Shely

WyattShely
Mr.Arnold
LBST2102H75
29April2016
GlobalizationofEducation:EconomicImpactsinSubSaharanAfrica
Theeffectsofglobalizationarebecomingincreasinglyprevalentastheworldcontinues
tomodernizethroughtheaidoftechnologicalinnovation.ManfredSteger,inGlobalization,
referstoglobalizationastheexpansionandintensificationofsocialrelationsandconsciousness
acrossworldtimeandworldspace(15).Aplethoraofforcesincreasethevolumeand
influenceofglobalization;thepursuitofeducationisaprimeexample.EllenJohnsonSirleafs
educationalpedigree,outlinedinhermemoir,ThisChildWillBeGreat,solidifiesthisnotion.
ThroughthecorroborationofSirleafsmemoir,theimpactsofglobalizationofeducationwillbe
identifiedwithaneconomicfocusinregionsofsubSaharanAfrica.Criticallyanalyzingthe
effectsofthebraindrain,identifyingthefavorableaspectsofeducationoneconomic
development,andaddressingwhetherglobalizationofeducationisbeneficialforsubSaharan
Africa,willpromotefurtherinquiryintoeducationsroleintheconversationofglobalization.
Wheneconomicdisparitiesincrease,sotodoesthebraindrain.Thisincreasingly
prevalentconcept,particularlyinsubSaharanAfrica,canbedefinedastheemigrationof
highlyskilledandeducatedprofessionals,usuallyfromdevelopingcountriestodeveloped
countries,totakeadvantageofbettersocialandeconomicopportunities(ShumbaandMaewere
108).Itmayresultwhenstudentsfromdevelopingcountriesdecidetostudyabroad,andthen
stayabroadoncetheygraduate.Thisisduetotheirpursuitofbetterjobopportunities,aswellas

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improvingtheirstandardofliving.Theeffectsofthebraindrainarepartlycausedby
deterioratingeconomicconditions,lackofgoodgovernanceandpoliticalinstability(Tessema
131).Highlyskilledlaborershavetheabilitytoliveincountrieswithbetterconditions.This
lackofhumancapital,witheducationbeingakeycomponent,preventstheabilitytobuilda
foundationofsustainabledevelopment(Tessema131).Thecompoundednatureofthebrain
draincanbecharacterizedbyacatch22scenario.ManysubSaharancountries,somemore
thanothers,areexperiencingthedebilitatingeffectsofthebraindrain.
AftergainingtheirindependencefromEthiopiain1993,Eritreabecametheyoungest
subSaharanAfricancountry.OnefourthofalltheEritreans,manythatwerehighlyskilled
laborers,livedinexileoverseasduringthedecadesofwar,fightingforindependence.
Unfortunately,whenEritreawasfinallyformed,therewasashortageofhighlyskilledworkers.
Inordertoaddressthisconcern,theEritreangovernmentcreatednumeroushumandevelopment
programs,includingthousandsofoverseasscholarships,inordertoenhancethenationshuman
capital:
As a result of these efforts by the government, the educational levels in the
Eritrean civil service looked brighter in the first ten years after independence. In
1994, barely a year after independence, about 8 per cent of the total permanent
civil servants were illiterate; only 6 per cent had a BA degree or higher, while
about 52 per cent were at least high-school graduates. However, as of March
2002, only 0.8 per cent of the total permanent civil servants were illiterate, about
11 per cent had at least a BA degree while about 73 per cent were at least highschool graduates. (Tessema 132, 133)

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The results of the human development programs appeared promising for Eritrea.
However, what the government did not predict was the fact that over half the people that were
given overseas scholarships through these programs would never return. Eritrea was
experiencing the brain drain. An increasing number of highly skilled Eritreans working in
public service are leaving due to high inflation in the country. Tessema notes that the brain
drain in sub-Saharan countries may continue unless there is an accountable, transparent, and
responsible government (151). The main goal of governments that are experiencing the brain
drain in their countries should be focused upon creating an environment that not only educates
its populous, but also attracts educated and highly skilled human capital. As one may determine
by the example of Eritrea, solely outsourcing education through the supply of overseas
scholarships is not a sustainable method of economic development.
Eritreaisnottheonlynationsuccumbingtotheeffectsofthebraindrain.Muchof
subSaharanAfrica,includingSouthAfricaandZimbabwe,areexperiencingthesedebilitating
conditions.SimilartoEritrea,thefactorsmostlikelycausingthebraindraininZimbabweare
lowremuneration,lowjobsatisfaction,collapseoffunding,thepoliticalclimateanddeclining
currencyexchangeregimes(ShumbaandMaewere107).Thisfurtherexemplifiestheneedfor
anaccountableandresponsiblegovernmentwhencombattingthebraindrain.SouthAfricas
experiencewiththebraindrainhaspromptednewchallengesconcerningwaystopreventthe
negativeaspectsofthiscondition.TheireconomyismoremodernizedthanmostsubSaharan
Africannations,yettheyarestillconflictedbytheoccurrenceofstudentsstayingabroadonce
theyhavecompletedtheireducationabroad.Inordertoreversethisfact,theSouthAfrican
governmenthasattemptedtomakeemigrationmoredifficult.Unexpectedly,thishas
[increased]studentsprobabilityofleavingthecountry(MattesandMniki25).Amore

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effectivestrategywouldinvolvethegovernmentbecomingmorepositiveandtransparent.Itis
criticalthatthegovernmenttakestheinitiativetocommunicatetotheirhighlyskilledyoung
SouthAfricans,thatthecountryofferspeoplesuchasthemselvesabrightfuturefortheir
families,includinggoodqualityschoolsandmedicalservicesandaffordablehousing,andthat
theywillhaveampleopportunitiestoputtheirskillstofulluseandberewardedaccordingly
(MattesandMniki45).Thebraindrainisamultifacetedissuethatrequiresamultifaceted
solution.Attheheartofthesolutionisanaccountablegovernmentthatisexcellentat
communicatingthenationsbenefitstoitscitizens,especiallythosethatarehighlyskilled.
EllenJohnsonSirleafsacademiccareerfurtherillustratesthebraindraininher
memoir,ThisChildWillBeGreat.Earlyinthememoir,thecomplexitiesofeducationinregards
toglobalizationareoutlined.ThroughtheliteratureonSirleafsearlylife,itwasevidentthatin
Liberia,educationwasaprivilege.Thisprivilegewasgiventothefamilieswithpoliticalpower
andwealth.Thepoor,generationaftergeneration,weredeprivedofexperiencingthisvaluable
asset,resultinginalackofeducationforalargemajorityoftheLiberianpopulation.Unlikethe
majorityofLiberianchildren,Sirleafsfatherheldpoliticalpowerduringherhighschoolyears.
ThisallowedhertoattendtheCollegeofWestAfricainLiberia,aschoolthatonlythe
privilegedandwellconnectedcouldattend(Sirleaf27).AlthoughSirleafrecognizedthis
schoolasanexcellentsourceofeducation,shealsowasconsciouslyawarethatitwasanelitist
one(Sirleaf58).LaterinSirleafslife,shewasblessedwiththeopportunitytoadvanceher
education,specificallyinpublicadministrationandeconomics,atHarvardUniversityin
Cambridge,MassachusettsintheUnitedStates.BeforeattendingHarvard,shehadtocomplete
undergraduatecourseworkattheEconomicsInstituteinBoulder,Colorado(Sirleaf56).

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Clearly,thepursuitofeducationinSirleafslifeactedasavehicleforglobalization,aswellas
thebraindrain.

Fortunately

forLiberia,EllenJohnsonSirleafreturnedtoherhomenationlaterinherlifetoutilizeher
educationforthebenefitoftheLiberianpeople.Throughherdeterminationandresponsibility
forLiberia,Sirleafwasnotaproductofthebraindrain.Instead,sheworkedtobuildLiberias
mainsourceofopportunitytoescapepoverty,asolideducationsystem.Shewasawareofthe
factthatafineprimaryeducationhasthepowertoopentheworldtoinfinitepossibilities(Sirleaf
10).EventhechildrenonthestreetsofLiberia,whenaskedwhattheywantedmostinlife,
resoundinglystated,Iwanttolearn...Iwantaneducation(Sirleaf277).Alargepartof
Sirleafssolutiontobuildstronghumancapitalthatcouldreversethecorruptionandpovertyin
Liberia,aswellassupporteconomicdevelopment,waseducation.
Every society, every geographical region, is aware that education can enhance
development through the decrease of poverty, and the increase in skilled human capital. The
findings of Jung, Cho, and Roberts, studying poverty in the Southern United States, have
concluded that poverty rates have been reduced by the expansion in education funding (Jung
253). Similarly, it has been found that China is experiencing a rapid decrease in poverty through
the support of primary education (Song 105). From these findings, one may conclude that
funding targeted toward education is beneficial in the aid of impoverished societies. The 1989
Convention on the Rights of the Child, under the United Nations, also recognized the need for
primary education to be made compulsory and freely available to all (Burnett 270). Taking
into account immense similarities of these preceding conclusions, governments of
underdeveloped countries should focus on strategies that provide quality primary schooling for
all of their citizens. The upside of increasing the literacy rate while decreasing the poverty rate

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clearly outweighs the initial cost of supplying free primary education. In the long run, all
societies will benefit from the investment in the young populations education.
Although primary education is critical in the decrease of poverty, secondary and tertiary
education is necessary to build the skills needed to speed up the economic development process
from a human capital standpoint. Contrary to the World Banks focus on primary education for
development, some researchers suggest that it is higher education that is relevant for long term
development (Gyimah-Brempong 219). This is due to the fact that this higher quality education
leads to higher average incomes, and more effectively increases the rate at which development
occurs. Although Gymiah-Brempong notes the benefits of investing in tertiary education
systems, the advantages of lower levels of education are highlighted as well, specifically in
regards to the benefits of preventative health (233). Sub-Saharan nations struggling with
economic development must focus on investing in various forms of education, from primary to
tertiary education. The more focus and capital directed toward investments in education the
faster poverty will be reduced, and the rate of economic development will increase. In essence,
higher quality of human capital will lead to a more developed economy.
Through the consideration of the effects of the brain drain and the involvement of
education in the growth of economic development, one may more accurately comprehend the
complex nature of the globalization of education. Sub-Saharan Africans that experience the
privilege of studying abroad and then stay abroad once they finish their education in hopes to
raise their standard of living, are participating in the brain drain. The majority of sub-Saharan
Africans that remain in their home countries are negatively effected by this trend. This decrease
in human capital exacerbates the poor economic conditions already inflicting the countries in the
first place. In order to combat this depletion of human capital, sub-Saharan African governments

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must remain accountable, transparent, and responsible. They must also intelligently
communicate the advantages of highly skilled labor remaining in the country. Once the
governments are able to slow the brain drain, and increase their human capital, economic
development will also increase. This effect will compound, and eventually reverse the brain
drain, resulting in a brain gain. Additionally, the governments should invest in education,
from primary to tertiary education systems. This will speed up economic development and raise
human capital.

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Works Cited
Burnett, Nicholas. "Education for All an Imperative for Reducing Poverty." Annals of the New York
Academy of Sciences. 1136.1 (2008): 269-275. Print.
Gyimah-Brempong, Kwabena. "Education and Economic Development in Africa*." African
Development Review. 23.2 (2011): 219-236. Print.
Jung, Suhyun, Seong-Hoon Cho, and Roland K. Roberts. "The Impact of Government Funding of
Poverty Reduction Programmes." Papers in Regional Science. 94.3 (2015). Print.
Mattes, Robert, and Namhla Mniki. "Restless Minds: South African Students and the Brain Drain."
Development Southern Africa. 24.1 (2007): 25-46. Print.
Shumba, Almon, and Douglas Mawere. "The Causes and Impact of the Brain Drain in Institutions of
Higher Learning in Zimbabwe." International Migration. 50.4 (2012): 107-123. Print.
Sirleaf, Ellen J. This Child Will Be Great: Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa's First Woman
President. New York: Harper, 2009. Print.
Song, Yang. "Poverty Reduction in China: The Contribution of Popularizing Primary Education." China
& World Economy. 20.1 (2012): 105-122. Print.
Steger, Manfred B. Globalization: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003.
Print.
Tessema, Mussie. "Causes, Challenges and Prospects of Brain Drain: the Case of Eritrea." International
Migration. 48.3 (2010): 131-157. Print.

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