GMKCE Reports

Manila, November 2009

Sarah Ma, OC

A Global MK Care and Education Conference was held in Manila, Philippines, November 17-20.  Sponsored by OC International and Philippines Challenge, there were 34 participants, 14 from OC International and the Philippines, from India 5 (4 from Nagaland),  several from NAME (North Africa, Middle East), others from China, Indonesia (including Bandung Intnl School), Spain representing Ibero-Americans, China (Beijing Christian school), Puerto Rico, Bob Pittman from SIL, Polly Ho from OMF, and Martha Macomber from AERC.

Speaker Kyle Stiff, OC Personnel Director

The New Christendom:

The epicenter of Christianity has moved south

This decade evidenced rapid growth of the majority world missions movement

Former receiving countries have become sending countries (India, Philippines, Brazil, Korea, Nigeria)

Global south missionary movements have matured greatly to sustain these movements

Member care Hindrances:  financial , limited MK education

Growth of Majority World Missions Movement – by 2005 70% of missionaries will come from the Majority World

Latin American missions movement – to NAME (North Africa/Middle East)– COMBIBAM

Southeast Asian Missions Movement – tentmakers in incredibly dark areas of the world

Chinese Missions Movement – along the old silk road back to Jerusalem

African Missions Movement – planning their own back to Jerusalem movement – goal of 50,000 missionaries

Nigeria and Malaysia – families with no member care will have problems

Main concerns: care of global MKs and their education

Implications for Global MKs:

Tension 1 – globalization of the missions community

Advantages: expanded worldview

Profound understanding of the diverse world Christ came to redeem

The Gospel does not belong to a single culture

Increased opportunities for language learning and enculturation

Disadvantages – loss of cultural and national identity of their parents

Educational content, style, and values similar to passport culture many not exist in context

Challenging Question:  Will the context for which American MK school systems were built continue to be the most appropriate model or will a more culturally inclusive model need to take its place

Tension 2 – diverse context brought on by creative-access environments

Advantages:  global MKs will have increased context with local community and opportunities to reflect their faith and values

Disadvantages:  loss of close-knit missionary subculture will challenge formation of self-identity

Global MKs may struggle to find a place in which to thrive

Mental health professionals caution that the resulting sense of lonliness and isolation may have far-reaching effects on creative-access MKs

Challenging Question:  Who do I want my child to be culturally, spiritually, academically, vocationally, and in other ways when he or she is 18 years old?

Challenges for Majority World Mission Sending Agencies:

1. Accept the reality of multicultural teams and how that affects the care of global MKs – not just one language or culture on an M team

2. Adjust our personal expectations, motivations, and strategies that global MKs will retain their cultural and national identities – how can they relate to their family back home

3. Partner with parents and provide them with the tools to formulate right questions concerning raising their children as well sources to which they may go for answers

Challenges for global MK caregivers and educators

1. Accept the reality of multinational MK population

2. Create a more culturally inclusive schooling model

Philippines – Meg Alag, ACM (Asian Center for Missions)

Different kinds of missionaries and sending strategies:

Missonaries sent out by church

Overseas Contract Workes - 3000 OCWs leave the country each day for contract work – 9 million work abroad – servanthood of Filipinos is God’s gift to the world

Ms - those with options have their families with them – Filipino-run international schools or other international schools

Most have left their children in the Philippines in regular schools

Partners with ICA (International Christian Academy in Paranaque, and School of Tomorrow (both use  ACE)  – ICA gives a scholarship to MKs and has a homeschooling program and  are tailoring it to missionaries

Meg networks to provide MK care – wealthy Filipinos donate lodging, vacation, theme parks, medical care, treats

MKs use facebook to know each other.

Asia/China:  Polly Ho

AERC Survey – results for Asian families

Total respondents: 69 Asian Families; 7 countries

International school is the most popular/viable option 

It is interesting to see more Asian families are doing home school 

Among them, 6 are using a combination of HS with national and international school

About one-third had short term tutor help

Only 1 family has a full-time tutor

Most of them have supplement tutor help in language and culture i.e. mother lang, Eng, host lang, Maths, etc

In most Asian countries, both English and mother language are required for college admission

Korea: Need records from regular school (not HS curr.) or internet school

Commonwealth countries e.g. SG, HK & MY needs British qualifications e.g. IGCSE

Challenge 1:  Language Learning

Learn mother language, English, mother language & Eng and language required by school in passport country e.g. Malay for MY

Some kids need to learn 3 languages ie Eng, mother lang and host lang e.g. a kid from KR, MY attending local school on field

Need to prepare kids for international school

Parents not English speakers

Lack language learning environment 

Challenge 2:   Effects on Child Development

Homeschool:

Not many kids around; Lack group activities; Not able to participate in competitive sports or collaborative events like plays, performance, etc. 

Local School:

Textbook based, exam oriented and extremely long school hours, lots of homework, little rest and play time 

Others:

Cultural shock/adjustment

Identity development

Changes schools, may need to repeat same grade level, affect child’s self-esteem 

What has been most helpful in meeting educational needs:

Provide Tutors: teach mother language, Eng and both

Materials: mother language, Eng and both

Int’l Sch: allow partial homeschool, family traveled because of work, kids do HS

Others: extended HA, support from private local school during HA, counseling, support from spouse, God/prayers

Observations and Recommendations:

Learn from the experience of senior Asian m. parents and their children

Need more education support for families in new m. fields e.g. China, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, etc. 

Western and Asian partnership e.g. on HS option

Importance of organizations that provide support for non-traditional schooling e.g. AERC

Encourage indigenous MK/TCK edu models that are reproducible e.g. MK Connection, HS curriculum, etc.

Support for lower-income sending countries e.g. PH, IND, CH, etc.

Ibero-America:  Laura Eller

Ibero – includes Spain and Portugal

Many minister in Spain, one of most unevangelized countries in world

Spanish speaking and Portuguese speaking

21 nations with different requirements, expectations, educational requirements

Serving around the world, Spain, Portugal, India, Brazilians to Portuguese speaking countries in Africa

Some are getting educated in their own language, but not in 10/40 window

Challenges – non-educational

Discrimination esp in European countires

Persecution – esp in Central Asia

Financial limitations

Come as missionaries, lose support

Inability to transfer/access to funds

Under-supported and fewer options

Diconnection from family in homeland  (financial/lack of visit options)/ identity crisis

Educational challenges

Language

Validity in home country – biggest issue for Latin Americans

Cost

Future options

      Not prone to do homeschooling, illegal in Spain and other countries

Educational options:

Boarding schools – not popular with Latin Americans

Home schooling – illegal in some countries

National schools

International schools

Preferred is combination of national schools with accredited homeschooling

Moving in the right direction

Iibet – integral training for kids ON the field

www.soleduc.org – ACSI Latin America – what are the options

Spain – Kampa!  Paid camp for Latin Americans in Spain

Recommendations:

Training of agencies and sending churches about OPTIONS for families before they leave

Make sure singles/couples/families know their options BEFORE making a field placement (FUTURE PLANNING)

Needed:

Resources for families – translations

Spanish speaking teachers for coops

Encourage latinos to unite and provide socialization options for their children in Spanish

Reentry materials or programs in-country upon return

Emergency Latino Member Care people on the ground on the field and in –country

India:  Ruby Mangaldos, Interserve

Mumbai, Kolkota, Chennai, Delhi – combined population 50 million

Population 2 billion

28 states and 7 union territories with diversity in dress, language (33, 2000 dialects), culture for each state, 2500 people groups

Background to Indian Missions::

After India’s independence in 1947 missionaries continued to work

In early 1980s government curtailed foreign mnry work, but coincided with Indian Ms in the thousands

Today 50,000 cross0cultural Indian missionaries with 450+ missions, of which 23- are affiliated with IMA

Indian Curriculum:  very much exam oriented and expectation usually very high to achieve well

Application and critical thinking is not generally very much included

Language complexity

Parental desire is the choice of courses and careers – parents choose the career path.

If parents move state to state, the children must learn more languages

Boarding schools

Very much accepted concept and possibly a desired one (sometimes desired because national schools require them to have a tutor, time for parents, boarding school all is covered)

Care for the kids in the dorms – usually untrained personnel are employed for this and at the moment there is no formal training for this

Visits and communications with parents vary (sometimes only once a year or not at all)

Extremely protected environment – not really equipped to face the world after leaving the boarding school

Discipline – harsh – John Barclay says not fair and awful punishments, slapping hands with rulers

Boarding schools:

Anand Niketan-Orissa – boarding school for MKs

Santosh Vidyalaya-Tamil Nadu – 900 students - 90% MKs – started for MKs, initially children boarding at age 5, so early students have hard time, have left the Lord – now mostly remote and native children

Kings and Queens School – 300 students - still developing, sitting on floor; use mobile phones for parents to call children

Why the disparity between Hebron and these schools?  But for the grass roots MKs, the schools are good – 3 meals a day, education

Boarding is not for everyone, must be chosen carefully

Education in local schools:

1. Language compatibility

2. May not have the desired standard

3. Parts of India where there is persecution

4. Safety aspect

5. Approaches to discipline can be harsh

Homeschooling:

1. Government run nonformal Indian open system (NIOS) – standard quite low

2. Use of western homeschooling materials – not compatible with Indian system

3. Parents ability to teach their own children

4. Tension between ministry and children’s education

5. Griha Shiksha – for early years – homeschooling program age 3-8 started by Interserve; Ruby is revising this by June for 3&4 year olds, requests to go further up. She suggests local school and enhance with homeschooling materials

Finance:

1. Reasons for the option of boarding

2. Missions specificationas – m specifies where the child will go

3. Finance for higher education – a major problem

Children’s Care and Education:  Missionary Upholder’s Trust – MUT:

1. Care for the missionaries

2. Mk’s education

3. Providing loans for higher education

4. Since 2006, 100 children have been given financial help

5. MUT MK camp for the scholarship recipients

People Builder’s Trust started in 2006 – provide a one-time gift – for 5000 children foe higher education – from within India

How Best to Care for the Kids:

1. Creating awareness about TCKs and their issues with parents, missions and the children themselves.

2. Guidance for further studies and equipping them to enter the wider world.

3. Spiritual mentoring an ddiscipling.

4. Provide opportunities to discuss/debate issues that are relevant to young people.

Prayer Points:

1. Mk Schools – appropriate training dorm carers and teachers

2. Material made available for mission agencies and parents.  Preparation for boarding , change and transition, reentry understanding, tcks, etc.

3. Available funds for MKs for further education

4. Homeschooling curriculum

5. MKs will accept the love of god and walk in is ways

6. Spiritual mentors for young adult MKs

7. Challenging them for missions within India and outside of India.

We can be overwhelmed with how much needs to be done, but God will lead us step by step.

Korea:  Chiyon Huh, Founding Director of MK Connections

Growing numbers of Korean missionaries (MKs) – from 93 in 1979 (67) to 2008 18,503 (15,000), expect by 2030 100,000 (73,000) – growing 2000 Ms a year

Korean MK workers – 104  (Hankuk – 30, Faith – 17)

Korean MK Schools:

Manila Hankuk Academy – Philippines   1994    120 students after 15 years

Ulaanbaatar MK School – Mongolia     2002  K-8     <70 students

Glovill High School – Korea 2004 60-70 students, 20 MKs

Why is the registration so low with such a need?  Korean universities competitive, kids growing up outside Korea only compete with each other, not all Koreans.  If they are in Korea, they compete with everyone else.  If in international schools have special entrance, but must speak English.  Korean MK schools have difficulty providing English education.

MK Schools with Koran Staff:

Faith Academy (5 full time, 10 part time)

Evergreen International (Uzbek…)

Hope International School  (Kirk…)

BFA

Rift Valley

KIA

…. And more……

MK Care Morganizations in Korea:

MK Nest Ruth Baek – works with independent mission organizaitons

KOMKED Shin-ja Kim – works with denominational mission boards

MK Korea – Helen Choi – MK run group to go beyond what MK Nest could do

MK Care department within mission organizations growing

MK Connection started in 2006 to develop Korean teachers for overseas work

MKBN (MK Builders Network) 2006 in the Philippines – 40 Korean MK workers got together in Manila to network, meet annually

Christian Teacher Organizations in Korea looking at how they can impact world missions:

1. Good Teachers – thousands of Christian teachers meeting together

2. Teachers Evangelical Missions – a mission agency that sends out teachers

3. Teachers in Missions – under CCC umbrella 

Educational Movements

Within Korea:  Christian alternative schools, homeschooling (Book – Meeting the Homeschool Families; other materials being published)

Outside of Korea:  Government sponsored Korean schools and Korean language schools – if enough families,  consulate can provide funds to start a Korean school

MK Care Needs:

1. Network and partnership

2. Researched data

3. Mother tongue educational plan

4. Homeschooling support

Preference is for English education.  Faith doing an after-school program for elementary and middle school in addition to high school.

We are in kingdom expansion, not education – education is the tool we use to help reach unreached peoples.  Not just supportive, but strategic to reach the unreached.

Mother Tongue Issues – Bob Pittman, SIL

Bilingual Education in International Schools – Feasible or Fantasy?

Definition of bilingual education:

Teaching children to read and write in their mother tongue (MT) first

Then teaching them to read and write in a second language (e.g., English)

Helping them maintain their mother tongues

Assisting them with complex subjects in their mother tongue

What it is not:

A program where all students learn two or more languages

Not a parallel track program in two or more languages

Why?  It is easier to put meaning to sounds when you are reading in your primary language

Knowledge and literacy:  once you read in your mother tongue, easy to transfer skills

Success without bilingual education?

Possible, but usually have de facto bilingual education at home

Additional reason for bilingual educ:

Reentry – in US make students into good Americans – international schools do not

Maintaining the mother togues is critical to returning to passport country

It is possible to grow up without a mother tongue – speaking English at home and school when parents don’t speak English very well

Types of Bilingualism:

1. Limited in both languages – disadvantaged

2. Unbalanced – better in one

3. Balanced bilingualism – advantaged

Is it possible???

Limited budget

Hard to get teachers

Schedule problems

Children unmotivated to learn their mother tongue

No environment to use your mother tongue

Parents not encouraging it

One model:  Ukarumpa IS’ (PNG) – Mother Tongue Studies

Parent-run program spported by the school

Begun in 1992 at the request of parents

300 students from 17 countries

Parent staffed

Entire school participates, receive grades, and goes on school record

Goes beyond literacy

Prerequisites

Students must be able to read in MT before English

Teacher listens to them read without understanding what they are reading, but can evaluate proficiency even when not understanding the words

Baiscs:

Parents teach (some recruit)

School provides classroom

School provides time (2 hours or more often during Social Studies)

School provides creditbility

Teachers (moms) must determine and get their own curriculum and resources

There must be a small budget (school pays for photocopying)

MTS Coordinator (parent or teacher)

Additional helps in school

MTS Coordinator meets regularly with admin and MTS teachers

Some nationalities recruit a teacher

Some MTS classes cover subjects of importance for that country

Additional helps by parents

Saturday schools

Families speak the MT at home

Students read, and watch videos in MT

Parents “debrief” academic classes in MT to gain academic vocabulary

Students write in MT

Family supplements culture, history, and geography (national holidays)

Community activities

ESL versus Mother Tongue Studies

MTS stresses:

Learning to read and write in MT first

Maintaining the MT

Developing academic vocabulary in MT

It takes time to develop such a program.

Flexibility is a key.

Parents must buy into it.

It is worth the effort!

For further information, contact Marti Ahlquist    marti_ahlquist@sil.org 

Other resources:  Using already used surveys to assess needs in various areas  - Networking needs based on research

Resource list for training programs – description, contact info 

MK Connections – 5 months learn English, missional trends, western educational methods, 2 months placed in schools, could be available for other sending countries; SIL member (western) has some Korean language, resource person to better serve Korean families in China

OMF trying to recruit tutors.  Hard to find tutors. Parents sometimes find friends in Korea to come, OMF provides training. AERC providing training for tutors.

Sending countries need to develop PFO

Networking with member care organizations:  Harry Hoffman, Ethne, others