Simon McGrath

Available open access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence. This book examines how education can drive change for marginalized communities across the Global South. Drawing on evidence from 67 projects in India, Rwanda, Somaliland/Somalia and South Africa, the book shows how education can expand youth livelihoods, strengthen sustainable cities and advance climate action. Yet for education to fulfil this role, it must be reimagined—tackling entrenched inequalities of class, caste, clan, gender, race, rurality and indigeneity. Arguing for more democratic, public and inclusive forms of education, the book calls for research that prioritises collaboration and equity over top-down models, offering a bold new agenda for transformative practice.

EPDF and EPUB available Open Access under CC-BY-NC-ND licence. The transition to more just and sustainable development requires radical change across a wide range of areas and particularly within the nexus between learning and work. This book takes an expansive view of vocational education and training that goes beyond the narrow focus of much of the current literature and policy debate. Drawing on case studies across rural and urban settings in Uganda and South Africa, the book offers a new way of seeing this issue through an exploration of the multiple ways in which people learn to have better livelihoods. Crucially, it explores learning that takes place informally online, within farmers’ groups, and in public and private educational institutions. Offering new insights and ways of thinking about this field, the book draws out clear implications for theory, policy and practice in Africa and beyond.

Focusing on reimagining the purpose of vocational education and training (VET) and grounded in the reality of a small cohort of young South Africans and an institution seeking to serve them, Skills for Human Development moves beyond the inadequacies of the dominant human capital orthodoxy to present a rich theoretical and practical alternative for VET. Offering a human development and capability approach, it brings social justice to the forefront of the discussion of VET’s purpose at the national, institutional and individual levels. In doing so, this book insists that VET should be about enlarging peoples’ opportunities to live a flourishing life, rather than simply being about narrow employability and productivity. It argues that human development approaches, while acknowledging the importance of work in its broadest sense, offer a better way of bringing together VET and development than the current human capital-inspired orthodoxy. Offering a transformative vision for skills development, this book: Considers the potential contribution skills development could make to broader human development, as well as to economic development Points to an alternative approach to the current and flawed deficit assumptions of VET learners Presents for the first time an alternative evaluative frame for judging VET purpose and quality Presents a timely account of current vocational and education training that is high on the agenda of international policymakersTaking a broad perspective, Skills for Human Development presents a comprehensive and unique framework which bridges theory, policy and practice to give VET institutions a new way of thinking about their practice, and VET policymakers a new way of engaging with global messages of sustainable human development. It is a vital resource for those working on the human development and skills approach in multiple disciplines and offers a grounding framework for international policymakers interested in this growing area.

Focusing on reimagining the purpose of vocational education and training (VET) and grounded in the reality of a small cohort of young South Africans and an institution seeking to serve them, Skills for Human Development moves beyond the inadequacies of the dominant human capital orthodoxy to present a rich theoretical and practical alternative for VET. Offering a human development and capability approach, it brings social justice to the forefront of the discussion of VET’s purpose at the national, institutional and individual levels. In doing so, this book insists that VET should be about enlarging peoples’ opportunities to live a flourishing life, rather than simply being about narrow employability and productivity. It argues that human development approaches, while acknowledging the importance of work in its broadest sense, offer a better way of bringing together VET and development than the current human capital-inspired orthodoxy. Offering a transformative vision for skills development, this book: Considers the potential contribution skills development could make to broader human development, as well as to economic development Points to an alternative approach to the current and flawed deficit assumptions of VET learners Presents for the first time an alternative evaluative frame for judging VET purpose and quality Presents a timely account of current vocational and education training that is high on the agenda of international policymakersTaking a broad perspective, Skills for Human Development presents a comprehensive and unique framework which bridges theory, policy and practice to give VET institutions a new way of thinking about their practice, and VET policymakers a new way of engaging with global messages of sustainable human development. It is a vital resource for those working on the human development and skills approach in multiple disciplines and offers a grounding framework for international policymakers interested in this growing area.

This title explores the place of education in development debates and provides a systematic as well as a theoretical overview of the main approaches to education and development. It emphasises the fact that education is profoundly shaped by national and local cultures even if many issues are shared across institutions in different locations. Education and Development discusses different theoretical accounts from different disciplinary traditions to help students understand the complexity of the overall debate. The text does not shy away from discussions of education’s negative impacts, and insists that an account of education must include consideration of early childhood development, adult, vocational and higher education, as well as the growing range of informal and distance forms. It includes chapters on human capital, human rights and human development, and on education, gender and development, and draws on examples from a wide range of countries and regions such as India, Hong Kong, Kenya and South Africa. The book has a well-developed pedagogy including text boxes, chapter summaries, key questions, links to websites and videos, and annotated further reading sections. Particular attention is paid to ensuring that a plurality of voices, contexts and educational sub-sectors are represented in the boxes, weblinks and references. Education and Development provides an introductory overview to the field, aimed at the undergraduate level, while critically engaging with key themes and questions. The book will also be of interest to development practitioners, policymakers, entrepreneurs and corporate employees engaged in aspects of education and development work.

This title explores the place of education in development debates and provides a systematic as well as a theoretical overview of the main approaches to education and development. It emphasises the fact that education is profoundly shaped by national and local cultures even if many issues are shared across institutions in different locations. Education and Development discusses different theoretical accounts from different disciplinary traditions to help students understand the complexity of the overall debate. The text does not shy away from discussions of education’s negative impacts, and insists that an account of education must include consideration of early childhood development, adult, vocational and higher education, as well as the growing range of informal and distance forms. It includes chapters on human capital, human rights and human development, and on education, gender and development, and draws on examples from a wide range of countries and regions such as India, Hong Kong, Kenya and South Africa. The book has a well-developed pedagogy including text boxes, chapter summaries, key questions, links to websites and videos, and annotated further reading sections. Particular attention is paid to ensuring that a plurality of voices, contexts and educational sub-sectors are represented in the boxes, weblinks and references. Education and Development provides an introductory overview to the field, aimed at the undergraduate level, while critically engaging with key themes and questions. The book will also be of interest to development practitioners, policymakers, entrepreneurs and corporate employees engaged in aspects of education and development work.