SDG 4: Quality Education
Influence of Human Activity on its Sustainability Between
Learning Outcomes
• What is Education
• Brief History of Education in Guyana and Norway
• Influence of Human Activity on the sustainability of
Quality Education
Introduction
• This academic poster intends to outline how human
actions are influencing the sustainability of the
Sustainable Development Goal #4: Quality Education,
“Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and
promote like long learning opportunities for all”,
between the developed country Norway and a
developing country Guyana.
Flag of Guyana and Norway
Map of Guyana and Norway
• Education is the process that leads to individuals
accessing knowledge and data, resulting in a successful
future (Al-Shuaibi, 2014). Some positive outcomes that
further promotes the importance of education are
gained self-confidence, established and respect status
in society and obtaining a good career. However,
education and its development is usually hampered by
poverty, classroom size and technology among other
factors.
Background
• The Co-operative Republic of Guyana, located in South
America, within the Latin America and the Caribbean
region, earliest record of schooling began during the
Dutch rule of 1685, and first known public school
being established in the early 1800s. By the 1850s,
elementary and secondary schools existed, with a 101
elementary schools and a teacher-training school and
collage opened. In 1876, Primary education was made
compulsory.
Guyana and Norway
USI: 1023451
Image of students in a class
Source: Image of the University of
https://www.inewsguyana.co Guyana’s Entrance
m/education-minister-urges- Source:https://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
parents-to-play-more-active-
role-in-childs-education/ University_of_Guyana
• The Co-operative Republic of Guyana, located in South America, within
the Latin America and the Caribbean region, earliest record of schooling
began during the Dutch rule of 1685, and first known public school being
established in the early 1800s. By the 1850s, elementary and secondary
schools existed, with a 101 elementary schools and a teacher-training
school and collage opened. In 1876, Primary education was made
compulsory.
• Education sector mainly controlled by Christian churches during the pe-
1950 period. After the 1953 elections, the new government
implemented programmes to expand secondary and technical
education and an expansion of teacher-training workshops. During
1957 to 1964, the state control of education within the primary and
secondary level began, teacher training programmes were erected and
the University of Guyana also erected, inclusive of the implementation
of free tuitions until mid-1990s (Ishmael, 2012). Presently, the
government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Education, mainly
provides education within the country. Various level of education is
available for individuals as they progress from Nursey to Primary to
Secondary and Tertiary.
• The Kingdom of Norway, located in Northern Europe, as OECD Country,
based its educational system on the principle “Education for all” and
“Equal Access to Education” (Feagles, et al, 1994). Cathedral schools
were constructed around 1153, giving sense to “Organized education”.
Norway was reformed in 1537, resulting in Latin schools emerging
from what were once cathedral schools. Reading was made
compulsory in children by 1736 and a primary school “folkeskole” was
implemented in 1827, a mandatory school at the time, but abolished
in the 1970s and 1980s when foundation school was introduced into
the system. (K12, 2004-21) In 1990s, the educational system was
reorganized with a Government Education Office being established.
The Ministry of Education controls all education matters from primary
education to higher education.
Source:
https://redice.tv/news/norway-
seeks-to-ban-full-face-veil-in-
schools
Image showing a classroom in Norway
Current Assessment of SDG 4 from the
SDG Dashboard
Guyana
• SDG trend: Moderately Improving
• Net primary Enrollment rate of 93.1% in 2012
• Lower secondary completion rate of 79.1% in 2010
• Literacy rate of 96.7% of population aged 15-24 in 2014
Norway
• SDG trend: Significant Challenges Remaining
• Net Primary enrollment rate of 99.4% in 2017
• Lower secondary completion rate of 99.4% in 2017
• Literacy rate – Information N/A
Influence of Human Activity on the
sustainability of Quality Education
Poverty: Guyana
Due to lack of financial resources, parents opt to send their children to
work in the farms or market areas, neglecting their education resulting in
higher dropout rates and lower enrollment rates.
Extremely poor households fails to grasp the importance of education
resulting in children not being exposed to early Education.
Individuals who can’t afford to pay University Tuition or tertiary level fees
denies themselves higher education.
Poverty: Norway
Poverty is very low in Norway, credited to the emphasis on efficiency and
collectivism with job placement from the nation.
In Oslo, due to the population density, 60% of children reside in poverty,
which restricted access to education.
Afraid of living in poverty due to debt from universities, individuals aging
18-34 years may deny themselves higher education.
Classroom Size: Guyana
The ratio of students to teachers is restricted to 20:1, in some
cases however, classroom ration was at 40:1 in several schools.
This resulted in lack of attention for some learners as they
progressed throughout the grades, thus limiting their full
academic potential. This is affected by population size.
Classroom Size: Norway
The classroom size is limited to 15:1 or 20:1 within Norwegian
schools. This allows for more one on one interactions with
students and teachers. Not many teachers have the required
training to teach specific subject areas, resulting in varying
performance of students. This is also affected by population size.
Technology: Guyana
Schools are equipped with Computer laboratories by the
education sector to promote computer literacy at all levels.
Students utilize smart devices to procrastinate rather than taking
advantage of the opportunities they present in learning and
education.
Plagiarism is prevalent in most academic work produced by
students since information is readily available online, resulting in
an incompetency and lack of integrity within the learning
discipline.
Technology: Norway
Students are given computers since 2007 by political officials,
which complied with the Digital Competence Programme
implemented. This has great impact with teachers who are
already accustomed to computers, having a greater impact on
education at an early age.
Conclusion
• The two nations have contrasting facts against each other,
resulting in different outcomes in regards to education and the
influences humans have on the quality. As poverty increases in
areas of both countries, limited access to education is evident.
Classroom size have a strong correlation to population size,
having adequate trained teachers for small groups of students’
yields better results in literacy.
• Finally technology acts as both an efficient tool to improve and
promote education and as equally distracting to promote
procrastination and unethical work, thus making it dependent
on an individual’s attitude and behavior towards usage of
technologies.