The pain test – Verify Your Understanding of the Problem

For this second part of the pain test we had to find people with the problem (market participants), experts, and other sources. Once we’ve done this, we had to ask them the same six questions we answered on the previews post. Finally, we have to find out how well do their answers match ours?

Before I tell you the results, lets remember the hipotesys (the problem) again:

The problem

There is a population segment that for different reasons (economic, social occupational, geographic location, time, etc.) hasn’t been able to start, continue or finish their education. This condition prevents them to obtain a better job and improve their life quality.

Eduaction in Costa Rica

As my Idea is to focus a solution for Spanish speakers and I am Costa Rican, I narrow down my research to my country (which is small enough to be consider as a whole).

I found at several sources (see references below) that the problem I am researching about begins at High School. According to The Costa Rican Public Education Department (MEP for its abbreviation in Spanish) on 2011, only 66% of the students between 16-17 years old are at some level of the Costa Rican educational system.

This desertion is produced “not only be economical problems but also because there is a lack of interest by the students on their formal education” (CONARE, 2005). MEP states that students are skeptical regarding the return of the investment of their education (MEP, 2010), and that there is a gap between the educational program and the company’s needs.

Even though 84.5% of the high school students take English lessons, they are not proficient enough to take advantage of the courses offered free by the sites I mention on The Ed Tech Startup Space post.

The Employment Situation

According to the Continuing Survey of Employment by the INEC (National Institute of Statistics and Census for its abbreviation in Spanish), 11% of the working force is sub employed (works less than 40 hours and are willing to work more time) and 19% is looking for a better job.

At least, 52.9% earns less than one or two minimum salaries. Most are women who live in rural areas with low education. The amount of education is inversely proportional to the economic status.

Poverty incidence for the population between 18 and 64 years old and their years of study. (Poverty on the Y axis, years of study on the X axis)

Meanwhile, unemployment is concentrated in low educational levels, where 78% of all unemployed “has an approved level between full primary and incomplete secondary” (INEC, 2012).

Results of the interviews

According to interviewees, the lack of monetary resources and time are the main factors why people do not finish their studies. Although, all respondents know the options available to study, agree that these are not the conditions that allow them to study and work full time and / or are not within their means.

Regarding what they are willing to do to get the education they needed to complete their studies, respondents say they need to adjust their finances and would be willing to change their job if they had the opportunity to study or get a scholarship.

 

Conclusions

The sources, market participants and experts interviewed confirm the hypothesis.

The economic problems of time and lack of motivation (caused by the inabillity to see the value of the regular education) are the main reasons why people fail to complete their studies. This directly affects their economy and decreases their chances of studying.

At the end of the interview, I briefly shared with the participants the idea presented in this course. They showed interest and asked to be contacted when I have more information.

References

MEP (2010). Indicadores Educativos. Recuperado de http://www.mep.go.cr/Indicadores_Educativos/15-GRADO-ESCOLARIDAD2.html

Conare (2005). Estado de la Educación costarricense. San José, Costa Rica.

Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (2012). Encuesta Continua de Empleo.

 

The pain test – Identify Your Assumptions

Am I trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist? Am I answering a question no one asked?

At Edstartup 101 we have to test our idea to find out how much we really understand the problem and if we are be able to point to evidence that supports us.

This is the first of two posts. In “Identify Your Assumptions” I will write down my assumptions to be compared with reality on the next post.

The problem

There is a population segment that for different reasons (economic, social occupational, geographic location, time, etc.) hasn’t been able to start, continue or finish their education. This condition prevents them to obtain a better job and improve their life quality.

My Assumptions

1) What causes the problem?
After applying the 4 why analysis I found the several causes to  the problem:

• The current learning centers do not target this population

• Most of the learning center with night and weekend classes are private and their fees are  high.

• The public universities require full time to study. The members of this population have  to work full time (even more), have young children, etc.

• They live far from learning centers.

• They have no enough preparation to be self learners.

• The actual resources are not adapted to the Latin American reality. Most of them are for English speakers.

• The actual curriculum don’t supply skilled workers for the employees.

I also  found a cycle. For example:

The members of this population can not study in a public learning center.

Why?
They don’t have no enough time to study.

Why?
They have work full time or have to have more than one job.

Why?
They don’t earn enough.

Why?
They don’t have the preparation to find a better job.

Why?
They don’t have no enough time to study.

2) Think about the people with the problem. What are they currently doing, or willing to do, to solve it?

Some of them are making an effort to study using distance learning, a private institute or some universities that are not that expensive. Some others are taking online education, usually the those who speak English.

Most of them are not doing anything.  They are disappointed about education and think about it as an expense (either in time or in money) they are not willing to do. I recognize this is a challenge. There must be another incentive beyond the learning for the pleasure of learning. For this reason there should be companies that back up the process offering job opportunities as return of the investment.

3) What are all of the current solutions to the problem?
All the partial solutions are too many to enlist here. Some of them are:

• INA (National institute for learning) http://www.ina.ac.cr/
• Cursera  www.coursera.org
• Udacy http://www.udacity.com/
• CapaciNet http://www.capacinet.gob.mx/
• Khan Academy http://www.khanacademy.org/
• Aula Fácil http://www.aulafacil.com/
• Aula Clic http://www.aulaclic.es
• Emagister http://www.emagister.com

4) Why aren’t the current solutions good enough?
All the listed solutions are great institutions, but they fall in one or more th

• The materials are in English
• The selection process is bureaucratic  and the curriculum is too long. (this is the case of INA)
• They are are not adapted to the latin american reality
• You must be a self learner.

5) How long has it been a problem?
As long as there have been an education.

6) How easily could something change to make the problem go away?
I don’t think the problem could be eradicated. As the world changes at full speed. all we need to run in order to catch up with it  and there will always be people who is left behind. My proposal is just a small boat in a great sea.

Please, tell me what you think. Am I leaving something out? Do you have a different point of view?