Nonghkai/Bangkok, Thailand: About 130 youths from 15 countries around the world stole the show during the third international conference on Gross National Happiness held in Thailand from November 22 to 28.

The youths representing eight countries from Southeast Asia submitted a list of urgent recommendations on improving the quality of and access to education in the region to be presented to the relevant ministry in their countries.

They said that the countries should institute a national youth council and ensure it has power at parliamentary level to bring youth perspectives to government and civil society on all issues affecting youth. Governments were recommended to create and institute a youth advisory council on education and ensure that youth leaders are involved in making education policy.

Forming an independent research commission to study the education needs of various groups and creating an alternative education advisor or advisory council that included youth leaders was also important, they pointed out.

Young people from the region agreed that the quality of education was deteriorating rapidly and the system in place at the moment didn’t prepare young people to pursue any specific career seriously.

Therefore, they recommended the governments to build flexibility into the formal education system to accommodate local wisdom and adapt to local needs. They said developing and supporting locally relevant curriculum to incorporate local wisdom, language, culture, history, social context and employment and labor needs of communities was crucial.

Adopting curriculum on globalization and global-local systems; strengthening and supporting programs that promote gender balance and equity in access to opportunities; accreditation of alternative education within the formal system; international and national study trips for education policy makers led by expert-youth working in education and alternative education; and recognition of employment problems for university graduates and adapting education system and structure to address the problem (including more vocational training) were also recommended.

Recognizing the important role teachers play in educating the population of a country, the youths stressed that teacher training standards and professional accreditation be improved. They also pointed out the need for rewarding teachers working in remote areas.

The government should also create standards of education for the private sector and regulate privatization of education institutes, they said, adding that building schools in remote areas with good facilities was equally important.

The youths pointed out the importance of developing and improving new ways to access education, especially for rural areas, by setting up internet resources in each village school or public place. They said including technology education in curriculum was also crucial.

Governments and civil societies should increase budgets for education and improve allocations to non-formal and alternative education, and direct funds to ‘expert’ cultural, health, social and political organizations to develop curriculum on pertinent issues, they said.

HIV/AIDS education in schools should be developed for formal curriculum by existing youth peer-education networks to be funded by government and non government organizations.

The youths, divided into core and study group, toured a number of provinces in Thailand prior to the academic session on GNH held in Bangkok. They worked in paddy fields, visited communities and urban slums, and studied the use of natural resources in the communities.

“We will ensure that GNH doesn’t remain within the academic circle. One of the outcomes of this conference has been that the youths will now work toward the formation of GNH youth forum and movement,” said a youth participant from Bhutan.

Namgay Zam of Kuzoo FM said that the youths were able to draw crucial lessons of life.

“We need to involve youths in policy making and youths in Bhutan need bigger forum to spread the message of GNH to the youngsters in the country,” she said.

Source: BhutanTimes Newspaper

Tags

• education