TEDxTempleU - Abiola Adeola - Education and Development
A speaker argues that education is crucial for development, citing illiteracy in subsaharan Africa as a key impediment to freedom. This argument is supported by evidence showing education improves health, supports democracy, and increases wages, while demanding that citizens actively pressure their governments to act.
## Speakers & Context
- Abola, a senior at Temple, who visited 11 countries by sea, is expected to speak.
- Speaker is giving a presentation on the importance of education in development.
## Theses & Positions
- Development is not just financial or technological progress; fundamentally, it is *Freedom*.
- Education is one of the key freedoms that determines development, and illiteracy acts as a direct impediment to people's freedom.
- The power to effect positive change resides within each individual citizen, necessitating that citizens actively pressure governments.
- Idealism is necessary to recognize the immense potential within people to achieve great feats.
## Concepts & Definitions
- **Development:** Defined by Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen as *Freedom*; it is the means to the end of achieving freedom.
- **Literacy:** A quantifiable metric of educational attainment used to gauge national development status.
- **Vicious Cycle of armed conflict and poverty:** Education has the potential to break this cycle by replacing the fear of war with the hope of a viable future.
- **Idealism:** Presented as a necessary mindset, particularly when advocating for civic action regarding governance.
## Mechanisms & Processes
- **Colonial Exploitation:** King Leopold III of Belgium scoped out Congo, hired Henry Morton Stanley (an English agent), who used charisma, gifts, and military prowess to convince local Chiefs to sign away rights/land via treaties.
- **Historical Leverage:** The signing of treaties by illiterate Chiefs highlights how illiteracy can be politically manipulated.
- **Development Indicators:** Education leads to measurable gains across sectors:
- **Health:** Primary education reduces the likelihood of contracting HIV by more than half.
- **Democracy:** Education supports civil society growth and enables people to learn and exercise rights.
- **Economy:** Each additional year of schooling correlates with a 10% higher wage, contributing to national economic growth.
## Timeline & Sequence
- Historical example: King Leopold III's control over Congo, facilitated by treaties signed by Chiefs.
- Data point: **38%** of subsaharan African adults (15+) are illiterate (compared to world average of **17%**).
- Data point: **71%** of adults in Bénin are illiterate.
- Historical comparison: Countries need an adult literacy rate of at least **40%** for continuous/rapid national economic growth.
## Named Entities
- **King Leopold III of Belgium:** Man who managed to make the Congo an extension of his personal property.
- **Congo:** The nation that was carved out and exploited by Leopold III.
- **Henry Morton Stanley:** English agent hired by Leopold III to conduct groundwork.
- **Chief mulam nyama** and **Chief maanu:** Two specific chiefs mentioned who fought for their people's freedom.
- **Amartya Sen:** Nobel Laureate who defined development as *Freedom*.
- **UNESCO Declaration on the right to basic education:** States the right to education as a fundamental human right.
- **UNICEF:** Organization stating that states are ultimately accountable for providing basic education to their citizens.
- **Persian American Bar Mascan:** Person who issued a quote about ignorance and apathy.
- **Archbishop Desmond Tutu:** Distinguished lecturer who addressed the student group during the speaker's travel.
## Numbers & Data
- Subsaharan Africa illiteracy rate: **38%** (for adults aged 15+).
- World average illiteracy rate: **17%**.
- Bénin illiteracy rate: **71%** (for adults).
- Wage increase per schooling year: **10%**.
- Required literacy rate for continuous growth: **40%**.
## Examples & Cases
- **The Congo Case:** Illustrates how King Leopold III used treaties, signed by illiterate Chiefs, to claim the entire nation.
- **HIV Prevention:** Young people with primary education are less than half as likely to contract HIV as those with little or no schooling.
- **Healthier Mothers:** Educated mothers are correlated with having healthier children.
- **International Law:** Citing Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights establishing the right to education.
- **Diplomatic Observation:** The contrast between the state accountability (UNICEF) and the necessity of citizen action.
## Tools, Tech & Products
- None mentioned.
## References Cited
- **Centre for Global Development** — Source of facts used in the presentation.
- **2011 UNESCO education for all report** — Source of facts used in the presentation.
- **Universal Declaration of Human Rights** — Cites Article 26 regarding the right to education.
- **UNESCO Declaration on the right to basic education** — Source stating education is a fundamental human right.
## Trade-offs & Alternatives
- **Development Definition:** Trading the narrow financial/technological view for the broader concept of *Freedom*.
- **Civic Responsibility:** The tension between trusting government mandates and recognizing that citizens must exert pressure on governments.
## Counterarguments & Caveats
- It would be too simplistic to attribute Congo's colonization solely to the illiteracy of the Chiefs.
- Some people may feel they are not called to solve educational problems, preferring to focus on food security, unemployment, or conflict instead.
## Methodology
- **Historical Case Study:** Using the Congo to demonstrate the destructive power of unchecked authority and illiteracy.
- **Data Presentation:** Utilizing quantitative statistics (illiteracy rates, wage increases) to support ideological arguments.
- **Rhetorical Shift:** Moving from abstract philosophy (Sen) to concrete actions (government accountability, citizen pressure).
## Conclusions & Recommendations
- Education is the primary vehicle for achieving *Freedom*.
- Citizens must recognize their role in governance and create awareness to pressure governments to prioritize education.
- The primary call to action is to be idealistic, believing in the potential for positive change.
## Implications & Consequences
- Continued educational deficits in regions like Bénin directly impair the population's freedom and limit national economic growth.
- Ignoring education leads to the continuation of cycles of poverty and exploitation, echoing historical patterns like those in the Congo.
## Verbatim Moments
- *"Once Upon a Time One Man somehow succeeded in making an entire nation his personal property the man in question is King leopol III of Belgium and the nation is what is today known as the Congo."*
- *"I will highlight one point from the story and discuss how this is relevant today looking at the story of the Congo it struck me just how critical the signed treaties were to leoo success those treaties were signed by illiterate Chiefs who barely understood what they were signing"*
- *"education is one of the freedoms that determine development"*
- *"development involves so much more"*
- *"I will quote facts obtained from the center for Global development and the 2011 UNESCO education for all report"*
- *"education leads to improved Health... educated mothers have healthier children"*
- *"education leads to democracy and the political stability"*
- *"in many poor countries with each additional year of schooling people earn 10% higher wages"*
- *"who makes up the government isn't all citizens"*
- *"ignorance and apathy are two of the most expensive deadly and destructive weapons of mass destruction in the world"*
- *"continue to be idealistic dream dream the craziest dreams"*
- *"I need to be idealistic his belief in me helped me to believe in myself"*