Today I listened to "Why GDP Matters: Compare Jamaica to Barbados" on Planet Money. In the story, the authors visit schools in similar environments in both countries. Jamaica's school struggles because it lacks resources and is overcrowded (has a lower GDP) whereas the school in Barbados has concerns but is overall pleased with its government involvement (higher GDP).The comparison of the schools and their resources are overly simplistic and pick and choose what is needed to make the argument, but I appreciated the questions raised towards the end of the piece. Why are poor countries poor and rich countries rich? Are there things that can be done to make poor countries less poor? What happens to an average student at a poor school, are they trapped in the cycle of poverty because there is no way out?
I like being a volunteer in Peace Corps because I get to feel as though I'm helping to broaden the educational experience of my students. I just wish I could see the larger picture of development through education.
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