention on Human Rights. Article 14
9. Inter American Convention on Human Rights. Article 1
10. African Charter on Human Rights. Article 2
11. Fourth Geneva Convention. Article 27
12. Beijings Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995 Declaration 27
13. The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women.
1979
Source: (Twenty-Five Human Rights Documents: 1994)

Appendix III. Lists of Conventions, Charters, and Declarations relevant to giving

the child the right to a free and basic education.

1. Convention on the Rights of the Child. Article 28 and Article 29.

2. Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article (26) 1.2
3. International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Article 13 (2) a.

4. International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination.

Article 5 (e) v
5. Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against women. Article
10 (a-h)
6. Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. Article 22 1,2
7. Declaration on the Elimination of all Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination
based on Religion or Belief. Article 5 (3)(4)(5)
8. The International Labor Organization Convention concerning Indigenous and Tribal
peoples in independent Countries Article 28 (1) Article 29
9. Standard Minimum Rules for the treatment of Prisoners. Article 77 (1)
10. The African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights. Article 17 (1)
11. American Convention on Human rights. Article 19
12. European Social Charter. Article 7 (3)
13. The Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam. Article 9 (a) (b)
14. American Declaration of the Rights and Duties on Man. Article 12
15. UNESCO Convention Against Discrimination in Education (1960) Article 4 Article 5

Source: (Twenty-Five Human Rights Documents: 1994)

Additional List of Resolutions and Conferences, Declarations, Conventions, Summits,
concerned that girls continue to suffer the discrimination and neglect that can initiate a
lifelong downward spiral of deprivation, education and exclusion from the social mainstream.
Resolutions: 50/42 of 8 December 1995, 50/154 of 21 of December 1995, 50/203 of 22
December 1995 and 51/76 of 12 December 1996.
Resolution adopted by the General Assembly [on the report of the Third Committee
(A/52/640/)] 52/106 The Girl Child Feb 11, 1998 United Nations

Beijing Declaration 1995 and the Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference
on Women.

The Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and the Program of Action on

the World Summit for Social Development.
Program of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development.
Vienna Declaration and Program of Action of the World Conference on Human
Rights, 14-25 June 1993.
Plan of Action for Implementing the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection
and Development of Children in the 1990s of the World Summit for Children, New
York 29-30 September 1990.

World Declaration on Education for All and the Framework for Action to Meet Basic
Learning Needs adopted at the World Conference on Education for All.
Declaration and Agenda for Action of the World Congress against Commercial Sexual
Exploitation of Children, Stockholm 27-31 August 1996.
International Conference on Human Rights in Education, Victoria BC August 18-22
2001.

Source: (Yansane: 1996, 30-31)

Appendix IV. Web Based Learning Environment Assessment Rubric

Component Criteria
Organization

Home page designed simply, easy to

navigate, layout consistent and
logical and understandable. Goal of
home page to draw inside the site.

Presentation

Graphical elements are used

appropriately along with the layout
of text. Both are clear and easy to
follow. Good use of color and
animation is purposeful

Technical

Links work, Graphics are optimized

for all bandwidths (loads quickly).
Works in all browsers and site is
easy to find.

Target Audience

It is clear who the target audience

is; Teachers and their students in
developed world

Persons with Disabilities

Hyperlinks have tags for rollover to

assist blind users. Paragraphs and
sections have clear, accurate and
informative labels. Consistent
layout and toolbar placement

Content

Information is accurate and

current, Ideas come from primary

sources, have theoretical basis,

Content and context consistent to
theme which is promoting and
educating the developed world
teachers about the plight of the
status of the girl child concerning
education in the developing world.
With actions and tools to create
change. Authors cited for content
Can send and receive e-mail from
the site. Feedback or assessments
provided for the student.

Multimedia

Problem Solving: Assessment Rubric

Name:______________________ Date:______________________
Project Title:____________________________________________
Essential Question:______________________________________

Performance Indicators
Identifies a problem to solve
Studies the scope of the
problem
Determines topic and states
essential question
Uses tools to find alternative
solutions
Considers consequences if

Never

Rarely

Frequently

Always

problem is unsolved
Considers & evaluates
alternative methods to solve
Establishes own criteria for
evaluating solutions
Evaluates the relative values
of solutions
Selects the most appropriate
method to solve problem
Formulates compromise
solution
Applies the proper method
for solving problem
Looks at problem in several
ways
Applies the process to new
problems
Communicate the process to
others

Comments:
Source: The Curriculum Resource Inc. http://www.newsbank.com
Assessment Rubric (Refer to link on web site for additional Assessment rubric models)
http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/assess.html Kathy Schrocks Assessment
Rubrics

Appendix V. Framework of Concrete Solutions and Methodologies

Student-centered teaching through use of Internet and collaborative learning.

Providing access to materials in all formats.
Creation of parent-teacher associations based on the United States model and
facilitated by community based organizations.
Sex Stereotyping removed from curriculum and textbooks. National standards and
frameworks to guide local, national, regional, and international publishers.
National and International standards in Multicultural education. Specific teaching
based on the international legal frameworks.
Teacher training to encourage girls educational participation. Staff development for
technology and teaching methodologies introducing new teaching methods for
collaborative learning, student centered learning focused on critical thinking problem
solving for real- world problems.
More women teachers trained and jobs made available Teacher education Centers
and accredited schools to develop more women to teach.
Gender focus awareness training for all-i.e. HIV/AIDS. Coordination with WHO and
Doctors without Borders to come in and give seminars.
Increased access to technology (Internet) with appropriate training for direct benefit
of the poor. Cooperation with micro-lenders i.e. Grameen Bank.
Scholarships in the developed world for girls to attend University and higher learning
institutions.
Increased access to literature, music, arts, and film to promote opportunity and
awareness. This is available through the Internet web-site.
Coordination of grassroots organizing by teachers and students in the developed
world i.e. Peace Corp, WHO, Grameen Bank, International Monetary Fund, World
Bank, Non Governmental Organizations, UNICEF, development agencies & NonProfit organizations, to pool resources and focus on poverty alleviation and girl
education.
Introduction and the International, Regional, National level of organizations where
men are in power and introduce training and awareness programs based on
international documents and conventions their country have already ratified.
Identify and reallocate educational funding in order to create sustainable economic
and educational growth for girls.
Teacher and student exchange programs from all over the world to expand on
programs that now exist between developed countries.
Training teachers in gender equality sensitivity is mandatory and easily provided
through the web-site links.
Parent involvement in the schools through child-parent shared learning opportunities
on the web.
Involvement of Multi National Corporations through research on the web-site in the
country they are investing in order to make a contribution of a percentage of their
profits to education programs.
Long distance learning projects on the Internet to reach teachers, elite to promote
dialogues and changes.

Education literacy training to include, emotional, health, agricultural, economic,

problem solving skills, and marketing and management literacy for all children
primary and secondary.
Childcare programs that foster and supports local traditional practices of women at
home that are retired to care for the young mothers and girls.
Coordination of Work and all school policies and programs in order to allow for
income flow to very poor families.
Adult education programs for women and adolescent girls.
Adult education programs at factories and at all industries.
Life long learning programs for girls and women can be promoted on Internet.
Education programs for boys for gender sensitization is badly needed.
Sex education programs designed to eliminate sexual harassment and sexual
diseases.
Systems put into place to ensure girl safety traveling to and from school from rape
and sexual violence. This prevents girls from attending school.
Use of world media to launch public awareness campaigns targeted to the promotion
of girl friendly schools. A global wide Internet wide Promotion Campaign.
Children through use of Internet sites begin sharing resources and ideas and
communication between classrooms all over the world. Where there is technology in
place programs that foster classroom to classroom should be emphasized.
Education policies to ensure schools become relevant in the teaching of real world
issues.
Involvement of children world wide through Internet. And with the Program "Adopt a
School" where one school in the developed world shares resources with a school in a
developing country.
Community centered schools where design of school incorporates the needs of the
community and is used for both needs of the community, library and village meeting.
Relevant assessment and standard exams to allow for the educational process to
continue the Bottom Up approach for communities to take charge of changes in
educational system.
Increase the role of Non Governmental Organizations and civil society so that the
resources invested are meeting poor peoples need for social cultural and economic
well being.
Building connections between the poor-Non Governmental Organizations and the
Community at the national level to ensure that the limited resources will be applied
to do the most good.
Involve Women and girls in the community decision making in an education
committee.
Another solution identifies and reallocates funding in order create sustainable
economic and educational growth for girls.

Additional Methodologies to help foster change

Brainstorm: ideas to bring the issue of the plight of the girl child in education to
organizations that support childrens causes, or are organized for children.

Collaborative Teams: to organize local schools to get involve and link with schools
in the developing world with support of information, books and technology.

Case Study: Write paper and submit to Newsrooms, Journals, and Newspapers.

Debate: in parent-teacher meetings, town hall, on the Internet.

Drama: Have school plays that tell the story of the girl child. Invite local dignitaries.

Campaign to write: letters to Non governmental Organizations to offer support

and to volunteer.

Linkage of schools districts: with like minded districts through the Internet.

Annual UNICEF day: to promote awareness and to teach the Convention on the
Rights of the Child. Use Halloween as a time for collection for funds for UNICEF.

Incorporate a human rights curriculum: into the Social Studies Framework.

Field day outings: where children visit orphans and children of need.

Poster Campaign: and present it to the City Hall.

Adopt a child campaign: every child or classroom links through the Internet with
another classroom in a country less fortunate that the one they live in as determined
as a developing country by the United Nations

Source: Richard Pierre Claude Professor Emeritus University of Maryland

(www.pdhre.org/materials/methodologies.html)

Appendix VI. Critical Thinking

Knowledge: To know something means to have a fact or bit of information at your disposal.
For example we know the theory of relativity is E=MC2 without having any idea of how to
use this equation.
Comprehension: To comprehend a fact of piece of information is to understand what it
means. For example we might understand that E=MC2 is a formula that
Application: To apply information means to find some practical use for it. How can we put
Einsteins theory of relativity to use?
Analysis: To analyze means to break down information into the sum of its parts and to see
how those parts work together. For example we need to understand that Energy, and Mass,
and Speed of Light and how they all work together before we can understand precisely how
and if the theory works.

Synthesis: To synthesize means to take knowledge you have and connect it with other
knowledge. For example how we can understand the theory of relativity in relationship to
other theories?
Evaluation: To evaluate means to be able to judge. Is this information useful or not? We
might ask these questions of the theory of relativity, its applications and so on.
Source: (http://www.dartmouth.edu/~compose/faculty/pedagogies/thinking.html)
Source: (ToolKit Michael Eisenberg & Bob Berkowitz 1987)
Tools to help guide students
solving process

Compare/Contrast graph lets you

look for ways that things are similar
and different

Idea Web promotes creativity and

Venn Diagram lets you see the

useful to brainstorm ideas

items that two things do or do not

have in common

Problem/Solution Graph lets you

analyze problems and the effects of
solutions

Bar/Line graph helps you to put

numerical information into a visual
form so you can make comparisons

Gathering Matrix helps you make

Prediction Tree to organize

subtle distinctions between similar

ideas

information that predicts future

events or results

KWL Graph to help organize

current knowledge to guide future
questioning

Ranking Ladder to sort a list and

then rank items by placing them in
a particular order

5 Ws chart is an introductory

Question Matrix to compare and

experience to help you gather

information and summarize

contrast attributes, qualities or

characteristics. Make clear
distinctions between items

Time Line helps you to

understand the historical flow of
events and actions

Balance Scale lets you compare

two items and weigh their strengths
against each other

T-Graph is useful during

Organizational Chart lets you

brainstorming. You see issues and

concerns related to both sides of a

arrange information into a

hierarchy

and teachers in the problem

topic
Pro-Con Graph lets you evaluate

Story Frame lets you list events so

and extend understanding about

facts, concepts, thinking processes
and cooperative interactions.

you can see the order of events and

identify cause and effect relations

Fishbone Diagram helps you to

think about causes and effects, with
the details underlying each cause

Rising Action Flowchart lets you

list events so you can see the order
of events leading up to the climax of
an article

Source: BigSix ToolKit The Curriculum Resource (http://www.bigsix.org)

Appendix VII. Lists of Statistics

12 million children under the age of five die every year, mostly of easily preventable
causes. (That is an average of One million children a month, or 33,333 children
everyday)
One in five children in the United States of America live in poverty.
130 million children in developing countries are not in primary school-the majority
(two-thirds) are girl children.
160 million children are severely or moderately malnourished.
1.4 billion people lack access to safe water-1.7 billion lack adequate sanitation.
(children make up this figure)
Some nation-states (including the United States, Texas) are moving increasingly
toward punitive systems of juvenile justice.
Many children languish in orphanages and denied health care and education.
250 million children are engaged in some form of labor.
300,000 children serve as child solders last year. Many are maimed and many more
have been forced to maim others.
Aids have inflicted millions of children. (World Health Organization)
2 million girls annually are faced with traditional sexual mutilation.

(UNICEF, 1999)
Source: Http://www.UNICEF.org

Appendix VIII. United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) list of
findings

7 out of 10 Africans were either destitute or on the verge of poverty in 1980

Population grew between 1960-1980 at an annual rate of 2.9 per cent ending at 439
million by 2008, the figure could reach 1.1 billion.
Africa is least industrialized region in the world.
90 per cent of all capital goods needed for development with still be imported in 2008.
77 million Africans unemployed or underemployed in the countryside. In 2008 that
figure could rise to 250 million.
ECA says that the hospitals, mental institutions and prisons would need to expand to
counter the social and psychological effects of mass under employment.
Average family of four would only have a hectare (2.4 acres) due to 44 per cent of
Africa subject to drought and deserts encroaching on agricultural land of up to 70,000
sq. kilometers or 27,000 sq. miles a year.
Rural areas 57 per cent of Africa will now have incomes that would drop to an almost
negligible level with the cost of goods and services.

Source: (Yansane: 1996, 30-31)

IX References
Books

John Dewey, Experience and Education, New York: Collier Books 1938
James E. Dougherty, Robert L. Pfaltzgraff JR, Contenting Theories of International
Relations, New York: Longman-Addison-Wesley, 1997
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Thesis

VI. References
Internet References from Thesis Paper
Dartmouth College-The Compositon Center
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Dushkin Publisher
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Women 3rd World
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Children
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http://www.pitt.edu/~rmvega/papers/intro_R&P.html
Basic Education: A Precondition for Sustainable Development
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The Challenge of Basic Education for All
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A Framework for Designing Internet-Based Curriculum
http://hsb.baylor.edu/ramsower/ais.ac.97/papers/epstein.htm
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Americas for Professionals and Policy Makers
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Paulo Freire and Informal Education
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(symbol)/crc+general+comment+1.en?opendocument
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Document Number A/RES/5-24/2
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Assessment Rubrics Criteria
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Kathy Schrocks Guide for Educators
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Oxfam International Policy Paper
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