Education: the best anti-poverty program there is

Among the many fascinating people I encounter as a journalist, meeting Mary Njoroge, Kenya's former Director of Basic Education and leader of the Abolition of School Fees Initiative, represents a highlight.

First, to be a woman going against the grain in a patriarchal society cast Ms. Njoroge as a revolutionary in a culture often apathetic to the plight of women. She's not alone. It is mostly women's groups and NGOs (non-governmental organizations) building the foundation of educational excellence in Kenya.

To view how far the country has gone, in 2003, Kenya had one million children attending schools, now it has 86 million! Yes, 93 percent of all school-age children are in school.

As Njoroge spoke, it was clear that abolishing fees and opening education to everyone was just the beginning of a steep challenge. In northern Kenya, nomadic communities require the Kenyan government to think out the box, hiring teachers who can follow the tribes as they move in search of grass and water for their animals. Boarding schools are another solution although it separates the family and convincing Kenyan parents to leave their girls behind is a tough challenge. Far too often, girls are seen as the workhorses of the family or a prize to be married off to the highest bidder. The scourge of HIV/AIDS has orphaned families and often a girl must choose between an education and bringing up her brothers and sisters. Working with imans is another challenge.

"They still don't get it," Njoroge said of the struggle to convince religious leaders that even the pious will do better learning to read and write.

Six decades ago, the Universal Declaration on Human Rights declared that everyone has the right to an education. Today, there are over 70 million children in the world still without this basic human right. That's horrible. And its why we all ought to be banking on the success of a global fund set up to pay for educational access for all in poor countries.

Learning Mandarin

When Seattle Public School Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson met with the Seattle Times Editorial Board today, I asked her about a new foreign language program and any potential conflicts posed by China's language-teaching agency, Hanban and American public schools. There are 60 Confucius Classrooms and university-level Confucius Institute programs in the U.S.

Goodloe-Johnson responded that she was more swayed by the prospect of more increased foreign language opportunities and the sight of African American children at Denny Middle School standing on the stage speaking Chinese. She's got a point. Foreign language profiency ought to be de rigeur in American education. Mandarin is the most spoken language in the world with more than a billion speakers. Emerging markets in Asia heighten the need to know at least one Asian language. Students wanting to pick up a second or third language would do well to choose Mandarin.

There are cognitive advantages to speaking a foreign language, some outlined in this interview. The earlier children pick it up the better. More children are studying a second language, according to this article, although it doesn't quantify the growth.

I've heard a smattering of concern that China may use this program to somehow influence American education and policy. I think the more likely event is that our children will learn more about the language and cultures of the world around them.

How important is speaking multiple languages to you? Are foreign languages part of your educational aspirations for your children?

Did you take a kid (yours or one borrowed) to work today?

In this anxiety-ridden times it seems like anything, no matter how well intended, can spur hand-wringing. January 22, 2010 is national Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day but fears ranging from kids catching or spreading the swine flu or misssing a class lesson key to passing a high-stakes test, convinced some parents to do otherwise. Some school administrators urged parents to keep their kids in school.

I don't think the day setaside to introduce kids to the workplace is as big a deal as it used to be. I don't think I saw a single kid at my company.

The Foundation behind this annual day has a great website chock full of ideas on how to make a day at work meaningful and enjoyable for a 10 year old. Maybe next year I'll do this. This year, flying back from Kentucky last night, I was hard-pressed to get myself to work this a.m., let alone my kid.

Inspire me for next year. If you took your son or daughter to work, tell me how it worked out. Or if you spotted kids at your workplace, what was your impression?

Must see movie: Why Did I Get Married

I didn't expect anything less from Tyler Perry and his new movie, "Why Did I get Married Too," than a hilariously-crazy, hot mess ably portrayed by good-looking and well-dressed actors.

My spirits were dampened somewhat by this New York Times review, but in my estimation the reviewer got it wrong. The sequel to "Why Did I get Married?" hit all the levels of pathos in American life and marriage. That Tyler is really focusing on black American life and marriage may be why the reviewer didn't get it.

I got it all. The struggle of black couples, many the first in their generation to attend college, earn professional credentials and acquire financial power and all the trappings of success - while not losing your soul, the very essence of who you are - is a very real struggle many of us go through on the regular.

I identified with some, ok many, of the characters' longings for love and familial stability. They each expressed their needs differently, but the same search for something - God knows what - that drives many of us, were in full view here.
Janet Jackson's character fought for control and while she never lost, irreparable damage was the price she paid. The challenges faced by the four couples are familiar. Love tested by economic hardship and male pride; been there done that. Commitment tested by the desire to have it all, right now, check that off my list.

I love that Tyler portrays black men as smart, sexy and emotionally available enough to be befuddled, and yes hurt, by the women they love. The men use humor, not all of it actually funny, to get through the tough times but that too rang true to me. Women pour a glass of wine and discuss their issues directly, including naming names. Men don't do that. The closest a man will get to saying his wife is getting on his last nerve is to joke about it with the fellas. The joking may seem stilted or forced, but it is what lies beneath the jokes that is at the heart of those scenes.

Check out the movie, its a fun way to spend a couple of hours. We'll all have our favorite scenes and lines. The airport scene is a hot mess and hilarious. But the best part of the movie for me was gazing upon Cicely Tyson's gorgeous face shaped by a halo of white, luscious hair and knowing that advanced age is going to look good on me.

One last thing, maybe the vodka martini I had with lunch was affecting my cognition but I didn't see the syrupy ending that the New York Times reviewer criticized. The ending felt more like a version of finding the will to go on. The road wouldn't be easy but it would be the one to travel. Can't wait to hear what you thought of the movie.