ongolia has an educational gap unlike many other developing countries. Fewer boys attend school than girls at every level of education, with the disparity widening at higher levels of schooling. In many aspects, Mongolia has followed the example of western countries, such as the United States, where women have increasingly surpassed men in educational enrollment rates. This inverse education gap has resulted in Mongolia’s female-dominated professional class, though men still control the top roles in government and business. However, boys living in rural areas are particularly vulnerable to dropping out of school, which creates underemployment, wealth disparities, substance abuse, and increased violence, particularly domestic abuse.
A 2018 World Bank report documented that by reducing the number of male school dropouts a society can lessen poverty and crime rates, while increasing labor market performance. Several areas that could reduce the education gap include: 1) greater funding for education in rural areas; 2) modified curriculums that fit the needs of rural and herding communities; and 3) increased gender equality campaigns that engage both men and women.
Much of the issue with educational disparities in Mongolia lies in the geographic make-up of the population. Mongolia is the least-densely populated country in the world, with an average of two people per square kilometer. Out of Mongolia’s population of three million, half of the population resides in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, with the rest of the population spread out among its vast steppes. Livestock herding and semi-nomadism is still practiced by roughly 25% of the population, which makes educating students in rural areas difficult, as families may live hours away from the nearest town. To combat this, nomadic children are typically educated at boarding schools in larger towns. This has been relatively successful, as Mongolia has very high rates of literacy, hovering around 98% of the population.
However, since the early 1990s families have been more dependent on their children for support because educational expenditures for public education have declined significantly. Due to economic instability in the 1990s and early 2000s, boys in particular were pulled out of school to help their families with manual labor such as herding and mining, while girls were encouraged to remain in school and pursue service industry jobs. During the peak of male school dropouts in 2001, girls outnumbered boys at each succeeding level of education, which led to twice as many women being enrolled in university than men. While school dropout rates have decreased in the 20 years since then, 7 women attend university to every 5 men even as of 2019. The high level of female educational attainment in Mongolia is not a deterrent to men’s education. Rather, boys need more institutional support so they can reach equal levels of academic achievement.
Increased school funding in rural areas
In rural areas, boys are twice as likely to drop out of schools than their female counterparts, with family obligations listed as the most common reason for leaving school. Because major disparities in school retention begin at the high school level, the first step to retaining boys in school is to offer more student housing and stipends to support students who must move hours away from their families to provincial capitals during secondary education. At the same time, parents will be more willing to keep their children enrolled in schools if they feel that the skills they are learning will be applicable to their future professions, namely herding.
Modifying curriculums to fit student needs
Mongolia, like many countries, navigates a delicate balance between retaining traditional livelihood and keeping pace with a service-oriented world. Public schools in Mongolia, particularly those in the countryside, often struggle to teach practical skills applicable to their students’ lives, such as basic finances and land management. This leaves students in educational limbo. More flexible curriculums that allow students to engage in learning pertinent to their needs would greatly benefit them. For herders, this translates to a greater emphasis on financial literacy, animal husbandry, and environmental science, including climate change. While rural schools are hard-pressed to allocate resources elsewhere as they struggle to meet national standards, more targeted educational expenditures would provide greater benefits to students and their communities.
Gender Equality Campaigns
Closing gender gaps in education will benefit all of Mongolian society. However, it is important to recognize the impediments ahead in achieving gender equality. While societal obstacles remain for men, women still face inherent sexism. According to the United Nations Population Fund, women make up around 90% of victims of all forms of reported violence. Mongolian boys deserve role models that understand their needs and situations; as in other countries, a push for increased male mentoring programs in schools and more male teachers at the primary level of education will provide tangible systems of support for boys to emulate. At the same time, both women and men need to be included in conversations about education policy to ensure everyone has equal access to all levels of society.
There is no guarantee that increasing the number of boys enrolled in school will rectify sexism in Mongolia. However, educational attainment organizations such as the Central Asia Institute see two major benefits of emphasizing male education. First, by educating people regardless of gender the entire community is uplifted. Second, by teaching boys alongside their female counterparts, they learn to respect the women around them. By providing boys with the resources they need to succeed in a changing society, Mongolia will move one step closer to providing all children with the opportunity to create change.
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Mongolia’s Reverse Gender Gap
Photo by Adli Wahid via Unsplash.
July 22, 2020
M
ongolia has an educational gap unlike many other developing countries. Fewer boys attend school than girls at every level of education, with the disparity widening at higher levels of schooling. In many aspects, Mongolia has followed the example of western countries, such as the United States, where women have increasingly surpassed men in educational enrollment rates. This inverse education gap has resulted in Mongolia’s female-dominated professional class, though men still control the top roles in government and business. However, boys living in rural areas are particularly vulnerable to dropping out of school, which creates underemployment, wealth disparities, substance abuse, and increased violence, particularly domestic abuse.
A 2018 World Bank report documented that by reducing the number of male school dropouts a society can lessen poverty and crime rates, while increasing labor market performance. Several areas that could reduce the education gap include: 1) greater funding for education in rural areas; 2) modified curriculums that fit the needs of rural and herding communities; and 3) increased gender equality campaigns that engage both men and women.
Much of the issue with educational disparities in Mongolia lies in the geographic make-up of the population. Mongolia is the least-densely populated country in the world, with an average of two people per square kilometer. Out of Mongolia’s population of three million, half of the population resides in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, with the rest of the population spread out among its vast steppes. Livestock herding and semi-nomadism is still practiced by roughly 25% of the population, which makes educating students in rural areas difficult, as families may live hours away from the nearest town. To combat this, nomadic children are typically educated at boarding schools in larger towns. This has been relatively successful, as Mongolia has very high rates of literacy, hovering around 98% of the population.
However, since the early 1990s families have been more dependent on their children for support because educational expenditures for public education have declined significantly. Due to economic instability in the 1990s and early 2000s, boys in particular were pulled out of school to help their families with manual labor such as herding and mining, while girls were encouraged to remain in school and pursue service industry jobs. During the peak of male school dropouts in 2001, girls outnumbered boys at each succeeding level of education, which led to twice as many women being enrolled in university than men. While school dropout rates have decreased in the 20 years since then, 7 women attend university to every 5 men even as of 2019. The high level of female educational attainment in Mongolia is not a deterrent to men’s education. Rather, boys need more institutional support so they can reach equal levels of academic achievement.
Increased school funding in rural areas
In rural areas, boys are twice as likely to drop out of schools than their female counterparts, with family obligations listed as the most common reason for leaving school. Because major disparities in school retention begin at the high school level, the first step to retaining boys in school is to offer more student housing and stipends to support students who must move hours away from their families to provincial capitals during secondary education. At the same time, parents will be more willing to keep their children enrolled in schools if they feel that the skills they are learning will be applicable to their future professions, namely herding.
Modifying curriculums to fit student needs
Mongolia, like many countries, navigates a delicate balance between retaining traditional livelihood and keeping pace with a service-oriented world. Public schools in Mongolia, particularly those in the countryside, often struggle to teach practical skills applicable to their students’ lives, such as basic finances and land management. This leaves students in educational limbo. More flexible curriculums that allow students to engage in learning pertinent to their needs would greatly benefit them. For herders, this translates to a greater emphasis on financial literacy, animal husbandry, and environmental science, including climate change. While rural schools are hard-pressed to allocate resources elsewhere as they struggle to meet national standards, more targeted educational expenditures would provide greater benefits to students and their communities.
Gender Equality Campaigns
Closing gender gaps in education will benefit all of Mongolian society. However, it is important to recognize the impediments ahead in achieving gender equality. While societal obstacles remain for men, women still face inherent sexism. According to the United Nations Population Fund, women make up around 90% of victims of all forms of reported violence. Mongolian boys deserve role models that understand their needs and situations; as in other countries, a push for increased male mentoring programs in schools and more male teachers at the primary level of education will provide tangible systems of support for boys to emulate. At the same time, both women and men need to be included in conversations about education policy to ensure everyone has equal access to all levels of society.
There is no guarantee that increasing the number of boys enrolled in school will rectify sexism in Mongolia. However, educational attainment organizations such as the Central Asia Institute see two major benefits of emphasizing male education. First, by educating people regardless of gender the entire community is uplifted. Second, by teaching boys alongside their female counterparts, they learn to respect the women around them. By providing boys with the resources they need to succeed in a changing society, Mongolia will move one step closer to providing all children with the opportunity to create change.
