CHAPTER 7: BARRIERS TO EDUCATION

"The ultimate measure of a person is not “where one stands in moments of comfort and convenience
but where one stands in times of challenge and controversy." -Martin Luther King, Jr

BARRIERS TO EDUCATION

- Education needs a healthy, supportive atmosphere.

to successful knowledge and skill absorption

learnt.

- However, there may be certain factors or impediments along the way.

obstruct or limit pupils' access to resources

their right to get a high-quality education

Main barriers to education concerning students, teachers and institutions. (Breckon: 1994):

I. STUDENT FACTORS

a. Physical Disability

- Students with disabilities continue to encounter physical barriers to educational services, such as lack
of ramps and/or elevators in multi-level school buildings, heavy doors, inaccessible washrooms, and or
inaccessible transportation to and from school.

Students at the tertiary level also have trouble in securing accessible students transportation, facilities,
and communication.

b. Negative Attitudes and Stereotypes

- Students with disabilities continue to face the negative attitudes of teachers and students and
stereotypes in the educational system.

- Lack of knowledge about and sensitivity to disability issues on the part of some educators, staff and
students make it difficult for students with disabilities to cope, adapt and access educational services
equally well.

c. Poverty

- Sending students to school may result in the loss of family income or help at home.

- The school may charge fees that the family cannot afford to meet such as requiring a uniform or
projects, and other contributions to school affairs that are beyond the family budget.

d. Students' Capabilities, Personal Beliefs, and Values

- Students' genetic endowment and cultural background determine the extent of substantive or
curricular comprehension and retention which may pose challenge to teachers, the administrators and
the standards of education.
e. Students are More Likely to Drop out of School if Schooling is Irrelevant to Realities

- There is need for relevant curricula and materials for literacy and numeracy, along with "facts and skills
for life which include education on rights, gender equality, health, nutrition, sexually transmitted.

- Females are generally absent or portrayed stereotypically in lessons. This is particularly true in areas
traditionally regarded as male dominated.

II. INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS

a. Inadequate Physical Facilities and Funding

- Education is constrained by lack of adequate support and funding from educational agencies
and facilities in relation to the number of students admitted.
- The burden is greater when there is also lack of library and laboratory facilities for student
learning.

b. Philosophy, Vision, Mission of Schools

- Schools may or may not adhere to the standards of education set by the state and the
accrediting body, hence students may leave school either well prepared or less prepared to face
the responsibility of working for a living.

c. The Legal Framework around Education can be Weak

- Early marriage and pregnancy are widespread in many countries, yet, most, have laws and
policies that prohibit pregnant girls from attending school or returning to school after the birth
of their child.
- Worldwide, an estimated 50 million children are not registered at birth, and the majority are
female. This could mean that the lack of a birth certificate can prevent admission of the child
from school or block eligibility to take examinations.

d. Issues of Safety and Security Inside and Outside the School

- Parents may less likely allow their daughters to travel long distances to school because of risks
to their personal safety.
- Physical violence in schools, particularly bullying and corporal punishment, affects boys and girls.
Girls are more likely to be victims of sexual violence, including rape.
- Gender-based violence, including rape and early pregnancy, forced marriage and the spread of
HIV are among the problems for girls in refugee camps and schools.
- Students in crisis and unstable situations are often denied their right to education when they
need the routine of schooling the most.

e. Accountability Movement
- This movement seeks to hold schools, teachers, and students responsible for learning.
- This may limit the ability of schools to meet societal standards due to external pressures and
intense expectations which may weaken the system.

f. Perceived Lack of Support

 - Some people oppose health education, particularly in schools.
- Some organizations may distort the nature of health education, accusing the programs of
destroying values developed at home, encouraging promiscuity, and undermining religious
training.

III. TEACHER FACTORS

a. Teachers' Qualifications and Values

- Education is also constrained by the ability of the teacher to teach in terms of her personality
traits and values, professional behavior and her outlook in life and in teaching (Gaberson and
Oerman: 2007).

b. Knowledge, Skills and Values of the Teacher

- Intellectual capabilities of teachers facilitate cognitive learning and stimulate students'
psychomotor process.
- Skills in teaching, manage students' creative imagination and promotes psychomotor
development.
- The teacher's professional values, promotes student ideals of achievement and scholastic
mastery.

c. Inadequate Professional Preparation

- Educators are often expected to teach health without any college coursework in the discipline.
- Quality of teaching often suffers, despite no shortage of professionally prepared health
educators.

d. Lack of Certification
- Although many states mandate health instruction in schools, many do not require instructors to
be certified health educators.
- This skill certification requirement is an addendum to the Nursing Law (RA 9173) provisions
which require nurses to be holders of a Master Arts in Nursing degree before they are given a
tenured status as faculty members in a college of nursing.

e. Encroachment of Other Discipline

- Other disciplines have made significant inroads into functions claimed by health educators.
- This can be beneficial if those involved are willing to share responsibilities, expertise and diverse
approaches so representatives of different professions can collaborate effectively

2. GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES

- Teaching and learning are very much influenced by the kind of generation a learner represents. This is
so because of the social and technological factors that emerge in that particular time
I. BABY BOOMERS (CURRENT WORKFORCE)
- The end of World War II, social factors and experiences in life influence each generation.
- can be used as baseline to compare other generations.
- experienced the development of slower peace hence, they are comfortable with delayed
gratification (Darling: 2002) but they want positive feedback because of their desire to do well.
- Technology and education are overwhelming to this generation since it is not part of their early
educational experience.
- They do not challenge the teacher. The more structure the better for these boomers. However,
they exert and answer responsibility for their own learning.
- They strive for a permanent career on the same institution, with organizational loyalty and
commitment and expect financial remuneration and recognition (Darling: 2002).
- comprised the extended workforce. They are the dominant generation in many practices today.

II. EMERGING WORKFORCE: GENERATION X

- Men and women born between 1961 to 1981 comprise generation X and are known as the
emerging workforce.
- Generation Xers are different from Baby boomers as they have grown up to be the latchkey kids
of working parents or single parent household.
- They have developed high level of independence.
- When parent comes home, they became the center of attention, consequently they developed
high self-esteem seen by some as arrogance.

Characteristics of Generation X (1961 to 1981) (Adapted from Emerson: 2007)

- Independent self-serving learners

- Technologically liberal and dependent
- Excel at multitasking
- Adapt well to change
- Want flexibility, autonomy and options on learning life
- Lack interpersonal skills
- Impatient with processes outcome-oriented
- Desire to be trusted for work performed

III. NEWEST GENERATION: NET-GEN, GENERATION Y OR MILLENIALS

- Those are born after 1981 which is remarkably different from Baby boomers and Generation X.
- They have tendency to focus on technology, social action, and globalization.
- They are seemingly curious and creative, collaborative, intelligent, mobile, self-sufficient and
power strong.
- The net generation or millenials are said to comprise the ideal work force since they embody
some of the most positive attributes from their predecessors (Murray: 2004).
- This generation express their experiences, opinions, comments, ideas through the so-called
"social media" and other online apps like Yahoo, Google, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, Web blogs and they are frequently referred to as "netizens".
- They are called "bathed in bits" and totally unintimidated by technology.
 Characteristics of the Net-Generation/Millenials (1981-2000 above) (Adapted from Emerson: 2007)
- Technologically addicted
- Social inclusion and globalization
- Enhance diversity
- Curious and creative
- Possess a strong work ethic
- Collaborative team player
- Highly mobile
- Highly intelligent
- Optimistic
- Self-sufficient and assertive
- Respect and admire their parents
- Rule followers
- Anticipate multiple career changes
-

3. IMPLICATIONS OF GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES

- The teacher of nursing must have the ability to personalize her approaches to students in a
learning environment which can contribute to the quality of teacher-student relationship and
for the overall value of the learning experience.

WAYS OF CONSIDERING GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN TEACHING

1. Personal awareness of each faculty members;
2. Technological competence through training and assistance if available, to align self with the
three generations;
3. Design specific learning activities to motivate the students to learn best what their perceptions
and expectations about their career;
4. Computer and technology expertise, comfort with group and communication skills;
5. Encourage use of electronic media such as computers and portable references;
6. Talk about flexibility and variability of experiences and assignment;
7. Encourage balance from the beginning and let students identify the commitment outside the
school and what they can do to reduce stress;
8. Spell out expectations clearly for better understanding;
9. Develop general plan for providing feedback and discuss expectations;
10. Clarify use of technology;
11. Indicate sitting time with active time; and
12. Inject fun whenever appropriate.

4. MEMORY AID

1. Barriers to Education
a. Physical disability
b. Negative attitudes and stereotypes
c. Family poverty
d. Students’ capabilities, personal beliefs and values
e. Students are more likely to drop out of school if it is irrelevant to their needs and realities.
 2. Institutional factors
a. Inadequate physical facilities and funding
b. Philosophy, vision, mission of schools
c. Legal frameworks around education can be weak.
d. Issues of safety and security in and around school particularly affect girls.
e. Accountability movement f. Perceived lack of support

3. Teacher factors
a. Teachers’ qualifications and values
b. Inadequate professional preparation
c. Lack of certification
d. Encroachment of other disciplines

2. Generational differences

1. Current workforce – Baby boomers

2. Emerging workforce – Generation X
3. Newest generation – Net Gen / Millenials