Residents of small communities may realize the importance of basic education for their children but are unable to provide adequate academic training with their own resources. In rural communities teaching aids and basic equipment available for educational tasks are minimal, even though parents and teachers alike agree that more adequate and imaginative teaching methods are needed in school to stimulate learning incentives. The consequent problems of irregular attendance, wide age variation within grades, and discipline appear to be insoluble. Rural areas are not considered as attractive teaching posts even when the schools are new – houses are not available for new teachers, and outside instruction is limited and irregular.
Often the only structure of formal education existing in rural communities is a primary school of several grades with one teacher. Many rural primary schools in underprivileged countries conduct classes for only a few hours a week and For most children, completion of the fourth grade is the end of formal education. A large number of young people from poorer families who begin work at an early age stop going to school. Transport and boarding expenses prohibit attendance at more advanced classes which are usually available only away from the village. When young people graduate from high school, they have to move to the cities for jobs and further education.
While continuing education is becoming increasingly necessary for individuals to keep up with the present rapid change, local schools and adult training opportunities are not available in most rural communities. Funds for educational use are often inadequate or misspent, and insufficient information or supplementary services such as transportation, scholarships, etc, results in little use being made of regional education structures. In the absence of effective structures of ongoing education, preparation for the future will continue to be limited and present patterns remain unchanged.
Regional discrepancies within countries occur in varying degrees, depending upon the overall participation in education, but are particularly serious in developing countries. In developed countries education deficiencies tend to appear at the age at which education ceases to be compulsory and therefore mostly originate at secondary school levels.
Although education should prepare children, young people and adults to deal practically with the actual situations which confront them, educational opportunities in rural areas are impractical and unrelated to the daily requirements of the community. There is need for more practical and imaginative curricula in primary schools to stimulate learning, equip students and encourage parents to assist in seeking further education for their children. In addition, adult education rarely exists in any formal manner, even though basic reading, writing and mathematics are increasingly necessary. Instructions on health practices, information on agriculture and commercial methods, and leadership training are not locally available. Residents may desire to learn additional skills, but they are thwarted by the lack of relevant training events.
A large number of countries are in the process of improving the educational situation in rural areas. Teachers are being trained. Education infrastructure is being developed. Curriculum is being designed to meet the employment needs of the country and away from the cultural biases of former colonial powers. The quality of life is being improved in the countryside to attract educators and keep students.