Tools for Community

 Our story    Site Map    Contact us

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.

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. Rosenau’s 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 Organization’s, 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 web-site. 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 girl’s 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 world’s highest literacy rates. It is a product of a fine uniform educational system conducted in all the official languages. In contrast Nepal’s 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 world’s 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 World’s 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 World’s 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 web-site, 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 1980’s international education suffered a setback after recent successes of the 1960’s and 1970’s. 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 world’s 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 husband’s 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 self-employed 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 non-governmental 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) Rosenau’s 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 aren’t organized and don’t unite, we can’t 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 World’s 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 mother’s 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 Rosenau’s world.’ "Feminists especially those in the west, have argued that one of the reasons for women’s 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 Organization’s 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, 39-40) 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, Pakistan’s 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 Organization’s 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 non-governmental 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 people’s 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 non-governmental 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 children’s 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 Organization’s, 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 child’s 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 child’s 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 children’s 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 child’s 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, O’Neill & 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 non-governmental 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.

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 Bloom’s 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 1880’s 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 made…Digital 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 children’s 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 web-site 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 non-governmental organizations such as the Children’s 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.

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 two-fold 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 web-site 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.

• 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 Organization’s working on human rights for children.

• 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.

• How is the site organized? The site is organized into three areas. One, for Teachers and Parents. Two, for Students—that 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 children’s 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.