Essay on Philanthropy and Education

The article “Philanthropy for Australian Schools” states that philanthropy plays a significant role in Australian education. However, there are questions regarding the use of philanthropic grants by Australian schools. Therefore, Leading Learning in Education and Philanthropy (LLEAP) research project is proposed to study the effectiveness of the relationship between school education and philanthropic-based organizations and foundations. LLEAP is an initiative project started by Tender Bridge in association with the Ian Potter Foundation. The main purposes of the project include improving the access and the availability of grants and enhancing the cooperation between Australian educational establishments and the philanthropy organizations.

In order to provide efficient educational results, schools need proper relationships and resources. The research reveals an issue that the personnel in the educational sector fail to collaborate effectively in order to make proper use of the available grants and charities. The main hiccup mentioned conspicuously in the article is that educators lack a feasible collaborative framework to engage philanthropists (LLEAP, 2012). In order to enhance the cooperation between schools and philanthropic organizations, the research reveals the need in meeting the expectations of philanthropists and the needs and values of schools.

Some of the most successful philanthropic activities according to the article are performed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). ACER has grown in a sovereign, non-profit-based firm, which receives no economic aid and accrues income via contracted research and development studies and also through distributed products. As a practical example, ACER is one of the most thriving organizations basing its foundation on grants and charities. ACER has assisted in funding education, specifically, in British Commonwealth Nations globally; therefore, ACER exists as one of the most successful firms established on charities, which has risen to provide donations to various educational establishments.

The LLEAP project is going to last for three years, and it will be the first national research of this kind. It will collect all the knowledge about philanthropy in education, evaluate the relationships between the two sectors, and document the best approaches to enhancing educational outcomes. At the end of the project, the authors will find a better mode of cooperation between philanthropic organizations and educational establishments. The results will help not only to improve the process of seeking and getting grants but also provide opportunities for great educational projects.

The article raises significant concerns that I find applicable in my life. In particular, the author stresses the need to find collaborative ways to engage philanthropists, and even find better ways to make use of grants and charities innovatively. As an educator, I will use my ability to collaborate effectively with philanthropists to help my school. In particular, I will use the innovative approaches, such as mobilizing the school board members to get involved in relationships with charity foundations and to use the funds effectively. Something that touched me most was the ACER’s story, especially, how they managed to make use of donations to grow and then turn into a charity foundation, which was later helping the Commonwealth countries. Therefore, my life is practically influenced by ACER and I wish to replicate the same approach in making good use of donated funds.

My perspective and the way of looking at education and philanthropy have changed significantly. At first, I was convinced that it is exclusively a government’s role to work and develop schools. After reading this article, I have overturned my views. Leadership in schools should take an active role in promoting educational outcomes (Wharton, Kail & Curvers, 2016). Moreover, I managed to research about the ways how schools can source funds, and I found out that the sources are numerous, yet leadership in the educational sector may not be working efficiently. Education is a fundamental process for every child and a young person, and efforts should be made to promote learning in schools.

My comprehension of the article and of the described collaboration aspects, in particular, is that there is a lack of creative ways enabling the effective collaboration between educators and philanthropists. Noting that education is essential for every child, crucial policies and better partnership ways should be in place to benefit the learners (Powell, 2018). As the charity seekers, the educators are the ones who should be proactive in finding out the bureaucracies involved in the grant application, so that they can engage the philanthropists (Powell, 2015). Also, the proper administration of those funds can improve outcomes in schools. In the final analysis, if there is effective governance in institutions of learning, educators can find better ways to influence the education process and create innovative approaches to affect the lives of young people.

Based on the outlined objectives of the proposed research, LLEAP offers significant lessons that every audience can take home. I learned that grants are often available and every school has a chance of prosperity, as long as they are managing the resources appropriately for a better outcome. Also, I noted that people appreciate education and support the development in this sphere. Specifically, finding collaborative models to engage philanthropists effectively is a challenge for education stakeholders (Hogan, Thompson, Sellar & Lingard, 2018). However, not all educators apply strategic approaches to sourcing the means of enhancing the entire process, such as searching for innovative ways of improving the learning techniques in schools.

My knowledge obtained from this article is vast and can be applied in many ways. I believe that no institution should complain of the government’s reluctance to enhance the development of schools. Instead, the society and charity foundations should be at the forefront of promoting education. Also, educators should have objectives geared toward helping the learners. Other actions that can be made include initiating projects to help the needy and vulnerable students to advance their access to education. Finally, leadership in the sectors of education and philanthropy is essential in promoting learning efficiency in schools.

Addressing the informational gaps between educators and philanthropists can provide a favorable environment for learners. Based on the article, the main purposes worth pursuing include a proper collaboration between educators and charity organizations, development of the ways to engage the funds appropriately, the enlightenment of schools’ stakeholders and philanthropy firms, and the establishment of the innovative ideas of collaboration. Also, educational institutions should ensure that use from the obtained grants is maximized. On the whole, effective leadership should be supported in schools and the proper policies intended to help schools enhance educational outcomes should be implemented.

References

Hogan, A., Thompson, G., Sellar, S., & Lingard, B. (2018). Teachers’ and school leaders’ perceptions of commercialization in Australian public schools. The Australian Educational Researcher, 45(2), 141-160.

LLEAP, (2012). Philanthropy for Australian schools. Principal Matters Autumn, 28-31.

Powell, D. (2015). ‘Part of the solution’? Charities, corporate philanthropy and healthy lifestyles education in New Zealand primary schools. PhD diss., Charles Sturt University.

Powell, D. (2018). The ‘will to give’: Corporations, philanthropy, and schools. Journal of Education Policy, 1-20.

Wharton, R., Kail, A., & Curvers, S. (2016). School report: How can charities work best in the school system. A discussion paper.