It is important to discuss the capacity issues of service providers unable to spend allocated resources. It is equally critical to analyse the process through which resources are allocated and the time it takes to release them to end users. Tracking expenditure is essential, but ensuring responsible spending is also important. There is a general consensus that both financial and non-financial incentives help improve results, but the possible negative externalities generated should be noted. These are among the governance issues that require urgent attention.
Budgeting and public finance management are integral parts of governance. Pakistan is one of the few countries that spend around two per cent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on education. Pakistan’s education expenditure is less than that of its South Asian peers; India and Nepal spend 3.3 and 4.7 per cent of their GDPs on education, respectively. But low allocation is not the only issue. In 2012–13, actual development expenditure on education was a mere 50 per cent of the allocated amount. On average, 82 per cent of allocated funds are used on non-developmental items.
In addition to allocation and expenditure issues, the process through which budgets are prepared and distributed across different geographic areas requires serious consideration. Is there a formula that accounts for education poverty? That guides resource allocation to different districts? A simple example from district Dera Bugti illustrates the severity of education inequality across the country. The district’s net enrolment ratio stands at 12 per cent whereas district Chakwal’s is 81 per cent. Dera Bugti’s survival rate and literacy rate are nine per cent and 16 per cent, respectively. The highest corresponding figures in the country are of Islamabad, which are 76 per cent and 89 per cent. There are also gender-based disparities. The gender parity index for primary education in Pakistan is 0.9 as compared to 1.02 for Nepal and Bangladesh, 0.98 for India and 0.99 for Sri Lanka. A structural mechanism to distribute resources to different districts based on a multi-dimensional poverty index would help address such inequalities, which are otherwise destined to rise.
Good governance in education promotes effective service delivery. There is an urgent need for a sound performance measurement system that goes beyond measuring inputs (the use of funds), outputs, (enrolment) and outcomes (students’ examination results). Such a system could use a set of key performance indicators for various tiers within the education system. Countries like Colombia and Mexico have introduced online ‘dashboard’ systems that provide real-time information and updates. Senior political officers use them to assess the effectiveness of implementation strategies. The government of Punjab has also established such a system for the Punjab Education Sector Reforms Programme. The Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform is considering a similar mechanism for its Vision 2025 and next five-year plan. A sound performance management system could instil a culture of accountability.
Pakistan will need to invest in its statistical systems to provide timely data and analysis for informed decision-making in education. Setting up parallel structures and processes is not the answer; existing statistical institution capacity must be enhanced. These new technologies provide cost-effective approaches to data collection and monitoring, and Pakistan would do well to learn from the experiences of other countries.
Lastly, the political context of education plays a crucial role in determining whether or not any plans or strategies can or will be implemented. Indeed, some of the most innovative education interventions in the world stemmed from the special interest of the political elite. Sustainable improvement in education will remain a distant dream unless the people demand, and the politicians deliver.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 26th, 2014.
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COMMENTS (6)
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What he has said about M&E is a bit confusing. He says, "There is an urgent need for a sound performance measurement system that goes beyond measuring inputs, outputs, and outcomes." I thought here he was talking about impacts-longer term, final outcomes. But he goes on to say, "such a system could use a set of key performance indicators for various tiers within the education system. " Now I am unsure how KPIs could go beyond outputs and outcomes (as he desires). Because if they focus on impacts, performance measurement would not be possible in shorter terms, say a year or two. And if we see Punjab Education Sector Reforms Programme's KPIs which he mentions as an example, they also do not include any long-term indicators.
Power, status vs. Education, humanity and dignity; Pakistan is the state where every individual has own governance or state. Honestly speaking every individual of 19-20 million population of Pakistan, every institute and every society is corrupt, dishonest and their interest and honesty just limited to their own survival. Where pride is power, status and money not education, humanity and dignity. Where every politician, general, Mullah and bureaucrat honesty and interest limited to their survival only. Survival at the cost of others.
Driving force for educate himself should be there in form of jobs. When jobs become attractive people will be running after it.
What about replacing the three disparate educational systems that end up producing three diverse cohorts of students, that are bound to remain mystery to each other? Is it not the blatant violation of human rights to subject the citizens,(who otherwise possess same nervous system) to discrimination from a vulnerable age by virtue of supplying them with substandard education? And when one grows up, realizes state's complicity, it only fills an ordinary person with rage and contempt for the state. So, while the lucky minority easily gets the opportunity to best jobs and ideas, and the rest of masses are rendered gullible and meek owing to the poor and agenda driven syllabus they read in schools, substandard exams that they give,which degenerate their creative abilities. The more one reads and learns the facts about Pakistani polity , the more one becomes cynical and miserable. The best remedy then seems to relish the ignorance and become a complete philistine or a corrupt Machiavelli. Sadly, however, the conscience does not permit that kind of pleasure.
Education is a lot more than learning Physics or Biology. From what I have gathered, the Pakistani books, especially dealing with history, are very biased. Unless they fix this aspect of education, the country will not be making true progress.
"Making education work in Pakistan"
Education is indeed "working" as intended in Pakistan. The educational system has been institutionally geared to teach bigoted and extremist worldview, religious intolerance and false history. In this respect, based on the growing number of dangerous radical extremists, the education plan has been a success.
The author's focus lacks vision and totally loses sight of the fundamental principle of education as an enlightening tool/process that sharpens one's mind to think logically and analytically based on facts. The author's proposal of "setting up performance benchmarks, systems of monitoring and accountability, and budgeting and distribution formulae" is nothing more than a nibbling at the superficial parameters that can't deliver on the basic ideals of education.
What is needed is a soul-searching on what is really wrong- the government institutionalized system of brainwashing young minds for narrow geopolitical goals- and totally revamp the system from grade one discarding the brainwashing goals of past decades.