And it's happening!

The village of Okoijorogu in Delta State, Nigeria, did not have a school. Children would walk miles, braving the traffic on the highway, braving storms and rain, bad weather and potholes. They would run the gauntlet of bad weather, difficult terrain, incomparable traffic and highway vehicular movements, and even their own health and physical conditions just to be able to go to school.

In this day and age when Education has been perceived not just as an ideal, but as a Millennium Development Goal – a bare minimum that simply needs to be provided no matter what – it was disheartening and unacceptable that this was the plight of the children in Okoijorogu. On the one hand, Malala Yousufzai fought the Taliban in her crusade for her right to education. On the other hand, her compatriots in Delta State were no different – except that they simply hadn’t even had a school to go to, to start with.

To still pursue the education that they dreamed rightfully to have, they were forced to cross the dangerous and unattended Benin/Sapele Express Road on the way to the neighbouring village – this road is a hub of traffic, construction and rough activity that can be disparaging to the safety of the children. Consequently, it wound up depriving many children from five years of education – since many children relied on transportation by their mother’s backs – as mothers cannot participate in this owing to their statuses as bread-winners of their families. Should they leave those responsibilities and take their children to school, their families might have to go without a meal. The nearest school was situated 4 kilometres, and it did not have chairs, either. If they continued without assistance, a child might have lost his life while crossing the express road. Nigeria has about 190 school days in a year. One need not be an expert to understand the impact this lengthy trip might have on children.

When Delta Women came to understand that this was the prevailing scenario, we lost no time in ensuring that we would fight for the justice and the rights that these children, and their children in the coming years deserve. In the process, we began out activism by reaching out to the Ministry and letting them know that they had a duty to the children of Okoijorogu, a duty that obliged them to take action in interests of not only the children, but also of the community and its future.

We wrote letters, campaigned online aggressively and also sent petitions to the Ministry. We blogged extensively, wrote to the ministry and commissioners, and finally, the school was sanctioned. In pursuant to this, the NGO had written a request letter dated 21, August 2012 with reference number DW/Oku/001 to the state governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, the speaker, Delta State house of Assembly, Hon. Victor Ochei, and the state commissioner for basic and secondary education, Professor Patrick Muoagbahare.

We also started a group on Facebook to garner support for our cause. We made a video that we uploaded on Youtube and sought to garner more international attention. Our campaign was made into a CNN iReport and eventually, the sanction for the school was given. There has been considerable improvement, and the school is in the process of being built currently.

What’s happening currently is what you see in these pictures! The job is being done by the Universal Basic Education group, (UBE) in collaboration with the government of Delta State!

 

At this point, we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our team, the volunteers, our well-wishers and all the people who supported our venture. We are also especially grateful to the Governor for keeping his promise.

Education and its difficult scenarios

According to the International Labor Association, in most Arab countries, even though education rates are higher for women, they still have fewer opportunities to work than men.

At first, the information may seem a bit too negative, but in fact it shows a change of values in society. Education is always the first step towards an equal and fair environment to all. It helps women to know their rights, to marry later, to stop the crazy demand of modern days to look beautiful all the time. It is a step towards awareness and economic wealth, but it brings more than that: it brings a chance to have another kind of life.

When my grandmother was young, eighty years ago, her father wouldn’t allow her to study. He used to say that “a girl doesn’t need to study” and “reading will do the trick”. She didn’t have the opportunity to go to school, but because she always dreamed about reading, a local teacher used to go especially to her house to teach her how to read. This was her only experience with education.

Since she valued the chance she had, her children went to school and later on to university and became doctors, teachers and engineers. This is only one example, but through it we are able to understand that the seed of education was planted and because of it, many lives changed.

Sexual diseases, appropriate awareness about health and many other essential themes are discussed in school grounds. This is why it is particularly important to create in schools a safe and prejudice-free environment for boys and girls to learn. We cannot have more Malalas!                                                                      Photo extracted from the Ethics Education for Children website.

    Besides the illogical and prejudicial idea that schools are not for girls, there is also a common link between the lack of education and child labor, which affects both genders and creates an even more difficult scenario.

Many children (not just girls) decide to work instead of studying in order to contribute with the family’s income. This is a very unfortunate situation and very difficult to deal with as well.  Now think: if the scenario is difficult for boys can you imagine how much more though it is for girls?

There are, however, some examples of successful political measures that can end the common link between absence in school and child labor. Many countries have implemented social programs in which children who attend school get financial aid, while those who miss it risk losing the extra assistance.

    Our world is incredibly unequal to all, but there is no way to deal with inequality without thinking about education. Schools promote gender equality and both boys and girls shouldn’t miss the opportunity. We need more safe schools in order to create a free thinking environment, as well as more social policies and studies regarding education and awareness. Education is a right, it cannot be a privilege.

Gabriela Isa Rosendo Vieira Campos

Courage to HoPE

For many of us, Hope is a four letter word. A word that only implies the courage to aspire for a better future, a better time, a better something.

But for a slew of some of the most talented children I can say I know of, HoPE is a way of life. They rely on phonemic intelligence, which is a scientific and brain-based education methodology that was created by Dr. Baskaran Pillai. And truly in keeping with what Dr. Pillai has envisioned, this could just about be the “most effective way out of the poverty trap”.

Dr. Pillai is a teacher, a thought leader and a humanitarian. His contentions are that a person’s socio-economic environment influences the development of their brain. “Growing up in a poor neighbourhood can impact a child’s learning ability, and their mental and emotional well-being in the long run.” He says. Phonemic intelligence can actually help change the neurological wiring of the brain, by relying on just phoneme sounds and their impact on different parts of the brain. “In a pilot study, the participants were made to listen and vocalize 4 sounds focusing on different parts of the brain. Using EEG (Electroencephalography), we recorded electrical activity in the brain and found profound changes with the use of each discreet sound”, said lead researcher Dr. Anbarasu Annamalai, while introducing the methodology of the study via Video.

The children themselves, all from economically disadvantaged sections of society, have demonstrated some of the most appreciable and positive results. Some of the HoPE Heroes, as these children are called, narrated real-life stories of how HoPE Learning Centers, an initiative by NGO Tripura Foundation, have enhanced their confidence and expanded their thinking.

Of the repertoire is the inspiring story of Sindhu, a 11-year-old HoPE Hero from Kannambakkam village. She readily gave her ticket money to an old lady whom she found abandoned by her son, while Sindhu herself walked back 10 kilometers to her home.

Another sweet story is that of young Jeevetha, a 13-year-old HoPE Hero from Puducherrymedu village, who wrote a petition to her District Collector requesting a bus facility for her village. Impressed by her leadership, the Collector passed orders for buses to be run during school hours. Now, Jeevetha and all the children of her village have no need to walk 6 kilometers everyday to their school!

The initiatives are simple, touching and only involve the easiest of interventions: that of human care. Children from economically disadvantaged social setting are not in that background by choice, but by circumstance. The impact of living in an economically disadvantaged setting can have far-reaching consequences on their minds and bodies. A bridge that helps them cross the difficult waters of the vagaries of a life of poverty is the Tripura Foundation’s activities. Thanks to them, these children have the courage to HoPE.

Education: A Lifeline for All.

All around you and I are noticeable changes taking place daily irrespective of whether it’s in our favour or not. What is your perception of change? For me “change makes the present different from the past.” The key: A difference.

 
We can honestly agree that if we search deep within ourselves as individuals and collectively, we’d find areas in our lives and societies in dire need of tune-ups which will help boost our self-esteem and image; boosts that would require listening to the voice of reason by separating the chaff from wheat which eventually leads to progressive change. How can we achieve this? By getting an education of course.
In the past especially in developing countries, females were restricted from getting an education and in some cases such restrictions still stand. However in modern times, such restrictions occur not as a result of gender inequality but primarily due to the ever widening gap in finances between the wealthy and less privileged in society.
Education in whatever format it is received helps with the renewal of the mind by keeping abreast of current happenings in the society. Irrespective of whether we pass through formal or informal education (as is the case with village dwellers), vices like ignorance et al need to be nipped in the bud; we can achieve this by learning to read, write and communicate properly; for according to a Persian parable,
“It is wise for you to follow a man who is wise and knows that he is wise” and “it is wise to shun a man who does not know and does not know that he does not know for he is foolish.”
Education is a necessity and should not be a luxury. This life of yours’ or mine is all about making choices and the first step in getting educated is in realizing that change is the only constant in life and admitting the need to turnaround prevailing situations. How do you do this? Seek a mentor; enrol in private or public classes-whichever makes you feel comfortable. Some governments assist via free education programs up to certain levels including adult education too. Whatever the student is able to assimilate now would definitely help out at some point in the future because all that matters when one receives an education is ‘his or her ability to rise up after numerous falls and stumbling blocks.’
The primary goal of an education is at the end of the day being able to decipher between ‘the good, bad and ugly’ as well as utilizing all learnt to achieve excellence for the common good via creativity. With the world being the global village it is today, it is only sensible for people to change with the times.
Nowadays, the role of the woman cannot be restricted to domestic duties in the home. Women need to have or regain some self-worth hence taking steps to improve their self-esteem. What better way than receiving an education that would empower her to attain greater heights in the future especially in the 21st century where there’s a cry for improvement of living standards for women and gender equality so that women at home can compete with their peers on a level playing field.
All these require time but there’s a popular saying that, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.” A new mindset with a proper vision must be adopted; a vision requiring sacrifices, producing passion for success, giving direction for life’s destination as well shape one’s future. The Nigerian First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan notes,’ the well-being of women leads to a faster developing nation and removes them from the receiving end of conflicts’, thereby giving weight to another popular quote, ‘When you educate a woman, you educate a Nation.’
 
Empowering women cannot be overstressed as the UN under Secretary-General and Executive Director for Women, Michelle Bachelet amidst notable personalities in Abuja FCT last week commended Dame Jonathan and the Nigerian government for her work in alleviating the plight of Nigerian women and the 35% affirmative action in including women in governance respectively.
 
Gone is the era when women were contented with just their domestic duties. Although the African woman shoulders a lot of responsibilities as Wife and Mother helping to create a calm atmosphere, she craves for more and like Eric Butterworth said, “Nothing stops the man who desires to achieve. Every obstacle is simply a course to develop his achievement muscle. It's a strengthening of his powers of accomplishment.” Let’s be wise and give everyone opportunities of a better future.

Elsie E.U. Omubo

Right to decide upon dreams

I am a small village girl and like any other girl I have few dreams and aspirations. I wanted to study but at times my luck and at times my family didn’t support me. I was 5 years old when I went to school for the very first time. I was allowed to attend school after months of my earnest requests. I was blooming and growing every day. My feet were not on land as I had got what I wanted. I used to die to go to school everyday. I was always ready an hour before and my interest was inculcated in studying more and more. My motive was to become a teacher as I wanted to see everyone learned. 

The feeling was there in me because I wanted to see every woman like my mother educated. I had seen hardships faced by her. As I was growing up, I realized my education was becoming a hurdle between me and my parents. They wanted me to learn cooking. Paying for my school fees was a painstaking task than paying for my brother’s fees. I was reluctant to leave schooling though it wasn’t my right to decide upon this. I was sent to my aunt’s place so as to keep me away from studies. My aunt asked me to pursue my education but here fate didn’t favor me. The school officials entangled us in certain documental issues and I was denied my favorite thing- my education all over again. 


Well, I accepted this too. I was certain that one day I’ll be able to study again. Later, I returned home filled with optimism. However, adverse was waiting with open arms. My parents had chosen a groom for me. I had to get married within a month. If this wasn’t enough, I lost my husband (the meaning of the word ‘husband’ was till then unknown to me) within a year of my marriage. I was just 13 years old and then everyone began to abandon me. I was considered as a non living thing because still a widow has no life in many villages. I was dying a bit everyday. Then my parents decided to send me school again. I revived. A sense of new life enriched within me. Now, I am a teacher and there are 150 students in my school. Finally, I am living my life with my right to decide upon my dreams. 

Written by Dr. Aakshi Kalra

Education: Key to Empowering Girls and Women of Nigeria

Education is the best investment in development. Not only is it a basic human right, but there is an undisputed positive correlation between the enrollment of girls in primary school and the gross national product and increase of life expectancy. Yet, 121 million children worldwide are out of school, 10.5 million being in Nigeria. This makes Nigeria the country with the largest number of out-of-school children in the world, with 80 percent being girls!

Barriers to girls’ education

There are various cultural and socioeconomic issues that prevent girls from going to school. One prominent cultural view is that it is better for the woman to stay home and learn to tend to her family instead of attending school. The Nigerian tradition attaches higher value to a man than a woman, whose place is believed to be the kitchen. Nigerian culture also holds the belief of male superiority and female subordination. These patriarchal practices give preference to educating boys rather than girls.  

Many families also often cannot afford to send their children to school. With almost 70 percent of the population living below the poverty, parents can only send one child to school. Although in theory school is free, in practice parents pay fees i.e. textbooks, crafts etc. And because daughters have assumed responsibilities in the home, they are less likely to be the one to attend school.

Another barrier to girls’ education is early marriage. Early/child marriage is a common practice in Nigeria, with 47 percent of women becoming mothers before they reach the age of 20. Young married girls and mothers are less likely to attend school. Only 2 per cent of 15-19 year old married girls attend school, compared to 69 per cent of unmarried girls.  Lack of education further limits girls only to their reproductive roles-submissive wives and mothers.

Schools also play an important role in girls’ education-or lack of it. Most schools have inadequate classroom space, furniture and equipment, and are often too remotely located. Water, health and sanitation facilities are usually inadequate. More disturbing, however, is gender inequity in classrooms. Some teachers are bias in their attitudes towards girls, further imposing a learning disadvantage and affecting their academic achievement.

Sexual harassment is commonly practiced in schools and universities, thus failing to provide a safe environment for adolescent girls. As one girl says:

“When I was in school, male teachers used to want to sleep with female students…. The teachers will trouble you up to the extent that if you do not accept them, you will fail their subjects and at the end of the day you will want to leave the school.”

The situation for girls’ education in Nigeria is clearly in need of urgent reform. After all, educated girls are known to develop essential life skills, including: self-confidence, the ability to participate effectively in society, and protect themselves from HIV/AIDS and sexual exploitation. Educated girls also contribute to national wealth and improve general health of future generations.

Recommendations

Girls and women have the potential to transform Nigeria. Investing in girls will not only improve productivity and growth, but will also lead to a more healthy and skilled future generation.

In general, it is recommended to keep girls in schools by:

Creating incentives for all girls to attend school and complete their education

Encouraging Nigerian states to allocate more of their budges to schools and teacher trainings

Creating incentives for teachers to provide quality education and equal treatment among students

Establishing policies and mechanisms to protect girls from sexual harassment i.e. awareness programs, help lines, counselling, medical assistance for those who have been sexually abused, and punishment and full application of the law on any proven and established case of sexual harassment within any educational institution

What can you do?

Support organizations that support girls and women’s education, such as DeltaWomen

Donate to organizations that have a proven track record of helping integrate girls in the education system

Raise awareness on the subject through DeltaWomen’s facebook, twitter, and blog site.  

Online campaign: A great site for organizing online campaigns is http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/start_a_petition/?vl

Deltawomen's Press Statement

This is in pursuit of a response to the allegations that were proposed by Hon. Okpoko in maligning Delta Women’s image. Delta Women is not a political organization, but is a rights-based establishment that strives to assist the creation of a world that would encourage the birth of free thinking individuals. We neither seek political appointments nor have any intention of going into politics, and we are not funded by politicians.

At the outset, when we heard of the need for a school, we first contacted Hon. Okpoko through phone calls and messages on Facebook. But, he did not answer any. Delta Women were also in his office to deliver the letter.  We waited in his office for 3 hours and there was nobody except one person who told us that the Secretary was away and that he was not authorized to sign on his behalf. We then proceeded and sent a letter to the governor, and Mr. Hon. Okpoko was copied alongside. After that, we called, we sent him Facebook messages, but none were replied to. [All details of conversations are appended at the Enclosures in the bottom of this Press Release.]

After Gov.Uduaghan team went to the village, we made a copy of the findings. These were the hand delivered to Hon. Okpoko’s office where we met with the aforesaid person, John Ejiro, for the second time in his office, who, this time, signed for the letter.

We assert that Delta Women is not responsible for who we meet in the office and who identifies them self as Hon. Okpoko’s employee. We have also publicly published Mr. John Ejiro's number and also made this number available to Urhobo times. Through the mediation of the Delta State DPP Chairman, We and Hon. Okpoko were able to talk. Upon our discussion, we made Hon. Okpoko understand that it was not witch hunting, and that we were not interested in pulling him down as he said. We were only representing the village in their quest to get a school. We are surprised that a statement was released from his office, still claiming such untruths such as that Delta Women had not contacted him or any such. We wish to assert that we do not appreciate false statements that go on to malign the image of our organization, and should the claim continue, we will not hesitate to take legal action.

Signed

Elsie Ijorogu-Reed

CEO/Founder

Deltawomen

Contact attempts:

PHONE CALLS

9/19/2012 9:14:27 AM Rebtel SMS +12816196821 +2348033707408

9/8/2012 9:35:25 AM Rebtel SMS +12816196821 +2348033707408

9/3/2012 5:37:18 AM Rebtel SMS +12816196821 +2348033707408

9/8/2012 7:50:49 AM Rebtel SMS +12816196820 +2348033707408

Facebook messages:

20th august

23rd august

6th September

POLITICS AND CHILDREN's FUTURE

POLITICS AND CHILDREN's FUTURE

Honourable Julius Okpoko is the member
representing Okpe constituency in the Delta
State House of Assembly. This Democratic

Peoples' Party (DPP) member is currently the
minority leader of the House.

A reliable source informed Delta Decides 2015
that this honourable member is seriously
trying to sabotage all efforts in putting a
school in Okuijorogu community in Okpe LGA
which he represents at the State House.
According to him, "Okuijorogu people did not
vote for him during the last general election."

A request letter was sent by DeltaWomen NGO
to the state governor, the speaker of the State
House of
Assembly, Hon. Julius Okpoko (himself) and
the commissioner for Basic and Secondary
Education.

However, the state governor sent his
delegation to visit the said community
without a school, upon seeing the letter. The
speaker, Rt. Hon. Victor Ochei on his part
minuted on the letter and sent it to Hon.
Okpoko but he never acted on it.

When contacted on phone by our messenger,
one of his PAs acknowledged receiving the
minuted letter from Rt. Hon. Ochei and the
one brought by DeltaWomen NGO, but said he
has handed them over to his boss(Hon.
Okpoko) and wondered
why he has not acted on it.

Our messenger tried calling Hon. Okpoko on
phone for clarification, he declined, refusing
to speak with us.

Girlz can Science 2!

And soon they’ll realize they should ditch those trendy sunglasses for equally trendy safety goggles. And they get to work on make up, just like every girls dream! And really, they get to spend most of their time dancing with their friends while the one smart girl does all confusing mathy stuff.

At least that’s what the European Comission thought would get the attention of its girls in their recent advertisement “Science: It’s a Girl Thing”. The 30 second commercial is an effort by the EC to bolster the number of female students entering in the sciences. It hasn’t really been met with any hostility, but instead with a sly grin and a condescending pat on the head. I get what they’re trying to do, teenage girls DO care about make-up, and their friends, and having fun, but the commercial is way over the top, and pigeonholes the girls it is trying to convince to join the ranks of the science world.

While the commercial is 30 seconds of pure ridiculousness, the rest campaign seems to be pretty solid. The website, http://science-girl-thing.eu/, gives teenage girls a chance to explore their prospects in what is becoming a more and more lucrative field. There’s a photo contest where teenage girls can express what science is to them, there’s a quiz to help the girls figure out which aspects of science they might be interested in, there’s fun facts and dream job descriptions, and all of this is done on a slick and accessible website.

Thanks to efforts like this, the ratio of men to women is skewed, but it’s getting better. In 2007 three men received a science degree for every two women. The women that did get science degrees tended to lean towards more knowledge based sciences such as biology and psychology, and avoid more mathematical subjects such as engineering, physics and computer science. One of the main causes of this concentration is, of course, society’s misinformed belief that men are better at math, but a more poignant reason is that young women who join these science departments will likely be surrounded by males. The problem has become self-perpetuating. Women don’t want to join the physics department because they’ll be the only female, and because there are no women, the next set of potential female physicists don’t join either.

The “Science: It’s a Girl Thing” campaign is working hard to get young women to join, but they are faced with another significant problem commonly referred to as the leaky pipeline. Little girls love science, but as they move to high school less become interested (for whatever reasons). As they move into university even more drop off, and so on through masters and PHD degrees, with the smallest amount finally ending up working in academia. Every step of the way a significant amount more women move away from the sciences; to start working, to raise families, to join alternate fields; than men. If this trend is to stop, the campaign will need to evolve. It will need to find ways to keep women interested in the sciences that they join.

The campaigns intentions are good, even if the execution was a bit bumbling. An influx of women into a generally male dominated field will be advantageous and is a necessity if I am ever to get my chance to jump around in space.  

Check out the video here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=g032MPrSjFA

And the “Science: It’s a Girl Thing” website here

http://science-girl-thing.eu/

Also, this one’s pretty interesting.

http://www.aauw.org/learn/research/upload/whysofew.pdf

By Matthew Ariss

Societal academic excellence

TOTAL EDUCATION FOR EXCELLENCE

Education for future success and a balanced life must flow from the adequate enrichment of the individual from his/her formative days of emptiness (tabula rasa) as a child to adulthood. The failures of individuals prevalent in our society reflect the failure of the educational system to provide wholesome education.

Education is in three domains: cognitive (brain, academics), affective (mind, behavioural and moralistic) and the psychomotor (physical skills).

THE COGNITIVE DOMAIN:

Inculcates logical and intellectual knowledge, the cognitive gives answers to questions like What is chemistry? What are the principles of social psychology? etc.  The cognitive helps explain the world around us; it dispenses knowledge and gives the child a broad understanding of the world and how it works?

AFFECTIVE DOMAIN:

The affective domain teaches ethics and moral philosophy, it answers questions such as is creating genetically engineered foods right? Is it right to use neuroscience in marketing? It aids in building attitudes and emotional framework for individuals thus affecting their behaviour.

PSYCHOMOTOR DOMAIN:

The psychomotor domain builds the physical skills of the individual example the turning of an athlete, the physical exercises of a footballer etc. The failures of individuals and the Nigerian society reflect the failure of the educational system to provide wholesome education. Consider our political elite and technocrats that are vast in technical knowledge and philosophies but lack the moral philosophy required to do what is right (this is a classic example of lack of insufficiency or complete lack of affective education).

The area boys in our streets, possess the physical activity and vigour (physical activity: psychomotor) yet lacking adequate cognitive education and most often affective required to contribute meaningfully to the society.

The combination of the three domains guarantees the success of individuals and thus society. Society needs to build the brains, mind and physical ability of its people for proper functioning and activity. While the brain gives man intellectual ability to function, the mind decides what he should or shouldn't do, while his psychomotor domain maintains his body in a state of physical well-being thus avoiding the harmful effects of body use and disuse.

WRITTEN BY ALABI, PHILIP EPHRAIM

Why?

Every man and woman that has grown to adulthood, possess a distinct personality which has been built over the years through the influence of his/her teachers, parents, peers and the society at large. This process of education and acculturation fuelled by the agents of socialisation (school, parents, peers, religious institutions and the society at large) starts from birth, taking the new born child from an empty slate (tabula rasa as educationist would call it) to the complex interplay of behaviours and distinct personality that exist in adulthood. Of all the agents of socialisation the most influential and important is the school, and the major educationists in the school are the teachers. Teachers emerged as the most important SINGLE agent of socialisation as is evident in a famous saying that

"NO SOCIETY CAN RISE BEYOND THE LEVEL OF ITS TEACHERS"

Consider the rise of Nations and Civilisations, you would notice that civilisation has always been drifting towards societies with SOUND educational frameworks. Nations like the Asian (Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, Singapore etc.) have thrived because they were committed to building a system that ensures not just education but education that was planned and evolves from their economic aims and goals. From the Greeks, Romans, British and now America, civilisation has always gone where education was present presently over six of the 10 leading universities in the world are in the US over 100 of the best 200 universities in the world are in the US

THEN I ASK, WHY WON'T THEY BE THE WORLD POWER?

By PHILIP ODABI

Girls are Smarter than Boys

Yesterday my school (in South Korea) held an English reading-comprehension competition. 40 of the top English students were chosen, and then placed into rows throughout a small room. They had been given a short story one week earlier, and were now preparing to compete to see who had the best understanding. Each student was given a small white board with a dry erase marker and set with the task of writing the answers to questions I would ask them. As they sat waiting to begin, some chatting with their friends, others ferociously trying to absorb any last minute tidbits from their storybooks, I glanced over them and noticed something, once again, the obvious surplus of females in the room.

I began asking the questions, and the students began filling in their white board. If a student made a mistake; a misspelled word, a wrong answer, or a grammatical error; they would be disqualified. The first few questions were simple, and so no one was forced to leave. By the fifth question I was losing two or three students a round. We continued, slowly thinning out the numbers, until there were only seven students left. Still, the girls greatly outnumbered the boys, with only one boy left. He was knocked out that round, and so the top six places were taken by females.

This is a common occurrence at my school. All of my classes are divided into low, mid and high level English ability, and girls outnumber the boys in all of my high level classes. Some might argue that this is because girls are better than boys at language related tasks, but the boys are better than the girls at math and science related tasks. These people are, of course, stupid. Studies have conclusively shown that this only occurs when girls are TOLD that boys are better at math. It has nothing to do with ability, but instead with anxiety, with being told you cannot do something, and unfortunately believing it. But the girls in my school are not limited by such doubts either. We make the same level divisions for math class, and the same disproportion happens there, as well

This got me to wondering about the future of these ladies. Korea is a certainly a deeply patriarchal society. But, more significantly I think, it is a competitive society. Almost all of my students go to after school classes at private academies. Those who can afford the academies study privately for hours every night, and attend whatever free classes are offered. Korea has one of the highest levels of secondary education in the world. Most jobs require you to write a written test, as well as participate in multiple interviews. In a society that is so keen on being the best, women now have a significant lead. And as these women gain more power, become more educated, realize that they’re more accomplished than their male counterparts they are beginning to question why males are so often given the advantage.

In the end, it just seems to me that the girls try harder. The boys are being raised by men who have grown up reaping the benefits of a patriarchal society. They see their fathers watching TV while their mothers cook and clean. They are allowed to advance grades even when they fail classes. They are being trained to believe that their laziness is acceptable. But when my female students become adults, I don’t think they will tolerate such actions.

The students at my school have one advantage over many other students, their principal is a powerful woman. She is feared and respected by her employees, and she gets what she wants. The education board wanted her to retire this summer to make room for their excess of teachers, but she was having none of that. They wanted to get rid of the native English teacher (me) but she was having none of that. Under her direction the schools average grades have steadily risen. I think this is good for both the boy and girl students. The girls, they get to see a powerful woman at work, they can see that it is possible to rise to the top, even in this patriarchy. And the boys, they get to see what their competition is going to be.

Right now, Korea is a little behind in woman’s rights compared to some of the other first world countries. But they have been modernizing at a mind-boggling rate. They have momentum, and I will not be surprised if oppressed women of the world are soon looking on with envy.

By Matthew Ariss