SA4C2      Half Unit
Basic Education for Social Development

This information is for the 2016/17 session.

Teacher responsible

Prof Anthony Hall OLD2.28

Availability

This course is available on the MSc in Development Management, MSc in Development Studies, MSc in Health, Community and Development, MSc in Social Policy (Research), MSc in Social Policy and Development and MSc in Social Policy and Development: Non-Governmental Organisations. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.

The course is capped at 30 students

Pre-requisites

Work experience in a developing country is highly desirable but not essential.

 

Course content

The course is designed to examine the role of basic education in developing countries as it relates to social development and social policy. Content of the course includes: the history of education and current problems in developing countries, links between basic education and socio-economic development, primary schooling, decentralization policies, non-formal and vocational education, adult literacy, popular education for grassroots development, environmental education, ICT, and foreign aid in supporting basic education.

Teaching

15 hours of lectures and 15 hours of seminars in the LT. 1 hour and 30 minutes of lectures in the ST.

Formative coursework

In addition to seminar presentations and the assessed essay, students are required to write an unassessed (formative) essay for the course.

Indicative reading

A Hall & J Midgley, Social Policy for Development, 2004, chapter 5; K Watkins, The Oxfam Education Report, 2000; UNICEF, The State of the World's Children: Education, 2006; UNESCO, Education For All Global Monitoring Report, 2010; K Tomasevski, Education Denied, 2003; L Kane, Popular Education and Social Change in Latin America, 2001; A Banerjee & E Duflo, Poor Economics, 2011 (chapter 5); S Graham-Brown, Education in the Developing World: Conflict and Crisis, 1991; M Todaro, Economics for a Developing World, 2000, chapter 9; H Patrinos & D Ariasingam, Decentralisation of Education: Demand-Side Funding, 1997; J Huckle & S Sterling (Eds), Education for Sustainability, 1996; L Pritchett The Rebirth of Education, 2013; N Selwyn. Education in a Digital World, 2013

Assessment

Exam (75%, duration: 2 hours) in the main exam period.
Essay (25%, 2500 words) in the ST.

Students are required to choose a topic of their own interest for the essay.

Student performance results

(2012/13 - 2014/15 combined)

Classification % of students
Distinction 12.5
Merit 46.6
Pass 38.6
Fail 2.3

Key facts

Department: Social Policy

Total students 2015/16: 18

Average class size 2015/16: 9

Controlled access 2015/16: Yes

Value: Half Unit

Guidelines for interpreting course guide information

Personal development skills

  • Team working
  • Problem solving
  • Communication
  • Application of numeracy skills
  • Specialist skills

Course survey results

(2012/13 - 2014/15 combined)

1 = "best" score, 5 = "worst" score

The scores below are average responses.

Response rate: 100%

Question

Average
response

Reading list (Q2.1)

2.8

Materials (Q2.3)

2.2

Course satisfied (Q2.4)

2.4

Lectures (Q2.5)

2.6

Integration (Q2.6)

2.4

Contact (Q2.7)

2.1

Feedback (Q2.8)

2.2

Recommend (Q2.9)

Yes

40%

Maybe

45%

No

15%