Ukrainian School Teachers against Computer Science
by
on August 29, 2008,
Today we have a very peculiar piece of news from Ukraine - both funny and at the same time very sad. Same as the rest of the world Ukraine is getting ready for the back to school day. In the meanwhile teachers in the region of Dnepropetrovsk participated in a conference of educators on Wednesday.
The questions discussed at the conference included equipping schools with computers and teaching children the basics of computer science in schools. The results of the discussion are just plain shocking to me: 30% of teachers are totally against any computer science at schools at all.
These shocking results actually have a very simple explanation: the teachers interrogated are mostly in their late 40s and early 50s (or even older) nearing their retirement. Thus their own computer literacy is far from perfect: only 12% of respondents appraised their own computer skills as sufficient and 15% thought their skills were adequate to teach children some basics of using a computer.
It is obvious that educators will hardly ever want to teach children something they don’t understand themselves (or often understand much worse than children in classes) or have poor skills in. And the problem becomes even more paradoxical given the fact that the majority of schools in the region (98%) are already equipped with computer classes while 86% enjoy internet access as well. So even with all the resources required teachers are unable to help children handle computers even at a level of a basic user.
This sounds like a very serious problem (and the same is true here in Russia): in order to teach children use computer (some standard applications and basics of the internet), educators themselves should have a certain level of knowledge in the fields. And given the low remuneration of teachers, the majority of them are older people that are either unable or unwilling to even try to comprehend what a computer is - let alone internet along with all the dangers widely discussed in traditional media. And thus the protests: the teachers simply understand they will have to attend some courses themselves to be able to teach anything first - and this additional load is not something they want their brains to have.
Unfortunately it is obvious that to some countries projects like One Laptop Per Child will be of no help since the problems are much deeper.
Via (in Russian), image used under Creative Commons
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Svetlana Gladkova
Opensource 
Michael Fidler 
@silpol: Very true, collapse of the USSR heavily damaged all the fields of our lives here, including education. And that is partly because of our governments looking to other countries (including the US) for examples. I actually experienced this basic computer education myself from a teacher who thought she had “sufficient knowledge” to teach us some basics. As a result I thought I’d never approach a PC again unless I absolutely have to. And now every time that I choose between a new laptop or a new fur coat I end up with the laptop
I’m not surprised that 3rd of all Ukrainian teachers had denied to go along computer education - the whole education thing has been raped and pillaged since collapse of USSR, so no surprise it goes this way… Sadly enough, somehow it is all along American scenario where they also have troubles in health and education budgeting… Too much looking into American mouth?